Francophony - Broadly speaking, this covers all the actions to promote the French language and the values it conveys. In the institutional sense (with a capital "F") it relates to the International Organization of French-speaking Communities (the OIF), made up of 63 states and governments.

Who are the French speakers ?

More than 200 million people speak French worldwide.

French is one of the planet's leading languages of communication. Although it is spoken by fewer people than Chinese or Hindi, it is, alongside English, the only spoken on all continents.

Why speak French ?

In North America, French is an assertion of cultural identity.

In sub-Saharan Africa, speaking French opens the door to basic education. French is the language of development and modernity in this region.

In Central and Eastern Europe, knowledge of French is associated with a sense of belonging to a united Europe whose three capitals (Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg) are French-speaking cities and French is a working language, alongside English, in the European Union institutions.

“French is one of the two UN working languages, one of the two official languages of the International Olympic Committee, the only universal language for the postal services and the African Union's main language.”

Who teaches French ?

The OIF operators work closely with France and the 850,000 French-language teachers worldwide to estimate demand and extend teaching to reach new audiences.

French lycées (secondary schools) and approved educational establishments abroad make a major contribution to the spread of the French language. This unique network of over 440 establishments based in 135 countries counts over 250,000 French and non-French students.

TV5MONDE also provides support to French-language teachers with its Learning and Teaching with TV5MONDE course.

TV5MONDE - the international French-language channel

With over 176 million households receiving TV5MONDE on all five continents and 59 satellite links, TV5MONDE, the number two international TV channel, offers an around-the-clock range of viewpoints on the world.

Frence 24

France 24 was launched in December 2006 and is the leading French 24-hour international news channel. It is broadcast in French, English, Arabic and soon in Spanish.

France 24 is available in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, New York and Washington D.C., with plans to extend its coverage worldwide.