Nairobi’s Alliance Française, the biggest in Africa in spite Kenya being an Anglophone country, celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. 4,000 students pass through the centre every year, most of them French language students.

Alliance Française de Nairobi is also widely known as a cultural centre, hosting and organizing exhibitions, plays, concerts, festivals and films.  The Nairobi centre is one of 136 Alliance Française centres located in different countries across the globe.

Its goals are teaching French language and encouraging cultural diversity. Alliance Française has local board members and this applies to every country where it exists. It does not receive any aid from France and it is fully locally managed. Offering French language classes in a flowing progression from beginner to advanced level, it is the best and most developed institution in the country teaching French.

There are six levels offered. They last 30 hours or 4 sessions for 2 levels in intensive classes while extensive classes last 27 hours or 4 sessions stretched over 6 weeks. The first and level A1 for basic users or breakthrough gives basic competencies where learners can interact in a simple way speaking about themselves and their surroundings.

The second level, still for basic users or waystage, seeks to strengthen written and oral basic communication skills. Students communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring the most common courteous phrases and exchanges of information.

The third level B1 is meant for independent users and it is known as threshold. Here users become independent and they can interact, understand and maintain a discussion voicing their opinions. They are capable of dealing with situations rising in day-to-day living.

The fourth and final stage for autonomous users is the vantage. Users here have a height of independence allowing them to construct arguments to defend their opinion, explain their viewpoint and negotiate. This is the level where the candidates show a certain fluency and impulsiveness in regular interactions and are proficient in correcting their own mistakes.

The sixth stage meant for the experts and multilingual personnel is not offered in the institution. Exams offered in the institution are of international standard and are fully certified by the French Ministry of Education. They are acceptable anywhere in the world.

Joining alliance Française is not restricted to age or education level. Anyone who can read and write is free to join the classes. There are children classes, student and professional. Business French is offered to professionals interested and those who are in business. It is a special course certified by internationally recognized Chambre de Commerce et d’industrie de Paris [CCIP]. A candidate here is able to communicate in social and professional settings using a wide scope of business French vocabulary.

Other tailor made suites, which are adapted for different business and service sectors, include French for the banking sector, tourism, diplomacy, medical and legal sectors. A highly practical approach is used in administering the lessons. Apart from books, audio CD’s, DVD’s, radio, T.V and internet are used as methods of teaching ensuring that the students are able to fully comprehend the lessons. 

The fee is pocket friendly and intensive classes lasting for four week sessions have a fee of 4,300/= Extensive lessons lasting for six weeks have  4,000/= as the fee. Conversation classes which last for four weeks cost 1,500/= per student.  

Solenne Huteau, the Deputy Director of the institution says the centre continuously invests in improving the skills of tutors.

“Our lecturers are fully trained and experienced in the field, twice a year we have a workshop headlined by French experts from France. This is for the purpose of ensuring that they are up to date with the most current methods of teaching. On top of this, we sent three teachers to France every year to have the first hand experience,” says Huteau.

There are career opportunities are available for French graduates. Multinational companies need multilingual employees and they often send them to the centre for training. Non-Governmental organizations are the other sector, which offers career opportunities. French is the language which most widely spoken in m any African countries hence the need for the organizations to have their employees speaking French.

For those wishing to go and further their studies in France, the basic requirement is passing DELF B2 exam, which is offered in the institution. The institutions activities also include the implementation of projects that provide structured support to Kenyan schools and universities offering French language in cooperation with national educational authorities.

As a way to boost cultural integration and diversity, gives space and organizes events and concerts to encourage local artistes. Regular cultural and artistic events are held in the highly advanced auditorium. Every Monday at 6 pm, free films are presented in the auditorium courtesy of the administration.

Alliance Française founded in 1883 in Paris by renowned humanists such as Louis Pasteur and Jules Verne, with the objectives of reinforcing friendship and solidarity between peoples through the promotion of the French language and cultural projects

The Kenyan chapter has branches in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret

 

Alliance française de Nairobi
Corner of Monrovia Street and Loita Street
PO Box 49475 Nairobi
tel: 34 00 54 / 34 00 79
fax: 31 52 07
Director: Helene Bekker
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
website: www.afkenya.or.ke

Alliance française de Mombasa
Moi Avenue - Kwa Shibu Road
PO Box 99544 - Mombasa
Tel / Fax : (041) 22 25 048
Director: Franck Chabasseur
e-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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