ABSTRACT
As in many European countries, in France pupils learn their first foreign language when they enter the lower secondary level, collège. Theoretically, the French educational system provides English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and regional languages. In practice, 78 per cent of pupils are enrolled in English, 15 per cent in German, 5 per cent in Spanish and 2 per cent in all the remaining languages. Pupils choose a second foreign language two years later (in the third year of collège). Obviously, there is more room at this stage for various languages to be chosen. We can conclude that the majority of French pupils learn two foreign languages. This picture is going to change rapidly, as the Minister of Education has decided (January 2001) that the first foreign language will be compulsory at the primary school level (age 5) and the second at the collège level (age 10). This new language policy follows the ambitious European plan for a multilingual Europe. In the near future (2005), all French teachers will be expected to acquire appropriate language certification (a new language certification is currently being experimented with for students and should be ready by 2003).
