French Language in Hong Kong
Native French speakers in Hong Kong number about 8,000, of which approximately 6,000 are French citizens. An estimated 50,000 people occasionally practice French, while 2% of Hong Kong’s total population of 7 million have studied the language.
Cantonese is the dominant and one of the two official languages (Cantonese & English) of Hong Kong. English is firmly established and is the language of business & communication due to the colonial history of Hong Kong. There has been a steady increase of the importance given to the Mandarin language since the retrocession in 1997.
Nevertheless, French language is an important determinant factor in the Hong Kong Education: French is one of the two foreign languages (Mandarin & French) that could be taken in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE). In 2006, 214 pupils chose French as their foreign language. The pupils can also choose French or German in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE - equivalent of French Baccalaureate).
Primary and Secondary schools
Delia Memorial School (Hip Wo)
221 Hip Wo Street - Kwun Tong - Kowloon
Tel : 2342 3198
Diocesan Boys’ School
131 Argyle Street - Mongkok - Kowloon
Tel : 2711 5191
Good Hope School
303 Clearwater Bay Road - Kowloon
Tel : 2321 0261
La Salle College
18 La Salle Road - Kowloon
Tel : 2339 3839
Maryknoll Convent School
5 Ho Tung Road
Tel : 2336 2378
Marymount Secondary School
123 Blue Pool Road - Happy Valley
Tel : 2834 3060
Sear Rogers International School
110-118 Caine Road - Mid Levels
Tel : 2547 5479
Sir Ellis Kadoorie Secondary School (Sookunpo)
15 Stubbs Road
Tel : 2576 1871
St Joseph’s College
7 Kennedy Road - Mid Levels
Tel : 2523 0651
St Mary’s Canossian College
162 Austin Road - Tsim Sha Tsui - Kowloon
Tel : 2367 8263
St Paul’s Convent School
140 Leighton Road - Causeway Bay
Tel : 2577 2160
United Christian College
11 Tong Yam Street - Tai Hang Tung - Kowloon
Tel : 2777 8344
International Schools
Canadian Overseas International College
8 Kent Road - Kowloon Tong - Kowloon
Tel : 2336 6055
Canadian Overseas International College
1/F The Waterside - 15 On Chun St. - Ma On Shan - NT
Tel : 2336 1116
Canadian International School
36 Nam Long Shan Road - Aberdeen
Tel : 2525 7088
Chinese International School
1 Han Yuen Path - Braemar Hill
Tel : 2510 7288
German Swiss International School
11 Guilford Road - The Peak
Tel : 2849 6216
Hong Kong International School
1 Red Hill Road - Tai Tam
Tel : 2813 9211
Kellett School- The British International School
2 Wah Lok Path
Wah Fu Estate
Pokfulam
Tel : 2551 8234
Fax : 2875 0262
Island School
20 Borrett Road
Tel : 2524 7135
King George V School
2 Tin Kwong Road - Kowloon
Tél : 2711 3122
French International School
165 Blue Pool Road - Happy Valley
Tel : 2577 6217
South Island School
50 Nam Fung Road - Shouson Hill - Aberdeen
Tel : 2555 9313
West Island School
250 Victoria Road - Pokfulam
Tel : 2819 1962
Universities
Seven of the eight universities in Hong Kong offer French language courses, generally as part of a Language Centre in the University and open to students of all disciplines, either as a minor or as an option. In addition to classes during the academic year, some universities offer summer courses. Up to 2,500 students are enrolled in French courses each year.
Division of Language Studies of Community College of City U
Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon
Contact : Sonia Jacob, Senior Lecturer, Head of the French & Spanish Section
Tel : 2788 8778
Department of English and Communication
Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon
Contact : Bertrand Bouvard, Instructor, Coordinator for French
Tel : 2788 9715
Department of Government and International Studies
European Studies Programme
Kowloon Tong, Kowloon
Contact : Dr. Béatrice Cabau, Associate Professor
French division of Language Centre
Contact : Jean-Luc Rey, Coordinator for Foreign Languages
Tel : 3411 5704
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages
Fung King Hey Building
Shatin, New Territories
Contact : Christèle Joly, French Section Coordinator
Tel : 2696 1770
Click here to watch the Video of the French Programmes of CUHK
Lingnan University
Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2616 8888
Contact : Lorraine de Beaufort, Language Instructor and Third Languages Coordinator
Tel : 26167786
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Language Centre
Clear Water Bay Road, Kowloon
Contact : Mark Hopkins, Director of the Language Centre
Tél : 2358 7880
The Language Centre
K.K. Leung Bldg, Pokfulam Rd
Contact : Dr. Denis Meyer , Head of the French Section
Tel : 2859 2020
French Language teaching in Private Institutions (open to everyone)
Alliance Française of Hong Kong
The Alliance Française of Hong Kong offers French courses at all levels and is open to the everyone (students as well as professionals). It offers prepatory courses for the DELF and DALF examinations, for which the Alliance Française is the official examination center. The Alliance Française also organizes the TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français, Test of Knowledge of French). Over 4,500 different students register every year to attend classes either at Wanchai or Jordan Centre.
Wanchai Centre
1 & 2/F, 123 Hennessy Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2527 7825
Fax: (852) 2865 3478
Jordan Centre
G/F-3/F, 52 Jordan Road
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2730 3257
Fax: (852) 2736 0721
| Website | http://www.alliancefrancaise.com.hk | ||
| afinfo@alliancefrancaise.com.hk | |||
In Macau, the Alliance Française offers French courses at all levels open to everyone, as well as preparatory courses for the DELF and the DALF examinations. In addition, the University of Macau has a French programme as part of the Faculty of Business Administration.
Travessa do Bom Jesus
4F Macau
Tel : (+ 853) 2896 5342
| Website | www.alliancefrancaise.org.mo | ||
| Info.macao@afchine.org | |||
Hong Kong Institute of Languages
This language institute was founded in 1985 by two French teachers, Christian and Dominique Chasset. The Institute offers French language courses at all levels. English, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese courses iare also available. Now in their 23rd year in Hong Kong, they have around 1200 students including more than 500 who are studying French. Their courses are organised in small groups or private lessons. French courses are offered at all levels, for children (from 2½ years of age including study-support tutorials, French courses for native French speakers, and especially their newest additions: a kindergarten annex in Discovery Bay “Les Petits Lascars de DB”, and a bilingual kindergarten in Central), for teenagers (including exam preparation), and for adults. Their Corporate Training department provides language courses to the local and international companies based in Hong Kong. Their French teachers are all French and all hold the specialist Masters Degree in Teaching French as a Foreign Language (Maîtrise de Français Langue Etrangère) teaching qualification. The Institute also organises French language camps in France for children and teenagers every summer.
56-58 Wellington Street
Central
Tel : (852) 2877 6160
Fax : (852) 2877 5970
| Website | www.hklanguages.com | ||
| info@hklanguages.com | |||
French Teachers Association (AFLE)
The Culture & Science Department assures the educational reinforcement of French language instructors and supports the French Teachers’ Association- Association des Professeurs de Français Langue Etrangère (AFLE).
Aid to promotion of French Language
As part of the priority accorded to Academic Cooperation, the Culture & Science Department supports the creation of new and the operation of existing French language sections in local universities.
As part of International French-speaking Day (March 21), the Culture & Science Department organizes a certain number of events for the French-speaking community of Hong Kong in collaboration with the Alliance Française, the French International School and other Consulate Generals.
Contact
For more information, send an email by using the form below :