Inalco and the return of Arabic in secondary schools

The Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) is delighted that the French government has decided to resume the teaching of Arabic in secondary schools, a weak link in the secular public education of a language spoken by over 250 million people worldwide. INALCO is all the more concerned as, in close collaboration with Paris-Sorbonne, Paris 8 and the ESPE, it organizes preparation for the competitive examination for the agrégation in Arabic, and the Master's in teaching leading to the CAPES in Arabic.

The cultural and economic role of Arabic

Arabic is a language rich in ancestral and international culture, but it also plays a central role in relations with France's leading economic partners. Agreements with the countries concerned ensure that French is taught in Maghreb and Middle Eastern countries, in a logical and complementary manner.
Lastly, this choice is a great sign of our commitment to the French language.
Finally, this choice is a great sign of openness and tolerance, so that Arabic can take its rightful place in France, rather than being confined, contested and stigmatized in certain neighborhoods. It directly or indirectly concerns several million French citizens of immigrant descent for one, two or more generations.

Arabic at Inalco

Arabic, the first language taught at Inalco after Japanese, has always been an integral part of our training, research and cultural events. With a mission to teach more than a hundred languages and civilizations, Inalco is constantly encouraging dialogue between cultures and knowledge of others, while respecting differences.



Inalco teaches Literary Arabic, Maghrebian Arabic (Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan), Oriental Arabic and Syrian-Lebanese-Palestinian Arabic, as well as other fundamental languages and cultures of the region, such as Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, Aramaic, Persian, Berber and Turkish.