The French Department at the ILV (UCLouvain) trains teachers of French as a foreign language in collaboration with Belgian and international partners, runs educational projects and academic exchange programmes (in Europe, Asia and the Americas), and shares its teaching expertise (pronunciation, drama, emotions) through specialist publications.
In Belgium, the French Department at the ILV co-organises the University Certificate in Teaching French as a Foreign Language (FLE) with
- Cedefles, the Centre for Continuing Education in French as a Foreign or Second Language at UCLouvain,
- and Proforal ASBL, a training centre for socio-professional integration and a centre of methodological and didactic expertise in French as a Foreign Language (Brussels FLE) for professionals, training providers and institutions
It is also a member of the ABPF, the Belgian Association of French Teachers of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
In collaboration with its educational partner TV5Monde, the department has contributed to the design of the ‘Première classe’ learning programme, aimed at beginners in French.
Internationally, it has developed close partnerships with several institutions, notably:
- the DEFI centre at the University of Lille 3, for a tele-collaboration project,
- Hanoi University in Vietnam and the National University of Laos,
- Clemson University (South Carolina, USA),
- CREFECO (Sofia, Bulgaria).
The lecturers in the ILV’s French Department are keen to share their experience and expertise in various areas relating to the teaching of French as a foreign language (FLE):
- pronunciation
- oral and theatrical expression
- games
- the links between emotion and learning
- listening strategies
- French for specific/academic purposes
- the Common European Framework of Reference