We need to use the attractiveness, the interest in French culture to approach a wider audience, who might take up learning French.

On the initiative of the French Institute, IPSOS has conducted a survey on the perception of the French language and culture around the world. Can you present this survey conducted in 12 pilot countries from February to September 2024?

This very large survey for the French Institute, conducted in twelve countries, was carried out in two stages: first, six countries in February/March, then a second wave around summer and September for six other countries. The idea was not to have a representative sample of the whole world, but to be able to take the temperature on the subject in the four corners of the globe. We worked, for example, in the United States, Colombia, China, Nigeria, Poland, Korea, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

The aim was to question local populations on a number of subjects including the image and evocative universes of France, as well as the image of France in these countries regarding culture. Of course, we also asked them about the image of the French language, to find out how it is perceived, then we addressed the question of interest in learning the language and, finally, the question of obstacles and motivations to learning French. In each country, we surveyed a sample of 2,000 people: the Institut français wanted to survey a large sample to be able to look at the overall results in each country, but also to observe them in detail according to population categories. Last but not least: these were representative samples of local populations, so the respondents had no particular ties to the French Institute or to France more generally.

If you had to pick out just three points from the survey results, what would they be?

There's a lot of information in this survey, it's absolutely fascinating. Three points seem important to me and are encouraging for the objectives of the Institut français. Firstly, the French language has a good, even very good, image: on average, 85% of respondents have a good image, with 30% having a very good image of the French language. This is important because, in general, regardless of the audience surveyed, respondents tend to give rather positive or rather negative answers. The French language is perceived as a beautiful, romantic language, and it is also considered useful by almost ¾ of the respondents questioned in the twelve countries (73%). In terms of image, however, there is room for improvement when people in the various countries are asked whether the French language considered useful is a guarantee of professional or academic success, since the scores are lower. More than half of the inhabitants answer yes, but the figure is around 55%. There's work to be done on this to boost the attractiveness of French, even if the basics are encouraging.

Secondly, on the question of learning, more than half of residents (56%) are interested in learning French. 25% even say they are "really interested in learning French". In relation to the population of each of these countries, this represents a very substantial pool of people interested in learning the French language.

Finally, when we test the different initiatives that might encourage respondents to take up learning the French language, participation in an event about the French language and culture comes out first. For these people, French isn't just the French language: there needs to be a shared approach between the French language and French culture in a much broader sense.

We need to have a common approach between the French language and French culture in a much broader sense.

Were you particularly surprised by any of the results?

Several points are, indeed, surprising, not least the fact of finding similarities between countries that are far apart geographically and different culturally. For example, Colombia and Nigeria both have a very good image of France and a strong interest in learning the French language. Their levels are much higher than the average of the twelve countries we worked in. On the question of interest in learning, one might also say that it is more prevalent in the higher socio-professional categories, but the survey shows that this is not necessarily the case. While there is certainly considerable interest in the upper classes, in some countries it is at least as strong, if not stronger, among the working classes. Learning French can, in this context, appear as a tool to improve their daily lives, their professional or personal situation.

How can the survey be used, particularly by the French cultural network abroad, to boost the attractiveness of the French language?

The richness of the survey allows us to understand that it is not possible to apply the same schema in terms of strategies for each of the countries. No common strategy can be duplicated from one country to another, as the survey shows that the audiences involved are not necessarily the same, while their motivations and disincentives differ. This is why it is essential to link the French language issue to French culture in general. We need to use the appeal and interest generated by French culture to reach out to a wider public, who might be interested in learning French. The French language can generate more interest, reach a much wider audience if it's linked to French culture and if the different dimensions of French culture don't advance separately.

We need to use the attractiveness, the interest in French culture to approach a wider audience, who might take up learning French.

Following this study, what are the possible avenues of exploration and strategies that can be launched to encourage learning French?

There are several possible avenues, including the organization of events on the French language and culture. In some countries, we can clearly see that the French language is not perceived as an important tool, valued on the professional market even though, in concrete terms, there are French companies present on the spot. In other countries, the question of the usefulness of the French language for studies is perceived as a less salient point, even if in reality it could also bring benefits to young people and students. We also conducted qualitative groups in Spain where, after interviewing parents and students, we realized that learning French had an almost archaic dimension. Depending on the country, there are different dimensions to work on: the image of France or the image of learning French, which gives it the image of a language that's a little conservative, traditional and less useful in practice.

A more personal word to conclude: of Argentinean origin, French is not your mother tongue. How did you personally come to learn French? What is your relationship with the French language and culture?

I always say, in my exchanges with the French Institute, that I myself am a pure product of the French cultural network abroad. In my personal case, learning French wasn't a choice, as I went to school at the age of two and a half at the Lycée Français de Buenos Aires, where my mother taught Spanish. I attended the school from kindergarten through to the final year of high school, where I passed both my French and Argentine baccalaureate. In terms of language and culture, I lived in a very concerned environment, with French, Argentines but also many students of other nationalities. What's interesting about French lycées is this multicultural dimension, which allows you to see that the French national education network is unique in the world.