Choosing LFSF as your International School

Research studies indicate that the achievement of proficiency in a second language associated with Dual Language instruction provides many benefits for students.

Individuals who are bilingual switch between two different language systems. Their brains are very active and flexible. They have enhanced levels of metalinguistic awareness (i.e., knowledge of how language works), proven to be essential to learning how to read. Research also shows that bilingual people have an easier time in understanding math concepts and solving word problems. They develop strong thinking skills, and tend to be better at focusing, remembering and making decisions.

In addition, since bilingual students are used to thinking about language and translation, they consequently are better at learning other languages beyond their first two.

In a global society like ours, learning a second language during childhood provides developmental and social benefits children will carry with them well after graduation.

• They demonstrate increased memory, attention and language abilities
• They have greater awareness and understanding of one’s native language, greater appreciation for multiple points of view and multiculturalism
• They tend to be better able to bridge generation gaps with relatives who speak non-dominant languages
• They generally have higher self esteem and flexibility and lower levels of social stress
• They even benefit from delayed onset of Alzheimer’s and other age-related dementias!

50 to 75% of adults around the world speak at least two languages. In our global society, bilingual professionals have many advantages. They have more job opportunities around the world than monolingual adults. Research shows that they also earn an average of $7,000 more per year than their monolingual peers. Bilingual individuals have the opportunity to participate in the global community in more ways, get information from more places and learn more about people from other cultures.

At LFSF, we attract families from around the world who are very mobile and want a high quality, consistent educational experience for their children. LFSF is part of a network of nearly 500 schools throughout the world, making it easy to contemplate providing a consistent high quality education to your children wherever your job may take you.

There are currently over 220 million French speakers worldwide. French is one of the very few languages spoken all over the world, ranked the sixth most widely spoken language after Mandarin Chinese (over a billion speakers), English, Hindi, Spanish and Arabic. As a result of population growth, the OIF estimates that the number of French speakers will rise to over 700 million by 2050, 80% of whom will be in Africa.

French is unusual in that it often exists alongside other languages in multilingual contexts.

There are approximately 125 million French language learners around the world.

French shares with English the distinction of being taught as a foreign language in the education systems of most countries around the world. French is thus the second most widely learned foreign language in the world, with almost 120 million students and 500,000 teachers.

An estimated 2 million school students in some 50 foreign countries are enrolled in bilingual sections with French as one of the languages of instruction.

French is Europe’s second most widely spoken mother tongue with over 77 million speakers, after Germany (around 100 million), but ahead of English (around 61 million). French is predicted to become the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe by 2025 and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the world by 2050.

Just as English benefited from the synergy of multiple forces in the 20th century, French may benefit from the synergistic effect of a globalized francophone culture in the 21st century. It is interesting to note that only 36% of native French speakers live in Europe, a powerful indication that while French is indeed a European language, its future is global and its status is impacted by the same global forces that have led to the rise of English.

UNITED NATIONS

French is one of the working languages of the United Nations alongside English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese.

EUROPEAN UNION

French is one of the three procedural languages of the European Union, along with English and German, and the sole language used for the deliberations of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION

French is the sole official language of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

French is one of the working languages of many other international institutions such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Council of Europe, the African Union (AU), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA (UNECA).

It is also one of the preferred working languages of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC)

French plays a special role in international sporting life as an official language of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and thus of the Olympic Games. The inauguration in 1989 of the Francophone Games has underscored the existence of a real international French-speaking sports community.

WORLD ECONOMY

• France and the French-speaking countries play an active part in world economy, accounting for some 20% of world trade in goods.
• A study entitled "The global economic importance of the French language" conducted by the Foundation for International Development Study and Research (FERDI) in 2012 shed useful light on the positive correlation between a country’s membership of the French-speaking community and its trading position. Sharing a common language would appear to boost trade flows by some 33% on average, mainly by bringing down export costs, making it easier for businesses to penetrate a new export market and helping to sustain existing flows.
• Membership of the French-speaking community, which accounts for 15% of the world’s wealth and one tenth of its agricultural land, is thus a source of great potential, particularly in periods of economic crisis, and particularly so for our partners in the southern hemisphere who stand to benefit the most.

GLOBAL COMMUNICATION

• French also has a role to play in global communication, thanks to international media channels TV5Monde (55 million weekly viewers), France 24 (45.4 million weekly viewers) and RFI (40.1 million listeners).
• French also accounts for 5% of internet pages, ranking between sixth and eighth of the languages most widely used on the Internet.

Independent schools are governed by a Board of Trustees, not a public school board or the French government. They are primarily supported by tuition payments, charitable contributions and endowment revenue.

LFSF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

As with all independent schools, LFSF is driven by its own unique philosophy, vision, values, and approach to teaching. And, as with other independent school teachers, teachers at LFSF have greater freedom to create educational experiences that meet each child’s needs.

THE LFSF MISSION AND VISION

Independent schools nurture intellectual curiosity, stimulate personal growth, encourage critical thinking and promote a lifelong love of learning.

At LFSF, the curriculum is delivered in French and in English, allowing our students to graduate with a French Baccalaureat and an American HS diploma.

LFSF PROGRAMS

Low student-teacher ratios allow for individual attention and encourage close connections between instructors and students.

At LFSF, the ratio varies throughout the levels. At the primary levels, the teacher shares the class with the English teacher and all maternelle grades have assistant teachers and extra help during lunchtime. Music and theater are taught by specialists.

In addition, our campuses offer spacious and luminous spaces for better learning.

*includes all academic personnels

Independent school instructors usually teach in their areas of expertise. They strive to develop a full understanding of each student’s learning style, interests and motivation.

LFSF is no exception. Our French teachers are French natives and trained in France. Our English teachers and language teachers teach in their mother tongue and are highly qualified.

If you are considering an independent school for your child, you are bound to hear this point as well. It is true that in addition to academics, independent schools try to nurture a student's personal and social growth as well as their civic conscience.

Opportunities to follow one's interest are numerous from the yearly JIJ (International sport meets for the Youth) hosted in various cities in the world to pitching your start-up idea to professionals during the StartUp Lycee project.

Independent schools foster diverse and vibrant student communities that welcome and respect every family.

At the LFSF, our population is very internationally diverse by its very nature. As our school is part of a network of more than 500 schools around the world, international families, be they French or American, are attracted by the possibility of continuity in the education their children will receive. Many European families also are comfortable with our education system, as it is similar to their own. As a result, each year we count between 50 and 60 different nationalities on our three combined campuses.

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY • PRACTICING INCLUSION

Independent schools promote regular communication among students, parents and teachers to ensure everyone is working toward the same goals.

As a parent, you can actively engage in your student’s education by being present on campus and by supporting the school through the organization of various community activities. The Parent Association, Les Amis du Lycée, hosts regular cafes and meetings for new families to connect and ample opportunities to volunteer will be shared at all levels (classroom, campus, school) throughout the school year.