Institut français

REINVENTING THE FRENCH LANGUAGE CENTRE IN THE HEART OF SOUTH KENSINGTON

The pandemic has brought a radical shift within the education sector, switching from educational facilities as a space of gathering to the focus being on remote learning and online courses.

For adult learners, online courses brought more flexibility into their schedule and has been seen as an advantage, and it is clear that now online classes are a key part of the French Institute’s way of accessing a broader audience.

Nonetheless, educational buildings are indispensable to bring back the social aspect of learning. According to the UNESCO’s Education in a post-COVID world: Nine Ideas for public action, education and learning are about human interaction, and the pandemic has showed us the importance of these spaces that push informal learning through socialising with teachers and students.

To bring students back to the French Institute, there is a need to provide what they can’t benefit from when studying from home: social spaces where they can learn from other students, socialise and further develop their linguistic skills.

Our design aims to achieve the right balance within the French Institute between traditional classes and new informal ways of learning, with the introduction of new open informal and social spaces respectfully positioned within the existing historic fabric of the building.

NEW LEARNING CAFÉ

Put your language skills to the test in a comfortable real life situation

“Access to high quality education and training has a profound effect on people’s life chances and is one of the most powerful ways to break down inequalities and improve social mobility. Good quality education and training are vital for supporting people into sustainable employment, which is also essential to London’s continued economic success” - Mayor of London

Opportunities to learn a new language are somewhat restricted beyond state school education. There are universities and colleges that undoubtedly provide an excellent service, however the courses they provide are often expensive commitments that are daunting to many. Exploring a new language can be overwhelming enough without the added pressure of investing significant amounts of time and money.

In this respect, the Institut Français provides a unique gift to the city. By contrast to the higher education institutions, it provides a wide range of short and medium term courses for all levels, as well as accredited examinations, and even specialist subjects such as business and law. It provides all of these services at a fraction of the cost, with the help of subsidies from the French government.

Despite the quality and flexibility of the lessons provided, it is the current state of the facility itself that prevents the Institut Français from reaching it’s full potential. By renovating the building this asset should be able to flourish in a community that has an appetite for learning a new language and culture.

NEW COLLABORATIVE HUBS

Practice your language skills in real life professional office environments

Institut français

Where historic building meets 21st century education facility

At the heart of the Institut français’ mission is the teaching of the French language. The Language Centre, which attracts 7000 students every year, offers traditional language courses as well as online French courses, business French and courses on various aspects of French culture and current affairs. The Institut also collaborates with schools in the UK on educational cooperation programmes to promote French language learning and organise teacher training, so that French can remain the UK’s top choice for foreign language study.