learn french in france
For new immigrants arriving in France, the opportunity to learn French represents far more than simply acquiring a new linguistic skill. It serves as the fundamental gateway to successful integration into French society, unlocking professional opportunities, enabling deep engagement with France’s rich cultural heritage, and fostering a genuine sense of belonging in their new homeland. While the path to fluency presents its inevitable challenges, France has developed an extensive network of programs, resources, and support systems specifically designed to help newcomers, both adults and children, acquire the essential language skills needed for daily life and long-term success.
Why Learning French is Essential for New Immigrants
The importance of learning French for new immigrants cannot be overstated, as it impacts virtually every aspect of life in France. Language proficiency facilitates meaningful social integration, enabling immigrants to forge authentic friendships with French citizens and build substantial connections within their communities.
While English serves as an international lingua franca, the reality is that not all French people possess sufficient English fluency for everyday interactions, making French comprehension crucial for navigating daily activities ranging from shopping to handling administrative tasks. Professional opportunities expand dramatically with French language skills, as studies conducted in France demonstrate that language training can significantly increase labor force participation rates among immigrant populations.
Additionally, learning French allows newcomers to fully immerse themselves in France’s extraordinary cultural landscape, experiencing its rich history, artistic traditions, renowned cuisine, and time-honored customs in their authentic context.
Understanding French Language Education Terminology
When exploring French language education opportunities in France, immigrants encounter specific terminology that defines different approaches to language acquisition. The term “Français Langue Étrangère” or FLE refers to “French as a foreign language,” characterizing general foreign language acquisition that does not necessarily involve living and interacting within the country where the language is spoken. In contrast, “Français Langue Seconde” or FLS, along with “Français Langue de Scolarisation” or FLSco, refers to “French as a second language” or “French as a school language.” This type of acquisition assumes the learner is acquiring the language within France itself and will require it for education and daily life within the country, comparable to programs like “German as a Second Language” in Germany.
Mandatory Integration Programs for Adult Immigrants
France has implemented comprehensive mandatory integration programs for adult immigrants, with language training serving as a cornerstone component of these initiatives. Since January 1, 2007, every new legal immigrant to France over sixteen years old, arriving from countries outside the European Union, must sign an integration contract. Initially known as the “Contrat d’accueil et d’intégration” or CAI, this program was updated in July 2016 to become the “Contrat d’intégration républicaine” or CIR. These contracts impose several specific requirements designed to facilitate successful integration into French society.
Civic Training Requirements
The civic training component of these contracts requires immigrants to attend mandatory sessions focusing on French institutions, values, and the fundamental principles of the French Republic, including gender equality and laïcité or secularism. Under the original CAI, this training lasted one day, but it was progressively extended to two days and then four days under the current CIR system, reflecting the government’s increased emphasis on civic education.
Language Training Components
Language training represents the most substantial component of these integration contracts. Immigrants must undergo an initial language assessment test, and those whose results are deemed insufficient are assigned to language training programs. Under the original CAI system, training hours ranged from sixty to four hundred, aiming to achieve an A1.1 “survival” level of French, which was often criticized as too basic for meaningful economic integration.
Upon completion, participants received a diploma of basic French skills called DILF, which proved important for residence permit renewal processes. The updated CIR system addresses these limitations by evaluating actual language skills at A1, A2, or B1 levels, with assigned training hours varying between fifty, one hundred, and two hundred hours depending on individual needs to achieve these specific proficiency levels. The CIR emphasizes progressive learning with the ultimate goal of reaching B1 level, considered an “employability level,” and directly ties language progress to the renewal of multi-annual residence permits.
Impact on Economic Integration
Research examining the impact of language training on economic integration has revealed several significant effects on immigrants’ professional prospects. The language classes substantially increase the probability of labor force participation, with this effect typically being greater for immigrants possessing higher education levels, as well as for labor migrants and refugees compared to family migrants.
However, studies indicate that the impact tends to be smaller for women and individuals above the median age. One key mechanism through which language training proves beneficial is by providing valuable information about life in France and job search strategies. During classes, participants exchange experiences and advice with teachers and classmates on topics including public life, practical daily matters, and professional development, proving more effective than brief information sessions due to extended interaction time.
Interestingly, studies of the original CAI language classes did not demonstrate significant improvements in objective measures of language skills or direct increases in employment probability. This limitation was partly attributed to the basic A1.1 level of French taught, which proved insufficient for employability purposes. The newer CIR program, with its progressive learning approach and higher target levels, specifically aims to address these shortcomings. However, research has also identified potential negative behavioral effects, possibly due to disappointment when immigrants perceive integration policies as ineffective in actually increasing employment opportunities.
Free and Low-Cost French Learning Opportunities
France offers numerous avenues for new immigrants to learn French, many of which are free or low-cost, supporting comprehensive integration efforts. For unemployed individuals, registering with Pôle Emploi, the French national employment agency, provides access to various forms of assistance, including complimentary French classes. Even individuals not entitled to unemployment benefits can access this language assistance, making it a valuable resource. Some French training centers partnering with Pôle Emploi can even assist with the registration process itself.
Local Associations and NGOs
Local associations and non-governmental organizations across France provide French as a foreign language classes specifically designed to aid integration efforts. The French Red Cross, known as Croix-Rouge Française, represents one of France’s oldest NGOs and operates one hundred fifty centers nationwide offering French language classes for adults, including FLE and alphabetization courses. They may also provide homework assistance for children. Secours Populaire, another renowned French NGO prioritizing children’s assistance, provides French classes for pupils struggling with grammar, verbs, or spelling, with volunteers typically assisting children with homework for two hours per week at home.
Beyond these national organizations, numerous local associations offer French classes throughout the country. Contacting your local City Hall or Mairie is highly recommended, as they can provide comprehensive information about available subsidized French courses in your specific area. In Bordeaux, for example, the Centre Social d’Arcachon offers approximately six hours per week of classes, while Remue-Méninges in Bègles provides day group French classes and assistance with administrative letter writing for an annual membership of just ten euros with free classes.
The Association Familiale et Laïque de Bordeaux Nord offers day group classes and DELF/DALF preparation upon request for an annual membership of fourteen euros with free classes, and the Centre d’animation Saint Michel hosts day conversation classes for an annual membership of nine euros with complimentary French instruction.
Lyon presents its own array of opportunities, including Coup de Pouce Université or CPU, exclusively serving foreign students including PhD candidates, offering classes taught by volunteers for an annual subscription of ninety euros with available discounts. Fil, which stands for Faciliter l’insertion par le langage, organizes evening and day courses across five Lyon locations throughout the school year with year-round registration and subscription fees ranging from thirty to sixty euros annually. Association Aicell in Caluire offers free conversation classes for an annual membership of twenty-five euros.
In Lille, Association La Clé provides one-to-one or group classes for adults, teenagers, and children, along with DELF/DALF preparation on request, while Lire, écrire et comprendre offers individualized classes, French culture courses, and cultural visits for adults.
Digital Learning Resources
Digital learning resources provide flexible and accessible alternatives for language acquisition. TV5 Monde, the international French-language television channel, maintains a comprehensive learning section featuring interactive exercises and short French learning videos categorized by proficiency level, covering grammar, vocabulary, and French culture. The Alliance Française de Paris Ile-de-France provides a free Massive Open Online Course called “Vivre en France” through the France Université Numérique platform, covering levels from A1 beginner to B1 upper-intermediate and including professional French components.
Additional online resources include OLS or Online Linguistic Support, a free platform originally designed for Erasmus+ students that assesses language knowledge and facilitates continued learning across twenty-four languages. The ANKIApp smartphone application offers free exercises for language learning, while the FL@ app, developed by the France Langue d’Accueil association, helps users learn French while discovering services and useful locations in Paris.
The “Bienvenue chez toi” vocabulary booklet contains approximately one thousand useful words and expressions for everyday life, available in French, English, Arabic, and Farsi. Bonjour de France serves as a free online magazine offering articles, revision sheets, and online tests for French learning, and Conversation Exchange connects French speakers with language learners, facilitating bilingual conversations through face-to-face meetings, chat sessions, webcam interactions, or email exchanges.
Public Library Resources
Many local public libraries throughout France offer free French online courses and organize conversation groups, reading events, and other activities specifically designed for members learning French, typically requiring library membership to access these services.
French Language Education for Children and Youth
French language education for children and youth receives particular attention, with specific support measures ensuring educational access and success. All children residing in France, regardless of nationality, immigration status, or background, possess the right to education from age six to eighteen, with public schooling provided free of charge. Children must enroll in preschool during the year they turn three, making France one of European countries with the lowest compulsory starting ages for education. This early immersion provides significant advantages for immigrant children to achieve French fluency, with enrollment handled through local City Halls or Mairies.
Specialized Educational Programs
Specialized educational programs known as UPE2A or “unités pédagogiques pour élèves allophones arrivants” serve children learning French as a second language. These pedagogical units welcome non-Francophone students, typically aged eleven to sixteen, helping them achieve foundational French proficiency before integrating into regular classes. The curriculum focuses on teaching reading, writing, and counting directly in French while developing understanding of academic language codes.
CASNAV or “Academic Centres for Enrolling Newly Arrived Students and Traveller Children” provide assistance with school enrollment and assessment of children’s educational and French proficiency levels. These experts conduct interviews and tests to evaluate needs and recommend appropriate school placement and intensive French instruction, with specialized French language courses provided to children requiring additional support. Priority Education Areas or “zones d’éducation prioritaire” designated as ZEP often receive additional resources in schools serving areas with high percentages of disadvantaged youth, potentially benefiting immigrant children.
French Higher Education for Migrant Students
France actively supports migrant students pursuing higher education through numerous facilities and mechanisms designed to facilitate access, including streamlined enrollment processes, French lessons, and diploma recognition procedures. Students with refugee status or subsidiary protection beneficiaries are exempt from differential tuition fees introduced in 2019, paying the same rates as French and European Union students. Individual institutions may also decide to exempt refugees, asylum seekers, and subsidiary protection beneficiaries from tuition fees entirely.
Language Requirements and Certification
French language certification requirements vary by institution, with many requiring proof of proficiency typically equivalent to B2 level for courses taught in French. This certification can be obtained through tests such as the TCF or “Test de Connaissance du Français” or TEF or “Test d’Évaluation de Français.” However, some foreign students may qualify for exemptions based on nationality, making it advisable to verify specific requirements with chosen institutions.
Return to Studies Programs
Several “Return to Studies” programs specifically target migrant students. The AIMES Programme, operated by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie or AUF since 2016, supports member institutions in facilitating reception and integration of students in exile, including those with refugee, asylum seeker, or subsidiary protection status. These projects offer French-learning tools and integration pathways helping students enter university courses and subsequently achieve professional and social integration. The program has successfully assisted thousands of students, primarily from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan, but also from Eastern Europe, Iran, Libya, and Palestine.
The r-e-s-o-m-e network, known as “Réseau d’Etudes Supérieures et Orientation des Migrants Exilés,” represents a collective of volunteers promoting higher education access and providing guidance for exiled students. They have established “transition programs” in institutions across Paris, Grenoble, Lyon, Dijon, and Poitiers, specifically designed to prepare migrant students for French higher education through French lessons and comprehensive integration programs.
Sorbonne University launched the University Diploma “RESPE” or “Retour aux Etudes Supérieures des Personnes Exilées,” a one-year program for exiled persons whose studies were interrupted. The curriculum includes French as a Foreign Language, methodology, general culture, and refresher courses in science and humanities, aiming for B2 French proficiency. Applicants require B1 French level and equivalent secondary school diploma. The “Gateway” University Diploma offered by the MEnS Network or “Migrants dans l’Enseignement Supérieur” since the 2019/2020 academic year serves as a pathway to resuming studies in French higher education while providing access to scholarships based on social criteria.
The University of Burgundy has offered free French learning programs for refugees, facilitating both professional and academic integration, with students like Rabab successfully improving their language levels and pursuing further training or employment in France. Scholarship opportunities include the Syrian Student Scholarship Program administered by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, financing up to three years of study for Syrian refugees enrolled in French higher education institutions, benefiting over two hundred Syrian students since 2016. Entraide Universitaire Française provides scholarships specifically for foreign students with refugee status to facilitate higher education access and settlement.
Key Documents and Processes for Studying in France
For international students planning to study in France for more than ninety days, the Etudes en France platform serves as the central application management system. This completely dematerialized platform manages all enrollment procedures for French higher education institutes through visa requests, allowing students to file applications, communicate with local Campus France offices, and interact with chosen institutions. The platform requires specific documents including passport copies, headshots, statements of motivation for each program application, resumes, official transcripts, copies of last obtained diplomas, official French proficiency test results, and professional French translations of transcripts and diplomas.
The Etudes en France Application Process
The application process involves gathering required documents, selecting up to three programs through the common application platform, paying application fees, participating in twenty-minute phone interviews with Campus France agents, awaiting review decisions, and completing pre-consular applications necessary for student visa requests. The official French visa application website is france-visas.gouv.fr, with long-stay student visas or VLS-TS “Étudiant” required for non-European Economic Area nationals for stays exceeding three months.
Student Life Practicalities
Student life practicalities include cost of living generally ranging from eight hundred to twelve hundred euros monthly, covering accommodation, food, transportation, and leisure, with Paris proving more expensive at twelve hundred to eighteen hundred euros monthly while smaller cities like Lille, Bordeaux, and Toulouse offer more affordable options. Accommodation choices include University Residences through CROUS ranging from one hundred fifty to four hundred euros monthly, private rentals from four hundred to eight hundred euros monthly, or shared apartments from three hundred to six hundred euros monthly, with CAF housing subsidies available to reduce costs. CROUS university restaurants provide high-quality, budget-friendly meals typically costing approximately 3.30 euros for complete meals accessible with student cards.
Support Organizations and Networks for Immigrants
Supporting organizations and networks dedicated to immigrant assistance include Campus France, the national agency promoting French higher education and managing the Etudes en France platform through its global office network, offering the “Label Bienvenue en France” to highlight institutions with exceptional international student services. GISTI or “Groupe d’Information et de Soutien des Immigrés” provides information and support to immigrants, particularly regarding residence permits.
La Cimade, a long-standing NGO, receives, advises, and provides legal support to tens of thousands of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers while advocating for policy changes and defending migrants’ rights. France terre d’asile supports asylum and legal migration through reception programs for asylum seekers and refugees, promoting integration into employment, housing, and French language learning. SINGA fosters connections between refugees and French citizens through programs promoting meetings and discussions, while the MEnS Network facilitates information sharing and fundraising among ministries supporting migrant students in higher education.
Conclusion
Learning French represents a transformative and empowering step for new immigrants in France. While the process demands dedication and patience, the extensive array of available resources demonstrates France’s commitment to facilitating newcomer integration. From mandatory government integration contracts and specialized programs for adults and children to free language classes offered by local associations and comprehensive higher education support, these invaluable resources enable new immigrants to confidently embark on their language learning journey, paving the way for fulfilling lives and successful integration into French society.
Every small improvement represents progress forward, and perseverance remains the essential key to success. confidently embark on their language learning journey, paving the way for fulfilling lives and successful integration into French society. Every small improvement represents progress forward, and perseverance remains the essential key to success.