Bonjour: Indore women take a fancy for French language

INDORE: An increasing number of Indore women are going on linguistic ‘voyages’ to give a boost to their careers by becoming part of language-based internship programmes of French government. This is not only giving them an opportunity to polish their new language skills, but also helping them explore the French cultural fabric.
Director of Alliance Francaise, Bhopal and Indore, Julien Dal Bosco, said, “Such internship programmes open doors of opportunity for women, who want to teach in the French-speaking world.Indian women already have the advantage of being fluent in Hindi and English, and French, as a foreign language, can only be conducive to their career.”
Suruchi Biyani, who is among 30 Indians selected by French embassy to go to France as English language assistants this year said, “I have taught French in an IGCSE school, but I wanted to get global exposure as a teacher.”
She added that about 75% of selected candidates this year are women, which is an encouraging trend, and bound to increase in coming years.
Shivi Shrivastava, a student of English language and literature, started learning French during her college days. In 2014, her language skills embarked her on a seven-month journey to France as an English language assistant. “Working as a teacher in a foreign land was a different experience and it taught me to be more patient and work harder with students.”
Pankhuri Wadhwa, a media student with a passion for French language, said living and working in a foreign country helped her expand her horizons. In 2013, Wadhwa went to France as an English language assistant.