"Ici, on parle français et..." (Here, we speak French and...), an initiative by DU H2M students in Seine-Saint-Denis

19 June 2024

Institute

From July 24 to August 11, 2024, and again from August 28 to September 8, 2024, the Seine-Saint-Denis département, a multilingual and cosmopolitan melting pot in the Île-de-France region, will also be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In order to offer a warm welcome and a friendly, welcoming experience to the many foreign visitors who will be coming for the occasion, the Campus francophone and its partner, Inalco, have launched the "Ici, on parle français et..." campaign, supported by the département of Seine-Saint-Denis.
Illustration représentant la parole avec bulles et guillemets
Campagne "Ici, on parle français et..." © Département de la Seine-Saint-Denis‎

What's it all about?

The initiative, devised by mediators from the University Diploma "Hospitality, Mediations, Migrations" (DU H2M, Inalco) and its alumni through the Mizaban association, involves offering a communication kit to local businesses and public and private establishments to publicize the various languages in which they can communicate with foreign tourists.

The kit consists of "Ici, on parle français et..." (Here, we speak French and...) stickers, personalized with the names of the various languages spoken within their establishment, which they can affix to their storefronts.

Since May, the campaign has been gradually rolled out across the Sequano-Dionys region. Pastilles and easels are being distributed in shops and public places wishing to take part in the scheme.

The initiative is meeting with strong support from shopkeepers or establishments (food shops, boutiques, restaurants, hotels...) proud to showcase the cultural richness and linguistic skills of their teams.

Video: Campus Francophone, Ici on parle français et... (Conseil départemental de Seine-Saint-Denis, 2 mn 20)

Valuing the linguistic wealth of Seine-Saint-Denis

With over 160 languages spoken in its territory, the department of Seine-Saint-Denis is an exceptional linguistic and cultural mosaic, the richness of which remains unexploited.

So, in the run-up to the Olympic Games, the department is supporting the operation to promote plurilingualism "Ici, on parle français et..." carried by the Campus francophone and initiated by student mediators from Inalco's DU H2M and its alumni through the Mizaban association.

It aims to enhance the linguistic skills of its residents to promote a warm welcome and facilitate communication with foreign visitors during the Paris Olympic Games.

"As a resident of Seine-Saint-Denis, I see that the school of plurilingualism is in the street. Every day we learn a new word, new expressions, new languages" (...) "There's a free circulation of knowledge across the languages and cultures of the world."
Shahzaman Haque, senior lecturer at Inalco, sociolinguist and Urdu teacher.

Video: Shahzaman Haque's project (Conseil départemental de Seine-Saint-Denis, 2 mn 03)