The Future of French en Écosse

National stakeholder conference on the future of French learning and teaching in Scotland

The Future of French en Écosse

The Future of French en Écosse Forum 2025: The way ahead

June 2025 marked the second edition of the Future of French en Écosse Forum. Drawing on the success of the first edition held at the University of Strathclyde in June 2024, a second edition of the forum took place on 23 June 2025 at the University of Edinburgh in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, the Institut français d’Écosse and the Franco-Scottish Society.

Context

The Language Trends Scotland 2024/25 report shows that while every Scottish learner is exposed to French in Primary Education, in 2024 only 2,300 sat a Higher French (a 50% drop compared with 2015) and 380 an Advanced Higher (a 43% drop compared with 2015). As French teachers, this steep decline in retention is worrying and raises questions. It impacts the quality of teaching and learning, notably at Senior phase level – with measures such as consortia between schools, mixed-language classes and reduced choice of languages, or indeed no choice, seen as acceptable solutions. It also undermines the future of French as a sustainable degree subject in universities and in the long term, the teaching of French as fewer students at universities means fewer future teachers.

In this context, having a place and a time to share experiences and plan for a better future for French in Scotland is more important than ever.

The forum was divided into four parts.

Part 1 - Listening to learners’ voices

95 people attended the forum which opened with a presentation of a national survey of 436 learners from primary and secondary schools across Scotland on their perception of the French language and francophone cultures. Key findings are summarised below:

  1. Learners do not hate French!
  2. They want to do more talking and hear more French in class
  3. They want culture to be a key part of lessons

These findings were compared with interviews conducted at the University of Edinburgh and an international survey carried out by the Institut français. Both studies corroborated the outcomes of the learner survey.

Part 2 - Panel discussion

A panel of experts, chaired by Professor Lorna Milne, discussed the current position, and possible future trajectories, of French teaching and learning in Scotland.

Part 3 - Sharing examples of successful initiatives

Attendees then had the opportunity to attend a series of workshops and presentations around two themes:

Transitioning towards more meaningful activities

Using creative writing, project-based learning and the Concours de la Francophonie competition as a boost for developing language skills and cultural knowledge.

Transitioning from one phase to another

Using student-based programmes and school-university/college collaborative initiatives to ease transitions between phases.

Part 4 - Creating a road map for the future

In the last part of the forum, attendees were divided into groups from various backgrounds with two objectives:

Objective 1 - Discuss the questions raised in the first part of the day:

  1. How can culture be (more systematically) embedded in our teaching?
  2. Why don't we use more French in the classroom?
  3. How should we reshape assessment?

The outcomes of these discussions are visible in Appendix 3 – Pledge wall.

Objective 2 - Define individual priorities in daily teaching, as well as priorities for the sector over the next 12 months.

What next?

The energy deployed, the passion and dedication shown towards the teaching of French at all levels, the willingness to change individual practices, and the appetite to connect and share approaches in a more coordinated way were palpable during this year’s forum.

From the collectively created road map, it appears that WE the practitioners, individually in our everyday work, in our classrooms, but also WE as a collective, in a structured way, must become key players in creating a positive and sustainable future for French in Scotland.

In this road map, the attendees indicated the direction to take. It will start with the creation of a French teachers' association for Primary, Secondary and Higher Education in Scotland - a call for members will soon be sent via the SCILT bulletin – that will offer a new platform to support the other key objectives defined in the road map:

Over the last few months, good news has surfaced. Some schools are once again able to welcome Language Assistants, an increased number of school trips are being organised, and the University of Aberdeen will host the 3rd edition of the Forum on the Future of French en Écosse. Things are moving in the right direction; we hope the tide CAN be turned.

  1. Summary of learner survey
  2. Summary of students' interviews
  3. Pledge wall
  4. Presenter and speaker list: see below
  5. Programme
  6. Contacts and links: see below

Hosts

Sylvain Blanche: Teaching Fellow, University of Edinburgh

Audrey Debard: Teaching Fellow in French, University of Edinburgh

Survey presenters

Cédric Moreau: Senior Language Teaching Fellow in French, University of Strathclyde

Sheena Bell: Professional Development Officer, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT)

Panel discussion

Professor Lorna Milne: President, Franco-Scottish Society

Dr Fiona Barclay: Senior Lecturer in French, University of Stirling and Chair of the University Council for Languages in Scotland

Laura Morris: Faculty Leader of Modern Languages, Mintlaw Academy (Aberdeenshire)

Dr Jayne Duff: Research Fellow, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work (SSESW), Queen’s University Belfast (QUB)

Workshops

Ruth Gallacher: Teacher of Modern Languages, Paisley Grammar School

Sue Parsons: Primary 7 teacher, Doune Primary School

Louise Robertson: Primary 7 teacher, Doune Primary School

Dr Elise Hugueny-Léger: Senior Lecturer in French, University of St Andrews

S. Charlotte Hyvernaud Ning: Education Attachée and Director of Studies, Institut français d’Ecosse

Joanne Curran: Principal Teacher Languages (BGE), Larbert High School

Pamela Tosh: Curriculum Leader for Modern Languages, Broughton High School. Subject Co-ordination for Modern Languages, City of Edinburgh.

Caroline Cordier: Curriculum Team Manager for Modern Languages, Edinburgh College

Institut français d’Écosse

Contact: Charlotte Hyvernaud Attachée de coopération pour le français / French Language Attachée

charlotte.hyvernaud@institut-francais.org.uk

Concours de la francophonie: https://www.ifecosse.org.uk/education/#/


Alliance française de Glasgow

director@afglasgow.org.uk


Franco-Scottish Society

Events, educational activities and branches across Scotland

Contact: https://franco-scottish.org.uk/contact-us/


Babble supplement

Magazine showcasing S6 essays, now open to any Scottish school

Contact: sblanche@ed.ac.uk


French Film Festival Learning Programme

Follow the link if you want to book

Contact: schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk


Maison des Langues

French as a Foreign Language Publishing House

Contact: s.devreese@emdl.fr


Campus France

Studying in France

Contact: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/contact-i-live-outside-of-france


Association Fleur

Association of French Teachers in Further and Higher Education in the UK

Contact: contact@fleurnetwork.org


Edinburgh College

Online classes for National Qualifications

Contact: caroline.cordier@edinburghcollege.ac.uk


La Belle Adventure

Bookshop specialised in French and European comics and graphics novels

Contact: info@labelleadventure.com


La Petite École d’Edimbourg

Classes for children whose mother tongue is French

Contact: https://www.petiteecole-edimbourg.com/contact


L’École Buissonnière de Glasgow

Classes for children whose mother tongue is French

Contact: bonjour@ecolebuissonniere.org.uk

Resources and slides

The inaugural Future of French en Écosse conference took place in June 2024 at a time when French, as a subject of study, was struggling to keep its position as one the major foreign languages studied at secondary school and university levels in Scotland.

The one-day event, co-organised by SCILT and the University of Strathclyde, offered attendees the opportunity to:

  1. Take stock of the situation in Scotland across the secondary education and higher education sectors;
  2. Offer a platform for initiatives looking to promote language learning in general and French in particular, including potential partnership with French counterparts;
  3. Share experiences and good practice amongst secondary school and university teachers.

The aim of The Future of French en Écosse conference was to be the first national forum to provide a forum for all stakeholders, a place and time for assessing the situation and for building a positive future for French in Scotland.

We’re pleased to share some of the resources from the conference with attendees below:

Celtic Heritage Académie de Rennes (Laurence Emile-Besse)

French Conference May 2024 (Shona Hugh and Louise Glen)

Future of French - Remembering Empire (Fiona Barclay and Fiona Lewis)

Future of French - French Digital Library (Aisling Crean and Pauline Souleau)

La Fresque du Climat (Clare Mouat and Noemie Jollet)

Présentation Région Académique Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Gladys Dousson and Mathilde Blondot)

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