24 Jordanian scholars leave for French academic exchange

AMMAN — French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti on Thursday received 24 Jordanian scholars scheduled to leave to France as part of a newly announced official mobility exchange over the summer.

“Since taking office in Jordan, I have been constantly advocating for a useful and effective utilisation of the French language. In order to achieve that, we decided to set up an integrated project that both renews the curricula in the French departments for a better command of the language and offers students new opportunities in the labour market," he told the audience gathered at his residence in Amman, noting that "I have spent three years visiting your universities, talking with the students and hearing the teachers and I pledged to take your needs into account through this programme".

The launching ceremony of the 2018 French language scholarship programme, titled “A French Summer”, includes the provision of 18 language and cultural scholarships to help build the Jordanian students and teachers’ capacity in French language departments in Jordan.

"This comes in line with our nation's commitment to increase exchanges and mobility to France for Jordanian students and professors, as part of President Emmanuel Macron's vision to promote the 'Francophonie'," Bertolotti stated, citing Macron's words "French is the language that should provide access to work, other opportunities, linguistic and geographical spaces that allow communication, sharing information, challenging, to access possibilities."

Out of the 24 trainees, 13 Jordanian students will be accommodated in Lyon, France’s third biggest city, to perfect their level of French throughout July 2018. They will follow an intensive language programme and discover, through various activities, the different aspects of cultural life in France, an embassy official told The Jordan Times.

“The programme will include the discovery of the rich heritage of Lyon, its gastronomy and cinematic landscape. Students will also be invited to share meals with local families to be acquainted with the daily life and traditions of this European country,” the official added.

"The French language has been a passion for me since my early childhood and, from the moment I started learning it, I tried to find scholarships that would enable me to travel to this country to develop my skills," remembered Zeena Abu Alsamen, a 22-year-old graduate in diplomatic studies at the University of Jordan, adding "with the 'French Summer' programme, I feel like I have found the perfect opportunity to achieve my goals in mastering this beautiful language".

In addition, five teachers will be trained to the most innovative methods of teaching French by participating in the summer school organised by the International Centre for Pedagogical Studies  in the northwestern city of Nantes.

During one month, the Jordanian scholars will follow trainings, exchange and discuss with more than 400 French teachers coming from 60 countries, participating in over 100 training modules, conference roundtables and cultural activities in order to learn about the latest and most effective foreign language teaching practices.

In addition to these 18 language scholarships, the French embassy will also be financing the stay of six other Jordanian students as part of the "Arabic language assistant" programme where Jordanian students will assist French teachers for seven months in teaching the Arabic language to young French high school students in several cities including Orleans, Bordeaux, Lille, Strasbourg, Versailles and Toulouse, the ambassador explained. 

“This will be a way for these Jordanian students to bring their expertise and their essential cultural approach to learning a language, also providing a unique opportunity for them to practise French and experience a hands-on experience in the brotherly country,” Bertolotti stressed, voicing his pride to see "such a great representation of Jordan in France through these young trainees".