Alliance française explained

Alliance française should not be confused with Foreign alliances of France.

Alliance française
Type:	Cultural institution
Founder:	Louis Pasteur, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Jules Verne, Ernest Renan, Armand Colin
Location:	101 Boulevard Raspail 75006 Paris, France
Area Served:	Worldwide
Product:	French cultural and language education

French: '''Alliance française''' (in French pronounced as /aljɑ̃s fʁɑ̃sɛːz/; "French Alliance") or AF is an international organization that aims to promote the French language and francophone culture around the world. Created in Paris on 21 July 1883 under the name Alliance française pour la propagation de la langue nationale dans les colonies et à l'étranger (French alliance for the propagation of the national language in the colonies and abroad), known now simply as L'Alliance française, its primary goal is teaching French as a second language. Headquartered in Paris,^[1] the Alliance had 850 centers in 137 countries on every inhabited continent in 2014.^[2]

History and role

The Alliance was created in Paris on 21 July 1883 by a group including the scientist Louis Pasteur, the diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, the writers Jules Verne and Ernest Renan, and the publisher Armand Colin. The project was directly linked to the colonial aims of the French Third Republic. France believed it could spread civilization to colonies and promote French imperial grandeur by propagating their language internationally.^[3]

The organization finances most of its activities from the fees it receives from its courses and from rental of its installations. The French government also provides a subsidy covering approximately five percent of its budget (nearly 665,000 € in 2003)

More than 440,000 students learn French at one of the centres run by the Alliance, whose network of schools includes:

• a centre in Paris, Alliance française Paris Île-de-France
• locations throughout France for foreign students and
• 1,016 locations in 135 countries.

The organizations outside Paris are local, independently run franchises. Each has a committee and a president. The Alliance française brand is owned by the Paris centre. In many countries, the Alliance française of Paris is represented by a Délégué général. The French Government also runs 150 separate French Cultural Institutes that exist to promote French language and culture.^[4]

The Alliances organize social and cultural events, such as art exhibitions, movie festivals, social gatherings, book clubs.^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

By country

France

• Fondation Alliance française

Paris

• Alliance française Paris Île-de-France

The Alliance française Paris Ile-de-France is a Higher Private Education Institute. It is an association from the law 1901.Located in the heart of the capital, the Alliance française Paris Île-de-France is a genuine international meeting point where more than 11,000 students from 160 different countries come every year to learn French. It is also the oldest one since the school offers courses in Paris since 1894.

Until 2007, the year of creation of the Alliance française Foundation, the Alliance française Paris Île-de-France was called "the Paris Alliance française".

It was divided into three branches: the International Relations (DRI), the School of Paris, and the Department of Human and Financial Resources (DRHF). In 2007, the DRI has become the Alliance française Foundation, while the School and the DRHF became the Alliance française Paris Île-de-France.

Three conventions are now governing the relations between the Foundation and the Alliance française Paris Île-de-France:

• a financial agreement: the Alliance française Paris Ile-de-France supports the Foundation financially.
• an agreement for the premises: the Paris Alliance française donated its building in Boulevard Raspail to the Foundation at the time of the division in 2007
• a teaching agreement: the Alliance française Paris Ile-de-France supports the Alliances françaises worldwide in their projects to professionalize their teaching and administrative staff. More than 40 missions per year are made abroad.

The Alliance française Paris Ile-de-France works with Alliances françaises from around the world, ministries, public bodies, and also large companies, supporting them in their desire to improve their command of the language in a professional environment.

Montpellier

Alliance française Montpellier is a French language school in the south of France, a private higher education institution providing French courses for foreigners (FLE) and a non-profit association, established in accordance with the statutes and objectives of the Alliance française Foundation. This study centre is part of the network of Alliances françaises de France.^[10]

Africa

• Botswana 1
• Comoros 3
• Eritrea 1
• Ethiopia 2 (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa)
• Ghana 4^[11]
• Kenya 4 (Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu)^[12]
• Lesotho 1
• Madagascar 29
• Mauritius 6
• Mozambique 1
• Namibia 1
• Nigeria 10^[13] (Alliance française de Port Harcourt, Alliance française de Lagos)
• Southern Africa 13^[14] (Alliance française of Port Elizabeth^[15])
• Swaziland 1
• Tanzania^[16]
• Uganda 1^[17]
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe 1

Americas

• Argentina there are 72 partnerships with 16,000 students forming a network is considered one of the largest and oldest in the world. In Rosario, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Campana, Santa Fe, Mendoza.^[18]
• Bermuda has one Alliance française.^[19]
• Bolivia has five Alliances françaises in all the main centers of population: Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Sucre, Tarija.^[20]
• Brazil There are 39 Alliance française schools in Brazil, and six partner learning centres. Out of the federation's 26 states, only seven have no schools or learning centres. Alliance française has been in the Brazilian educational scenario for more than 130 years, since 1885.^[21]
• Canada has 13 Alliances françaises in nine cities from coast to coast: Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto (five campuses, located in Spadina, North York, Markham, Mississauga, and Oakville), Ottawa, Moncton, and Halifax.^[22]
• Chile has six Alliances françaises in six cities in Santiago, Viña del Mar, Concepción, Curicó, Antofagasta and Osorno.
• Colombia has more than 20 Alliances françaises in 16 cities.^[23]
• Costa Rica has three Alliances françaises, the first in Barrio Amón, in the East side of the capital San José and another two, one in La Sabana (West side of the capital) and also in Heredia, another province of Costa Rica.^[24]
• Cuba has three Alliances françaises, one located in Santiago de Cuba and the other two in Havana City.^[25]
• Dominica has one Alliance française, in the capital city, Roseau.
• Dominican Republic has 4 Alliance françaises, one in the capital city, Santo Domingo, and others in Santiago, Mao and Monte Cristi.
• Ecuador has five Alliances françaises, located in the capital city of Quito and in the cities of: Cuenca,^[26] Guayaquil, Loja and Portoviejo.^[27]
  • Alliance française in Quito was founded in 1953 and is the oldest of the five Alliances in Ecuador.^{[28] [29] [30]}
• El Salvador has one Alliance française Centre in the capital city, San Salvador.^[31]
• Grenada has one Alliance française in Saint George's
• Guatemala has one Alliance française, located in zone 13 of the capital, Guatemala City.^[32]
• Haiti has five Alliances françaises organizations.
• Honduras has two Alliances françaises, one located in Tegucigalpa and the other in San Pedro Sula.
• Jamaica has one Alliance française Centre in Kingston^[33]
• Mexico has 38 Alliances françaises organizations throughout the country and twelve affiliated centers. It has one of the first franchise in America, the Alliance Française de México^[34]
• Nicaragua has three Alliances françaises Centre, in the capital city, Managua and others in León and Granada^[35]
• Panama has one Alliance française organization.
• Paraguay has one Alliance française organization in Asunción.^[36]
• Peru has twelve Alliances françaises organizations, six in the capital city, Lima and others in Trujillo, Arequipa, Cusco, Piura, Huancayo and Iquitos.^[37]
• Puerto Rico has one Alliance française, located in the capital city of San Juan.
• Saint Lucia has one Alliance française, located in the capital city of Castries.
• Trinidad and Tobago has one main centre located in the capital city, Port of Spain, with additional classes on offer in San Fernando and Tobago.^[38]
• The United States has 110 chapters in 45 states, including French Institute Alliance Française in New York, Alliance française de Washington, Alliance française de Chicago, Alliance française de San Francisco, Alliance Française of the Twin Cities,^[39] Alliance Française San Diego and Alliance Française Silicon Valley.^[40]
• Uruguay has one Alliance française, located in the capital city, Montevideo
• Venezuela has twelve Alliances françaises, five in the capital city Caracas, and in several others states.

Asia and Oceania

• Australia has 31 Alliances françaises organizations.
• Bangladesh has two Alliances françaises organizations, in Dhaka (Alliance française de Dhaka, two branches located in Dhanmondi and Gulshan) and in Chittagong.
• Brunei Darussalam
• Cambodia has one Alliance française, located in Siem Reap.^[41]
• China has fifteen Alliances françaises organizations: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Jinan, Chengdu, Wuhan, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Xian, and Nanjing.
• Hong Kong has three Alliances françaises centres, one in Wanchai, one in Jordan and another one in Shatin. Alliance française de Hong Kong was created in 1953.
• India has 24 Alliances françaises located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai (Alliance française de Madras), Coimbatore, Goa, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Jaipur, Karikal, Kolkata, Madurai, Mahé, Mumbai, New Delhi, Nashik, Pondicherry, Pune, Mysore, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum, Vadodara.
• Indonesia has four Alliancess françaises located in Medan, Balikpapan, Semarang and Denpasar.
• Kazakhstan has two Alliances françaises located in Astana and Almaty.
• Kyrgyzstan has one Alliance française, located in Bishkek.
• Macau^[42]
• Malaysia has three Alliances françaises centres, with two of them in Kuala Lumpur and another in George Town, Penang.^{[43] [44]}
• Maldives has one center in capital city Malé.^[45]
• Mongolia^[46]
• Nepal has one centre in Kathmandu.
• New Zealand has seven Alliances françaises organizations. Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington are the North Island branches, and Nelson, Christchurch, and Dunedin are the South Island branches. The Alliance française d'Auckland has 900 members.
• Pakistan has four Alliance françaises located in Karachi (Alliance française de Karachi), Lahore,^[47] Faisalabad and Islamabad.
• The Philippines has Alliance française de Cebu located in Cebu City, and Alliance française de Manille located in Makati City.
• Singapore has an Alliance française located in Newton.
• South Korea has seven Alliances françaises organizations: Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Jeonju, Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan.
• Sri Lanka has Alliance française de Kotte located in Colombo, and Alliance française de Kandy in Kandy.
• Taiwan has two Alliances françaises centres in Taipei and Kaohsiung.
• Thailand has its main centre in Bangkok and branches in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and in the city of Phuket.
• Uzbekistan has an Alliance française located in capital, Tashkent.
• Vietnam has an Alliance française located near the Sword Lake, the focal point of central Hanoi.
• United Arab Emirates has three Alliance française centres in Abu Dhabi city, Khalifa city and Dubai.

Europe

• Albania has five Alliance française organization located in Durrës, Elbasan, Korça, Shkodra and Tirana.^[48]
• Armenia has one Alliance française organization located in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.^[49]
• Belgium has one Alliance française organization located in the capital Brussels.^[50]
• Croatia has five Alliances françaises organizations located in Dubrovnik, Osijek, Rijeka, Split, and Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.^[51]
• Hungary has five Alliances françaises organizations located in Debrecen, Győr, Miskolc, Pécs and Szeged.^[52]
• Iceland has one Alliance française organization located in Reykjavik.^[53]
• Ireland has six Alliances françaises organizations. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is home to the third largest Alliance in Europe.^[54] There is also a location in Cork, Ireland's second city.^[55] Other locations in Ireland include Galway,^[56] Kilkenny,^[57] Limerick,^[58] and Waterford, which also has a branch in Wexford.^[59] Alliance française de Cork also organises the Cork French Film Festival.^[60]
• Italy has thirty-seven Alliances françaises organizations located throughout the country.^[61]
• Malta has one Alliance francaise organization located in Floriana.^[62]
• Moldova has one Alliance française organization located in Chişinău, the capital of Moldova.^[63]
• Monaco has one Alliance française organization located in the Principality, at the Embassy of France in Monaco.^[64]
• Romania has four Alliances françaises organizations located in Braşov, Constanţa, Piteşti and Ploieşti.^[65]
• Russia has thirteen offices - in Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saratov, Tolyatti, Vladivostok, Ufa, and Ulyanovsk.^[66]
• Spain has twenty Alliances françaises organizations located all over the country, promoted by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in Spain.^[67]
• Sweden has 17 Alliances françaises organizations throughout the country. The oldest Swedish organization was established in 1889 in Stockholm.^[68]
• Turkey has two Alliance française organizations located in Adana and Bursa.^[69]
• The United Kingdom has eleven Alliances françaises organizations. The first Alliance française organization in the UK was located in London, which traces its roots back to 1884.^[70] Other locations in the British Isles include Bristol-Bath, Cambridge, Exeter, Glasgow, Jersey, Manchester,^[71] Milton Keynes, Newcastle-upon-tyne, Oxford and York. During WWII, the London location served as the international headquarters of Alliance française when the Paris location was closed.^[72]

The Netherlands counts 32 Alliances Françaises, the main one being located in The Hague, followed by 3 major other one in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. This network is very dynamic and powerful.

See also

• Institut Français
• Cultural diplomacy
• Public diplomacy
• British Council
• Goethe-Institut
• Instituto Cervantes

Further reading

• Bruézière, Maurice (author) L'Alliance française. Histoire d'une institution 1883-1983, 1983 Librairie Hachette, Paris. .
• Ürményházi, Attila J.(author) Un Centenaire de Rayonnement de la Culture Française (the abridged version of the AF's history to include Une Célébration de l'Alliance Française en Tasmanie), 2004. National Library of Australia, Canberra (Australian Collection) Np 943.9052 U77.

External links

• Alliance Française website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Alliance Française . 2022-05-29 . frenchhighereducation.org . en.
2. Book: The French Language Worldwide 2014 . 2014 . Paris . Nathan . 978-2-09-882654-0 . Francophonie.org . 2015-08-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171011003943/https://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/oif_synthese_anglais_001-024.pdf . 2017-10-11 . dead .
3. Horne . Janet . 2017-02-01 . “To Spread the French Language Is to Extend the Patrie”The Colonial Mission of the Alliance Française . French Historical Studies . en . 40 . 1 . 95–127 . 10.1215/00161071-3686068 . 0016-1071.
4. Web site: Institut français du Royaume-Uni | French Cultural Institute in South Kensington . Institut-francais.org.uk . 2015-08-11.
5. Web site: 2023-01-09 . Art exhibition 'River Delta' begins at Alliance Française . 2023-01-12 . www.dhakatribune.com . en.
6. Web site: The San Diego French Film Festival celebrates the 7th art . 2023-01-12 . French Quarter Magazine . en-US.
7. Web site: Alliance Francaise, partners launch human rights fresco for school children - The Point . 2023-01-12 . thepoint.gm . en-US.
8. Web site: Que faire au mois de Janvier avec l'Alliance Française de Johannesburg . 2023-01-12 . lepetitjournal.com . fr.
9. Web site: Meet the Woman Helping French Culture Thrive in NYC . 2023-01-12 . Avenue Magazine . en.
10. Web site: Fondation Alliance Française . Premier réseau d'écoles de français en France . Alliances Françaises France . 17 February 2020.
11. Web site: The Ghanaian Network . Alliance Française Accra . 2015-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141225183620/http://www.afaccra.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=97&lang=en . 2014-12-25 .
12. Web site: The French Touch in Kenya . Alliance Française . 2015-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150811122225/http://afkenya.or.ke/ . 2015-08-11.
13. Web site: Homepage . Alliance Française Nigeria . 2011-12-08 . usurped . https://archive.today/20120701114021/http://alliancefrancaise-ng.org/ . 2012-07-01.
14. Web site: Home . Alliance Francaise Southern Africa . 2015-08-11.
15. Web site: Home. Alliance Française South Africa - Port Elizabeth. 27 May 2023.
16. Web site: Alliance Française in Dar es Salaam . France in Tanzania . 2015-08-11.
17. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Kampala . 2015-08-11.
18. Web site: es . Home . Alliance Française Buenos Aires . 2018-09-24.
19. Web site: Christmas Party 2013 . L'Alliance Française des Bermudes . 2015-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140109195125/http://alliancefrancaise.bm/ . 2014-01-09 .
20. Web site: es . Actualite . Alliance Française de Bolivia . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150707193734/http://alianzafrancesa.org.bo/ . July 7, 2015 .
21. Web site: Quem somos . 2023-12-31 . Curso de Francês - Aliança Francesa Rio de Janeiro . pt-BR.
22. Web site: AF in Canada . Alliance Française . General Delegation in Canada . 2018-09-25.
23. Web site: Home . Alianza Francesa . 2015-08-11.
24. Web site: Home . Alianza Francesa San José – Costa Rica . 2015-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150816104054/http://www.afsj.net/ . 2015-08-16.
25. Web site: Preside François Hollande inauguración de sede de Alianza Francesa y Foro empresarial . es . CubaDebate . Paola Cabrera Rodríguez . Ismael Francisco . 11 May 2015 . 2015-08-11.
26. Web site: Alianza Francesa en Cuenca . es . Alliance Française in Cuenca . Campus France .
27. Web site: Sedes Ecuador . es . Venues Ecuador . Alliance Française . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120610180745/http://www.afquito.org.ec/principal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=59 . June 10, 2012 .
28. Web site: Alliance Française – Quito . UNKNOWN . es . Alliance Française in Quito was founded in 1953 and is the oldest of the five Alliances in Ecuador.
29. Web site: UNKNOWN . es . La France en Équateur . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161011023418/http://www.ambafrance-ec.org/ . 2016-10-11 . 2016-10-07.
30. News: Quinta edición de la semana francesa . 2009-11-04 . AGN . El Mercurio . Diario El Mercurio Cuenca - Ecuador . es . 2016-10-07.
31. Web site: UNKNOWN . Alliance Française de San Salvador . es . … es una asociación de carácter cultural sin fines de lucro que ofrece cursos de francés, dedicada a una enseñanza de calidad [… is a non-profit cultural association that offers French courses, dedicated to quality teaching] . https://web.archive.org/web/20150801005349/http://afelsalvador.com/ . 2015-08-01 . 2015-08-11.
32. Web site: Inicio . es . Start . Alliance Française Guatemala . 2017-01-30 .
33. Web site: Home . Alliance Française de la Jamaïque . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150810121626/http://alliancefrjm.org/ . 2015-08-10.
34. Web site: Sedes . es . Alliance Française Mexique . 2015-08-11.
35. Web site: Home . es . Alianza Francesa Managua . 2015-08-11.
36. Web site: Home . es . Alianza Francesa de Asunción . 2018-09-24.
37. Web site: Bienvenido a la pagina oficial de la Alianza Francesa en el Perú . es . Welcome to the official website of the French Alliance in Peru . Alianza Francesa . 2018-09-24.
38. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Eastern Caribbean – Trinidad & Tobago . 2015-08-11.
39. Web site: Alliance Francaise MSP . 2024-02-05 . Alliance Francaise MSP . en-US.
40. News: Home . Alliance Française USA Délégation générale . 2018-02-02.
41. Web site: Alliance Française Siem Reap . fr . Alliance Française Siem Reap, Cambodge . 2019-04-03.
42. Web site: Your French Language and Culture Destination in Macao . Alliance Française de Macao . 2015-08-11.
43. Web site: The official French culture and language center in Kuala Lumpur since 1961 . Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur . 2015-08-11.
44. Web site: Learn French in the most prestigious language school! . Alliance Française de Penang . 2017-04-19.
45. Web site: Home . Alliance Française de Malé . We are a non-profit organization aiming to teach French language, promote & share French speaking countries culture, and to encourage cultural diversity . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065110/http://www.afmaldives.org/ . 2015-09-24 . 2015-08-11 .
46. Web site: Alliance Française d'Oulan-Bator . fr . Alliance Française d'Oulan-Bator, Mongolie . 2015-08-11.
47. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Lahore . Aflahore.org . 2015-08-11.
48. Web site: sq . Home . Alliance Française Tirana . 2015-08-11.
49. Web site: hy . Հայաստանի Ալիանս Ֆրանսեզ . Alliance Francis in Armenia . Alliance Française d'Arménie . 2015-08-11.
50. Web site: fr . Home . Alliance Française Bruxelles–Europe . 2017-04-16.
51. Web site: hr . Home . Alliance Française Zagreb Osijek Dubrovnik Split Reijeka . 2018-09-24.
52. Web site: Alliance Française Hongrie . Alliance Française Hongrie . 2018-10-09 . 9 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181009173604/http://af.org.hu/ . dead .
53. Web site: is . Home . Alliance Française Reykjavik . 2015-08-11.
54. Web site: About Us . Alliance Française Dublin . 2015-08-11.
55. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Cork . 2015-08-11.
56. Web site: Welcome . Alliance Française Galway . https://web.archive.org/web/20120502084039/http://www.afgalway.org/ . dead . May 2, 2012.
57. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Kilkenny . 2015-08-11.
58. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Limerick . 2015-08-11.
59. Web site: Home . Alliance Française Waterford & Wexford . 2015-08-11.
60. Web site: Home . Cork French Film Festival . —— Web site: Home . 26th Cork French Film Festival 1 – 8 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150915214533/http://corkfrenchfilmfestival.com/ . dead . 2015-09-15 . 2015-08-11.
61. Web site: Ou Sommes Nous . Alliance Française Fondazione d' Italia . 2020-06-30.
62. Web site: Homepage . 2022-08-10 . Alliance Française de Malte . en-US.
63. Web site: fr . Accueil . Alliance Française Chisinau – Moldavie . 2015-08-11.
64. Web site: fr . Alliance française à Monaco . Alliance Française à Monaco . 2015-08-25.
65. Web site: Home . ro . Alliance Française de Brașov . Alianta Franceză Brașov . 2015-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160109112034/http://www.afbv.ro/ro/af-in-romania/68-autres-alliances-en-roumanie/ . 2016-01-09.
66. Web site: Institut français. live. 2021-07-01. Institut français. https://web.archive.org/web/20141226143246/http://www.institutfrancais.ru:80/fr/regions/alliances-francaises . 2014-12-26 .
67. Web site: Las af en España . Alliance Française Espagne . es . 2015-08-11.
68. Web site: Välkommen till Alliance française . sv . Welcome to Alliance Française . Alliance Française de Suède . 2016-06-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160702025401/http://www.alliancefrancaise.se/ . 2016-07-02 .
69. Web site: Alliance Française Adana'ya hoşgeldiniz . tr . Welcome to Alliance Française Adana . Alliance Française Adana . November 10, 2013 .
70. Web site: About the Alliance Française de Londres . Alliance Française de Londres . 2015-08-11.
71. Web site: Home . Alliance Française de Manchester . 2015-08-11.
72. Web site: 130 years of Franco-British of friendship in London… . Alliance Française de Londres . 2015-08-11.