Founded | 1883 |
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Founder | Louis Pasteur, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Jules Verne, Ernest Renan, Armand Colin |
Type | Cultural institution |
Location |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
Product | French cultural and language education |
Website | www |
The Alliance française (French pronunciation: [aljɑ̃s fʁɑ̃sɛz], French Alliance), or AF, is an international organization that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. Created in Paris on 21 July 1883 under the name Alliance française pour la propagation de la langue nationale dans les colonies et à l'étranger (French alliance for the propagation of the national language in the colonies and abroad) — now known simply as Alliance française — its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris. In 2014, the Alliance has 850 centers in 137 countries, on five continents.
The Alliance was created in Paris on 21 July 1883 by a group of eminent men, including the scientist Louis Pasteur, the diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, the writers Jules Verne and Ernest Renan, and the publisher Armand Colin.
It finances most of its activities from the fees it receives from its courses and from rental of its installations. The French government also provides a subsidy covering approximately five percent of its budget (nearly 665,000 € in 2003)
More than 440,000 students learn French at one of the centres run by the Alliance, whose network of schools includes:
The organizations outside Paris are local, independently run franchises. Each has a committee and a president. The Alliance Française brand is owned by the Paris centre. In many countries, the Alliance Française of Paris is represented by a Délégué général. The French Government also runs 150 separate French Cultural Institutes that exist to promote French language and culture.