Very well.
The Alliance Française de Vancouver is a non-profit association whose mission is to promote French language and culture. It was created in Vancouver, in 1904. It is a long-established institution that is still alive today.
Before all else, we are a language school. This is what allows us to sustain ourselves, because we receive no funding from either the provincial or federal government. We are completely financially independent, meaning that the French classes keep the institution operating, pay the teachers' salaries, and create cultural programs, because our vision is to teach the language and bring French culture to life. We have a resource centre that is the largest French library in British Columbia, something that few people are aware of. We also offer a series of cultural activities.
When I say “language school”, I'm clearly talking about students enrolled in continuing education, meaning people who want to learn French of their own accord. They range from five-year-old children to ninety-year-old adults, maybe even older; I would have to check. In any case, the will to learn has no age limit.
We currently have approximately 2,500 students per year, which is relatively considerable and allows us to say that Francophiles and Francophones alike share an interest for French. This represents approximately 100,000 hours of classes billed per year, and 5,000 enrolments.
We offer classes in which French is taught as a foreign language. This is a particular way of teaching French that has an action-based approach, meaning that it revolves around interactions, scenarios and communication above all. Our students have the immediate possibility to speak and live in French through everyday activities.
In addition to the teaching component, we also offer cultural resources. If the students are given the possibility of having unique cultural experiences in French, it will be easier for them to integrate, assimilate and understand the language. We organize a little more than 60 events per year. Since the year is at its end, I can give you the numbers. In 2017, we welcomed 1,800 people, including students, Francophiles and Francophones, to our cultural events. The idea is to create opportunities for students and Francophones of all ages to get together and talk with one another, so that they realize that the French language is alive and well in Vancouver and British Columbia. They will also be made aware of the existence of French-language events, and the opportunity to practice speaking French in their everyday lives.
There. I have respected the five-minute speaking period.