This document discusses an experiment in bilingual education at the Lycée français de Delhi school in India. The school aims to make students proficient in both French and English through an integrated bilingual curriculum taught 50% in each language. This presents challenges like overcoming resistance, hiring bilingual teachers, developing new materials, and evaluating outcomes. Former parents reported that graduates were among the best students in their new schools with enhanced linguistic abilities and flexible thinking.

1. Dr Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism
an experiment
in the French Education System
Lycée français de Delhi

2. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
The French System
• A very centralized system : curriculum and methods defined by the
central government
• A strong linguistic identity : « Le français est la langue de la
République »

3. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
The French System
•Few bilingual schools
Ecole Active Bilingue
Ecole Alsacienne
Lycée international de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Sections internationales du Lycée de Sèvres
Ecoles Diwan (Breton)
…
• Classes bi-langues and sections européennes or orientales
• In most cases, international teaching added to a regular French
curriculum

4. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
The Lycée français de Delhi
•A K-12 school in a global network
Agence pour l’Enseignement fraçais à l’étranger (AEFE)
480 accredited schools in 130 countries
•A strong political impulse to develop bilingualism in this network within
the national curriculum
for « strategic » reasons
to meet the demand of the families
•A lot of autonomy left to the schools to implement bilingualism

5. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
The Lycée français de Delhi
• 450 students from 3 to 18 (K-12)…
Children of the expatriate community
(privileged background, very high academic expectations)
3 to 4 years in the school as an average
•…coming from French or from foreign schools…
•…leaving for French or for foreign schools
• Limited choice of schools for the expatriate community, in particular
for the French-speaking community.

6. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
The road map
• Integrating students
non French-speakers
non English-speakers
• Make the students able to further their studies either in the French
system or in an English-speaking system
linguistically
in terms of content (French system)

7. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
Our choices
• Start with kindergarten and elementary school
• All classes bilingual
• The French part taken in charge by a French teacher,
the English part by a native speaker of English
• 50% of the time for each language
equal status for each language
better coordination between the « French » and « English » teachers
easier to organize

8. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
Pedagogical engineering
• Rhythm
all possibilities left opened (one day for each language / half a day, etc.)
• Places
One classroom per class for 1st years
One classroom per language for older students
• Adjusting the curriculum to each language
each subject studied in both languages
fundamental notions studied in one language systematically reactivated in the other
time devoted to the study of the French language equivalent to time spent in the
regular French system

9. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
Challenges
• Overcome the resistance of teachers and of some parents
• Hiring and training of teachers
C1 or C2 requirement in English for the French teacher
master’s degree
training of “English” teachers to teach the French curriculum
• Pedagogical resources
taylor-made teaching materials
• Lack of evaluation tools
questionnaire sent to former parents
results of students in 1st ear of secondary school
• Development of bilingualism in secondary school

10. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
Returns from former parents
•former students are amongst the best in their schools
• enhanced linguistic capabilities
• bilingualism induced flexibility in their thinking and in their adaptation
capabilities
• parents resent the lack of bilingual schools in France

11. Didier Combeau, France
Bilingualism in the French System: an experiment
Challenges
• Overcome the resistance of teachers and of some parents
• Hiring and training of teachers
C1 or C2 requirement in English for the French teacher
training of “English” teachers to teach the French curriculum
• Pedagogical resources
taylor-made teaching materials
• Lack of evaluation tools
questionnaire sent to former parents
results of students in 1st ear of secondary school
• Development of bilingualism in secondary school