The Défi InterAlliances de culture générale française offers a unique opportunity to students from Alliances Françaises around the world. Here, Patricia had the honor of representing the Alliance Française de Lyon in Paris. Here’s the story of a day well spent.

 Patricia

Patricia is a 31-year-old Venezuelan who used to live in the United States. She has been at the Alliance Française de Lyon since March, where she is learning French in all its facets, from oral to written and linguistic practice.

Today, she is accompanied by Antoine, her boyfriend, who has come to support her in this competition. She is also accompanied by Amélia, a young Australian student at the Alliance Française de Lyon, and a friend of Patricia’s.

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Departure from Lyon

Today, no French lessons for Patricia, but rather a new experience for this Alliance Française de Lyon learner.

At 7 a.m., the young woman took the train from Gare de Lyon Part Dieu to Paris. Two hours later, she was in France’s capital. It’s at the headquarters of la Fondation des Alliances Françaises  that the final of the 4th edition of the Défi InterAlliances will take place.

 

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At the Fondation des Alliances Françaises

The Fondation plays a role in the 829 Alliances Françaises in 135 countries around the world. Its head office is at the Alliance Française de Paris, where foreign students come to improve their French.

For Patricia, it’s time to meet her future opponents. There are six of them from all over the country: from l’Alliance Française de Paris, l’Alliance Française de Lille ,l’Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence, de l’Alliance Française Strasbourg Europe , de l’Alliance Française Bordeaux et enfin de l’Alliance Française de Normandie.

6 other FLE (French as a Foreign Language) learners also came to represent the Alliances of Tananarive (Madagascar), Barranquilla (Colombie), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivie), Tachkent (Ouzbekistan), Montréal (Canada) et Ploiesti (Roumanie).

They all bring their own cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and are delighted to be able to take part in this event today.

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The national final 

It’s 2pm: time for the national finalists in this 100% French general knowledge quiz to get ready to play. Ivan Kabacoff, host of TV5 Monde, presents the many questions to the contestants via the Kahoot application. The topics covered are varied, touching on both learning the French language and general culture. For example, do you know what the verb “ebaudire” means? Or who painted the Déjeuner des Canotiers?

After a fierce competition, Patricia finished 3rd on the podium.

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The international final

The national finalist, Andrew from Alliance Française de Paris, joins six other finalists from 5 continents. The 7 international learners of the French language, representing a variety of countries and cultures, are preparing for a confrontation as stimulating as it is rewarding. They are all united by their passion for the French language. The final podium is made up of Alexia (Alliance Française de Ploiesti), Andrew and Cédric (Alliance Française de Tananarive).

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Parisian stroll

At the end of the InterAlliances challenge, after a shared snack and many exchanges, Patricia had time to visit Paris. The capital of France, the city has always been a symbol of fashion and beauty. Of course, Patricia had the opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower, France’s world-renowned landmark.

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Back to Lyon

After this emotional day, it was time for Patricia to return to Lyon. Indeed, the very next day, she resumes at 9 a.m. for her usual immersive course.

Patricia will be able to share her experience with her classmates at the Alliance Française de Lyon, and discuss the subject with them.

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A fulfilling experiencee

For the 4th edition of this InterAlliances challenge, 286 Alliances from 75 countries spread over five continents are taking part in the competition. But there’s more to the day than just a competition organized by the Alliances Françaises. It’s also an opportunity to meet people who are passionate about France and its culture in all its forms.

Patricia had the opportunity to spend the day in Paris representing the Alliance Française de Lyon. It was an enriching experience, between sharing knowledge and discovering other learners of the French language.

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