Francophonie - International Francophonie Day (March 20) - French Language and Francophonie Week (March 17-25)
International Francophonie Day on March 20 and the 23rd edition of French Language and Francophonie Week from March 17 to 25, will, like every year, provide an opportunity for French speakers around the world to celebrate the French language in all its diversity. More than 1,500 events will take place during the week, involving 70 countries.
The theme of International Francophonie Day this year will be “The French language, connecting for action.”
French Language and Francophonie Week, coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, will highlight the role and use of the spoken word in society. 500 bookstores, dozens of associations, libraries, schools, universities, museums, theaters as well as hospitals will host events. Our Cooperation and Cultural Action Network, in close coordination with the Ministry for National Education, the Instituts français, the Alliances françaises, French-language schools, and all French culture and education stakeholders will host events abroad during French Language and Francophonie Week.
President Macron has made the promotion of the French language and culture a priority. The plan to promote the French language and multilingualism will be announced on March 20; the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs played an active role in drafting this plan, in close coordination with the Institut français and in collaboration with many stakeholders, including the International Organization of La Francophonie and all states and governments in the French-speaking world.
French, the second-most-studied language in the world, with some 125 million students and 900,000 teachers of French abroad, is the second-most-important language of international news, the third-most-important in the business world, and the fourth-most-important on the Internet. It is a working language of major importance in all international organizations. Shared by 274 million people worldwide, the fifth-most-spoken language on the planet, French is along with English the only language spoken on all five continents.
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