Olympic Games and Week of the French language: a golden opportunity!

As the French Ministry of culture, major supervisor, explains, the Week of French Language and Francophonie is the traditional “event for the lovers of words”. Since 1995, this week has become a great time of celebrations of French language during which the general public participates in many events held in France and French-speaking countries.

Ensuring the presence of French language during the Olympic Games

The 29th edition of the French Language and Francophonie Week held around 20 March, Day of French language in the world, will be a “gold opportunity to celebrate French language worldwide”, says organisers. By choosing the subject Sur le podium (On the podium), this edition offers to discover and take over “the words of sport and the vocabulary of Olympism”.

Though the Olympic Games were indeed created in Greece, France has played a major role in the resurgence of this sports tradition in the 19th century. Indeed, Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin reformed this international sports ideal named “Olympic movement”, which still justifies the prominent place of French language in the Games, to the extent that it is the official language of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, according to the ministry delegate to Francophonie at the Ministry of sports, “ensuring the presence of the French language at the Games is an everyday struggle”. The fact that the upcoming Olympic Games are held in France is “a guarantee for the presence of French language at the same level as English”. But France has still asked the IOC, which is “very active rearding this matter”, that both languages, French and English, “be equally present” on signs and boards, and official press conferences, and transports.

Celebrating French language and sport altogether

Practicing a sport is also playing with words. And this is even more true in the sense that words have “always been present in sport”, says the event’s official website.

Every sport has its own rules, and they are written. Likewise, expressions from the world of sport are very present in the French language, with expressions such as “larguer les amarres” (litteraly “loose the mooring lines”, cast off), “avoir le nez dans le guidon” (“having your nose in the handlebar”, being focused on one difficult task under stress and unable to see the broader picture), “saisir la balle au bond” (“catch the ball on rebound”, seize an opportunity), “mouiller le maillot” (“wet the shirt”, engage a lot of energy in something) or “passer le relais” (“passing the baton”, transmit something to someone)! According to organisers, sport is a game “just like a game of words” And at a time when sport is more than ever globalised, the challenge is also to “defend the place of French language”.

Thousands of events are organised to reach this objective, in France and abroad. This year, multiple highlights will celebrate French and sport altogether “using words and olympism”. The programme is focused on “French-speaking identities” and will take the form of writing workshops, verbal jousts, dictations, slam contests, but also in a more classic way conferences, debates, exhibitions, writers/readers meetings, and more. The full programme is available on the Ministry of Culture website.

Maintaining bridges between olympism and Francophonie at the Cité internationale de la langue française

And in addition to this Week, later in 2024, the Cité internationale de la langue française will also “celebrate olympism”. Before its arrival in Paris for the inauguration of the Games, the Olympic torch will cross France for more than two months, and at the 58th step of the course, will stop at the Cité internationale de la langue française on 17 July.

The course of the Olympic Torch should indeed stay in 400 cities in France. This course will highlight all the richness and diversity of the French heritage. The Torch will make a stop in “this unique cultural place, the first entirely dedicated to the French language and French-speaking cultures: the Cité internationale de la langue française, in Villers-Cotterêts, in the Aisne department”. As the ministry of culture underlines, “the former castle of Francis 1st, will welcome a specific programme for the event”. Visitors will discover an exhibition in free access on the relation between olympism and Francophonie, from July to September.