In celebration of
SARAH RAHIM
PEOPLE often say the best way to learn a foreign language is to speak it. And that was the order of things and more at the Francophonie Day held at HELP College of Art and Technology (HELP CAT) in Kuala Lumpur recently.
In conjunction with the recent two-day visit of French President Francois Hollande to the country, the event saw the attendance of more than 1,000 students from 29 schools and five universities gathered to practise the language via fun-filled activities which were organised by the Francophone embassies and high commissions in Malaysia.
The activities included a quiz on French language, the screening of Francophone movies, a singing con- test and also a session for students to ask French-speaking diplomats questions.
The French Minister of State for Development and Francophonie Jean-Marie Le Guen, who was present at the event, commended the students for their participation. “I am glad to be here with you today at HELP CAT in order to celebrate the French language. At present, there are more than 14,000 students learning French in schools,” he said.
“French language is a window to the world for you. By opening it, you will travel, study, work abroad, and represent your beautiful country to more people by building new bridges between cultures,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pamella Lanyau, a teacher from Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching, said she became interested in the language when she was in primary school.
“I started learning French when I was 12 and I applied to further my studies in the language after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia,” she said.
Pamella received a scholarship from the Education Ministry for a twinning programme between Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa (IPG-KBA) in Kuala Lumpur and Universitè de Franche-Comtè.
It was a 3+2 programme where she spent three years abroad and two years at the teaching institute.
Pamella, who started teaching since 2012 said the language has helped to foster relations between the local and international students when they mingle at events.
“I am glad to see students who are passionate about French and could get a grasp of the language after only three months learning it,” she said.
She said the parents were also supportive
“French language is a window to the world for you.
as they had to pay for their children to sit for Diploma in French Language Studies (DELF). “At present there are 107 schools offering French in Malaysia,” she said.
For more than 20 years, HELP CAT has welcomed schools and universities of the country teaching French for the special French language day.
In 2014, there were about 400 students participating in the event and the numbers have grown to about 1,000 this year.