Nearly 2 million people speak French in the United States today. With an estimated 800 million French speakers worldwide by 2050, 83% of whom are expected to live in Africa, French is both a growing international language and a multicultural asset that can add significant value to a student’s educational background.
Maintaining a first or second language after moving abroad can be challenging, particularly for newly arrived immigrant families. As many young people focus on learning English as part of their integration into American society, they often experience a rapid decline in their French language skills.
The French Heritage Language Program, part of a broader initiative supported by the Albertine Foundation, was created to help prevent the loss of French among francophone youth. Founded in 2005 by Jane Ross, a former teacher at the French Lycée of New York, in collaboration with the French Cultural Services in New York, the program provides French classes to francophone immigrants and French-speaking Americans who might not otherwise have access to French-language education.
The program’s goal is to help students maintain a connection to their linguistic and cultural heritage. It currently serves multiple neighborhoods throughout New York City, offering classes in public schools located in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Due to its success, the program has expanded to other major cities, including Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia.
Additional French Language Learning Opportunities:
Families seeking to strengthen French language skills can also explore a variety of independent language and cultural organizations. These programs offer language instruction for both children and adults and may prepare students for recognized language examinations, although they do not provide school credit.
The Alliance Française network is one of the best-known organizations dedicated to promoting the French language and francophone cultures through courses, events, and cultural programming.
French can also be learned remotely through online courses offered by local organizations, the CNED (France’s national distance-learning institution), and OFALycée, which has offered an online bilingual schooling option since 2019.
Summer Camps:
French-language summer camps provide children with opportunities to improve their French through recreational activities outside the traditional classroom. Programs often include singing, photography, visual arts, sports, and other activities conducted in both French and English. Camp durations, locations, and costs vary, with fees averaging approximately $500 per week.
The French Heritage Language Program also offers summer camps that extend the learning experience students receive during the school year.
FLAM Programs:
FLAM (Français Langue Maternelle) programs provide extracurricular language support designed to complement bilingual education and help children maintain their French language skills in non-francophone environments.
Education en Français à New York (EFNY), founded in 2005 by francophone parents, promotes French language learning in New York public schools and offers programs in several schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as online. PhilaFLAM is a nonprofit organization serving French-speaking children ages 3 to 18. Classes are taught exclusively in French by qualified francophone instructors in Allentown, Hoboken, Princeton, and Radnor. The program combines academic instruction with cultural and recreational activities to help students deepen their knowledge of the French language and culture.
Albertine Bookstore:
Located on the ground and first floors of a former townhouse, Albertine is the only bookstore in New York offering a collection of more than 14,000 contemporary and classic works by francophone authors in both French and English. Opened in 2014 as a project of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the bookstore serves as a symbol of French-American intellectual exchange.
Albertine regularly hosts literary discussions, debates, and cultural events. The bookstore also offers a large selection of children’s books and organizes numerous activities for young readers.
Weekend Workshops:
Open daily, Albertine regularly offers reading and discussion workshops in French and English for children. These workshops are led by francophone children’s authors and illustrators, as well as English-language translators.
The Albertine Youth Book Prize
Each year, Albertine organizes a children’s book prize centered around a specific theme. Children ages 3 to 15 are invited to select their favorite book from a curated collection of francophone titles available in both French and English.
The books are selected by a committee that includes the Albertine team, the AEFE North America network, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, and the French Embassy in Canada.
Open to all participants, the Albertine Youth Book Prize is particularly well suited to American and Canadian students. Its goal is to encourage reading and foster a love of books in both French and English among young readers.
