* Affiliated to the Foundation AllianceFrançaise in Paris
* Heralds new era in Franco-Sri Lankan ties
The Délégué Général (General Delegate) of the Paris-based
Foundation Alliance Française Bertrand Dufieux today announced the launch of
the Alliance Française de Kotte (AF de Kotte), Sri Lanka’s newest French language
and cultural organisation.
Affiliated to the Foundation Alliance Française in Paris and enjoying the full patronage of the Government of
France and the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka,
the AF de Kotte joins the ranks of the other official Alliance Francaise
Centres in Kandy, Matara/Galle and Jaffna, offering French
language classes to all age groups.
In keeping with its endeavor to reach out to as many Sri
Lankans as possible in Colombo and surrounding areas, the AF de Kotte will
offer wide ranging language classes at three different locations in the city in
co-operation with Sri Lankan and European educational partners such as the
Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) at the BMICH, Lyceum
International School Nugegoda and the Goethe Institute in Gregory’s Road,
Colombo 07.
Enrolments for the new term will commence on 03 May 2010 and
will be done at the office of the AF de Kotte at 139, Jawatte Road, Colombo05. Tel: 2581715. One can also get further information by visiting the website
www.alliancefrkotte.lk or by email: dgalliancefr@yahoo.fr
Mr. Dufieux who also functions as the Director of the AF de
Kotte, said that the Foundation Alliance Française was delighted to
re-establish its more than half a century old Franco-Sri Lankan language and
cultural co-operation in the capital city. “We have no other official branch inColombo. The AF
de Kotte thus fills a vacuum as the French language teaching centre in Sri Lanka’s
capital city. With the full backing from France, and with numerous inquiries
already from hundreds of Sri Lankans from all walks of life, I have no doubt of
the success of the AF Kotte as the leading French language teaching institution
in Colombo”, he said.
The AF de Kotte will also organise and supervise
examinations for internationally recognised DELF/DALF Diplomas according to the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a system of
validation of language ability. The six reference levels, A1-A2, B1-B2, C1-C2,
are accepted everywhere in the world as the European standard for grading
language proficiency. In the field of general language training, certificates
only issued by the AF de Kotte, AF de Kandy, AF de Matara/Galle and AF de
Jaffna will be duly recognised by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka for those wishing to pursue higher
studies in France.
“As part of our ongoing endeavor to offer the best language
methods and skills to our students in Sri Lanka, our teachers will
continue to be trained every year within the same framework. Under the auspices
of the Embassy of France, teachers at the AF de Kotte, as well as teachers from
the AF network in Sri Lankaare regularly trained by visiting French specialists in the teaching of French
as a foreign language”, Dufieux added.
At the same time, students of the AF de Kotte will be able
to take part in competitions and win trips to France, where they will be able to
strengthen their skills in French while also getting a first-hand experience of
French life, living and culture.
Ambassador of France in Sri Lanka Her Excellency
Madame Christine Robichon, said that the establishment of the AF de Kotte
heralds a new era in Franco-Sri Lankan cultural relations. “The French language
is spoken by 200 million people across the world. Sri Lanka has been a part of this
large and continuously growing family for a long time. I am proud and happy to
support the AF de Kotte as its opens a new chapter in French language teaching
in Sri Lankaat a particularly appropriate time when the arrival of French tourists are
increasing”, she added.
The new President of the Board of Directors of the AF de
Kotte, well-known entrepreneur in the Sri Lankahospitality trade Chandra Wickremasinghe said that as part of its drive to
promote French culture in Sri
Lanka, the AF de Kotte will cooperate
extensively with the Embassy of France.
“We will also partner other Franco-Sri Lankan organizations
such as the Association Sri Lankaise des Anciens Etudiants en France (ASLAEF),
Association des Professeurs de Français (APF) and CAMPUSFRANCE, the office for
the promotion of higher studies in France. As part of a wider European
cultural framework, the AF de Kotte will also join forces with the British
Council, the Goethe Institute and the Embassies of European Union countries
based in Sri Lanka”, Wickremasinghe added.
The Directors of the three other official Alliance
Francaises in Sri Lanka - Dr. Jacques Soulié in Kandy, Dr. Ananda Ruhunuhewa in
Matara and Dr. Gérard Robuchon in Jaffna - echoed a common sentiment. “The
French language enjoys great popularity and is thriving in Sri Lanka with
around 6000 persons studying French, 40% of them in the Alliance Française
network. We’re delighted to welcome the AF de Kotte to the Alliance Française
family in Sri Lanka and look
forward to collectively promoting the French language and culture in Sri Lanka”.
The Alliance Française de Kotte which will also host the
Délégué Général (General Delegate) of Alliance Française in Sri Lanka and the Maldives,
will play a key role in the bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka, the Maldivesand Francein the fields of promoting, training and teaching the French language as well
as in the field of cultural activities.
