Director of French Studies at Jacaranda Cultural Centre and Maison Dela France in Blantyre, Poya Chapweteka, said on Monday that the French language needs to be embraced by the country as part of development.
Chapweteka said this following the training of soldiers with sponsorship from French Embassy in Malawi, Lesotho and South Africa.
The soldiers, who started their training in Salima in June before taking a break and restarted it at Jacaranda Cultural Centre in Blantyre last week, has since seen them sitting for examinations.
“Languages are important and French is vital. Soldiers go to peace keeping missions and also go for various assignments and so they need to learn languages like French,” he said.
Chapweteka said that half of Africa is French speaking.
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“When you speak French, you have an advantage. The programme has also reached out to 120 teachers across the country to improve their level of French, master it so as to properly teach students. It is not just for passing examinations, there are international conferences out there that need interpreters,” he said.
Chapweteka said the programmes are part of laying a solid base.
“We also do have international jobs where they seek people, who speak two or three languages. The national team for instance, travels to French speaking countries and they need interpreters,” he said.
Second Lieutenant Shira Bondera from Kamuzu Barracks in Lilongwe said they have had an intensive French training since July this year.
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“This was a continuation. This is new language but we have enjoyed it. We go to missions and we need to be conversant with the French language,” Bondera said.
Staff Sergeant Ernest Chilomba, who is also from Kamuzu Barracks said soldiers are deployed in countries where French is the mother language and that now they will find it easier to execute their duties.
“When you do not speak French, it becomes a challenge in most cases but for us this is good,” Chilomba said.
