The OFII French language lessons offered by the French Office of Immigration and Integration are going fully online. The new platform intends to completely replace the traditional in-person lessons for the majority of learners enrolled in the program. Fr. Philip Johnson, Language Studies Expert, shares his thoughts on this development:
A digital revolution is on the horizon within the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII). The French language lessons offered by the division are going fully online. While leaders spearheading this plan feel justified and proud, not everyone has had a grand response. There are concerns that lessons will be in some way less valuable, less impactful and less productive. Migrants who would have otherwise been sent to French classes to perfect their language level will not be left to their own devices to improve their skills at home alone.
What it Could Mean: a Deterioration of Public Service
The decision to go fully online with the French language lessons has been met with criticism. To put it lightly, not everyone is happy with the decision. Even worse, some actors on the ground are deeply concerned, billing it “a deterioration of public service.” Unfortunately, French Translator Fr. Philip Johnson has to agree. This is a major deterioration in impactful language learning opportunities. While the division is still offering face-to-face lessons to migrants who do not speak or write in French at all (for now), that’s just not enough. Many learners, especially in the mid range level of their language learning journey, require social interaction to truly excel in the language. After all, social interaction is key to any form of communication: especially when it comes to language learning.
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