Qatari Students Set to Embark on Mission Francophone

Doha, November 17 (QNA) - Sixteen teenaged-Qatari students will travel to the provincial town of Tours in France next Sunday to further their aspirations of becoming accomplished francophone as part of an initiative to boost cultural ties between France and Qatar. The students who have learnt the fundamentals of French language at the French Institute of Qatar will live for one week with French families and experience the local culture, cuisine and habits besides enhancing their language skills as part of a three stage programme, French embassy officials said. HE France's Ambassador to Qatar Jean Christophe Peaucelle and officials from the embassy Thursday afternoon hosted a reception for the group of Qatari students and educators from the Higher Education Institute under the Supreme Education Council. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the history of bilateral engagement between Qatar and France HE Ambassador Peaucelle said, "This year the State of Qatar celebrates its 40th anniversary of its independence day. The same year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of friendship between France and Qatar. "This reiterates that the two countries have enjoyed good relations from the very beginning. The ties have been strong in every sector be it political, economic, defence, cultural and education." The French envoy who joined office just over two months ago said he was impressed by the number of francophone he has met with in Qatar during his official visits to various authorities. "I have been well-received by the authorities here and some of them have been speaking French language not recently, but for the last 10, 20 and 30 years ago. This means our ties are strong." Speaking to QNA on the foreign language challenges Qatari students face, Higher Education Institute Acting Director Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan Ali said, "Studying in French language is a challenge. We have students learning the French language for two years. We have a good programme that has been planned very well and this is the first group that will travel to France to teach French as well their culture." There are three stages for the student to pass in order to become an accomplished French-speaking person, Ali said. "If the student passes the first stage here in Qatar, he then visits France for the next stage after which he will go to the third stage where he masters the language." The students who pass the three-month French course in Doha will then spend one week with French families then in January they start a 20-month French language programme. Lastly they enter a French university to take courses of their choice, officials said. (QNA)