Like me, you may have come across these three letters in the middle of a conversation or on a poster: F.L.E.
Behind this rather dry acronym lies one of the most human adventures there is. No, it’s not a new political party, nor a new trendy sport.
It is simply the art of teaching French to those for whom it is not their native language.
1. What is FLE?
- Français Langue Étrangère (FLE, French as a Foreign Language) refers to teaching French to non-French-speaking learners, whether they are in France or in their home country. Above all, it is also about learning French as a tool for communication when you already speak another language (English, Arabic, Chinese, etc.).
A useful analogy: Learning your native language is like learning to walk around your own house. Learning FLE is like learning to explore a new country whose map you don’t yet have.
- Whereas FLM (French as a Mother Tongue), according to the definition given by an official website, is “a language learned within the family environment, from early childhood, in a natural, informal way”
- And FLS (French as a Second Language), according to the same official website, “is learned after one’s mother tongue, at a later stage, but as an essential language for one’s personal life (for example, immigrants in a French-speaking country). It is therefore learned with a view to integration. French must in a sense become a second mother tongue. FLS will serve, to varying degrees, as an everyday, learning, or schooling language.”
2. Who learns French, and why?
- International students: Who come to France to do their Master’s degree.
- Expatriates: Who settle in France for work.
- Enthusiasts: Who love French culture, wine, or cinema, wherever in the world they are.
- People in migration situations: For whom learning the language is the key to independence.
3. The difficulties learners face
- Pronunciation (nasal sounds 😅): unique sounds and silent letters make French an opaque language for foreigners.
- The gender of words, i.e. masculine or feminine: a “livre” (book) that weighs a “livre” (pound)!
- Homonyms and homophones: “sans” (without), “cent” (hundred), “sang” (blood); a “porc” (pig) in a “port” (harbour)!!
- Formal and informal address (“tu” and “vous”)
- Our beloved conjugation system: the subtleties of the subjunctive, past participle agreement…
- False friends, meaning all those words that look alike but don’t mean the same thing: “allocation” (benefit) – “allocution” (speech) – “élocution” (elocution); “aménager” (to fit out) – “emménager” (to move in); “amande” (almond) – “amende” (fine); etc.
4. FLE teachers
1. How do they teach?
They draw on:
- communicative methods:
- which encourage spoken expression
- which use real-life situations
A year ago, our partner Dys-Positif was approached by Oui Merci Académie, an FLE school in Spain, to take part in an episode of their podcast. Its director, Léa Ricci, uses this medium as a listening-comprehension resource for her students, much like a collection of songs.
- task-based approaches with concrete tasks (booking a hotel, writing an email…)
- traditional methods, studying grammar and doing translation exercises.
2. Who are they?
“FLE teachers” are not French teachers in the ordinary sense. They have completed specific training:
- the Master’s in FLE, a university degree that usually follows on from a bachelor’s degree in literature or languages
- the DAEFLE (certificate of proficiency in teaching FLE), a qualification created and awarded by the Alliance Française since 1883!
- the DU FLE, a university diploma which also requires a completed bachelor’s degree
- a French as a Foreign Language certificate
Increasingly, they are also primary school teachers who welcome allophone pupils into their classrooms, meaning children whose mother tongue is not French. These may be migrant children, refugees, or pupils from expatriate families.
5. Welcoming allophone children in France: issues, challenges and FLE practices
Indeed, every year, thousands of children arrive in France without speaking French. Yet from the moment they arrive, they are immersed in an entirely French-speaking school system. These pupils, known as allophones, must meet a dual challenge: learning a new language while keeping up with a standard curriculum.
The French school framework: a priority on inclusion
According to official texts, every child present on French territory must have access to education, regardless of nationality or situation.
In this context, Français Langue Étrangère (FLE) plays an essential role. Overseen by the Ministry of Education and structured around the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), this teaching allows pupils to acquire the skills they need to succeed at school.
Inclusion in mainstream classes
Inclusion is therefore the main form of schooling. Pupils are enrolled in a class matching their age, even if they do not yet speak French.
The UPE2A scheme
To support them, UPE2A units (teaching units for newly arrived allophone pupils) provide specific support:
- intensive French learning
- an individualised pathway
- coordination between mainstream classes and language support
“My experience teaching FLE classes was unusual, because it was aimed at nursery and primary school children. We had to go through an intermediate language: Italian, because many of the children arrived from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. They spent 3 months in Italy before arriving in France. They learned very quickly and had an extraordinary capacity to adapt. On my side, I needed a great deal of flexibility in my teaching methods. Some classes only spoke Turkish, at school and at home. It could be complicated, but there was always a solution. Gesture, tone, singing, relaxation. Any means was good to convey a word, a sentence, a sound. It was a hugely rewarding experience, both personally and professionally.” says Karine Paquette, an FLE teacher on the Ora-Visio platform
Tools for learning FLE
To make effective progress in French as a foreign language, it’s essential to practise regularly with suitable resources. The My Fluent French platform offers online exercises specially designed for children and beginner learners. Through interactive activities, everyday vocabulary and real-life scenarios, pupils can learn French progressively and stay motivated. It’s an ideal solution for newly arrived pupils or those attending school in a French-speaking environment.
Conclusion: As you will have gathered, FLE is not just about learning a language: it’s a gateway to a culture, a way of thinking, and an opening onto the world. When it comes to children, welcoming an allophone pupil isn’t just about teaching them French, it’s about helping them rebuild themselves and find their place in our society.
Would you like to improve your French quickly? Discover suitable exercises right now on My Fluent French.
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