Pupils challenged to learn French

A COMPETITION has been launched to promote the use of French in schools across England.

The British Council and the French Embassy have backed the National Schools Competition that is designed to inspire and encourage kids to learn French and understand more about French culture.

It is anticipated that around 5,000 schools will participate and some two million children will be involved in the nationwide challenge.

The competition website explains how pupils will be asked to submit a drawing, poem, story or essay inspired by the ten words that have been selected for this year’s edition of French Language Week.

They are abricot, amour, bachi bouzouk, bijou, bizarre, chic, clown, mètre, passe-partout and valser, and they illustrate the richness and character that French has acquired through its exchanges with other languages.

Figures from the Department of Education and Skills show that just 51 per cent of English pupils take a foreign language at GCSE level, while every pupil in France learns a foreign language at the same age and level.