Diplomatic missions of France and Central Asian countries (Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) held an online meeting dedicated to the International Day of French Teachers. The holiday, established on the initiative of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, was first celebrated in November 2019.
Currently, there are 900,000 specialists worldwide who teach French to foreigners. Therefore, the purpose of the festival is to maintain the prestige of teachers and encourage interest in French culture.
This year’s celebrations are held under the slogan of digital technologies. New methods of teaching French are discussed, as well as what opportunities are opening up for current students in the virtual space.
The online meeting was organized by the French Institute in Turkmenistan from the Turkmen side. The event attracted the attention of more than 50 participants. French Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ms. Isabelle Guisnel greeted the audience and congratulated everyone on their professional holiday.
Today, the French language is included in the curriculum of preschool and higher educational institutions in Turkmenistan, and a French school is also functioning. Tutors, teachers and lecturers of Turkmen universities who addressed the videoconference spoke about regional development and further promotion of the French language, improving the qualification level and developing a joint online training program.
Fabrice Vidal, Director of the French school, MLF Bouygues in Ashgabat, briefly spoke about the features of his institution and the partnership with French teachers from other schools.To expand online learning opportunities, all participants of the dialogue got access to the digital library of the Culturethèque French Institute.
The app contains a unique collection of books and audio materials that will serve as another source of knowledge for students.
The French Institute in Turkmenistan is actively engaged in educational activities.Creative meetings and concerts are held every year, so in October last year a French Opera singer Magali Leger performed with a concert program in Ashgabat .
And this summer it was held a contest of creative works dedicated to the historical and documentary novel “Alien” by the Turkmen writer Atajan Tagan.The book is expected to be published in French.
There are many reasons to start learning French, because after English, it is the most popular. It is the third language of business and the second language of international information. Today, it is spoken by more than 200 million people.