New Delhi:
Alliance Francaise, an institution supported by the French government to promote French language and culture, will open two new branches in Udaipur and Bhubaneshwar, France’s Minister of State for Development and International Partnership Chrysoula Zacharopoulou announced on Thursday.
“France aims to make French language and culture easily accessible everywhere in India, that’s why we are opening two other branches of Alliance Francaise in India, one in Udaipur and one in Bhubaneswar,” she said during a visit to the institute in Delhi.
According to the French embassy here, France boasts a network of 15 alliance françaises and seven branches in India, providing French language classes to more than 28,000 students.
The minister interacted with the students at the institute and shared her experience of learning French language.
“I was on same page as every non-French people when I started learning the language, I am a Greek by blood, French was never my mother tongue but here I am…French is a language for everybody,” she said.
During the interaction, Shilpi, one of the recruited volunteers from India, said, “I stared learning French in 2022 and within very less span of time I managed to learn French, my learning enhanced when I had the opportunity to stay in France for eight months. France’s environment taught me a lot and it has opened ample opportunities for me.” Lina, a French volunteer who has been living in India for a few months, said, “I am enjoying and learning the ways of India’s rich culture, I can speak basic Hindi words now.”
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