Recently, the University of Goroka (UoG) celebrated world languages and the indigenous languages of PNG. 2022 marks also the Silver Jubilee of the UoG. And as well the start of the 2022-2032 International decade of the indigenous languages.
For all these reasons, the World Language Strand in the Division of Language and Literature of the UoG decided to organize a huge event to promote the languages teaching. At the UoG, Bahassa Indonesia, Japanese and French are taught.
French Ambassador Guillaume Lemoine, together with Representative of the New Caledonia’s Government Alexandre Lafargue travelled to Goroka to give all their support to the teacher of French Mrs. Dawn Solevad Ilai.
In his statement in front of the packed amphitheatre, Ambassador Lemoine presented the “Francophonie”, that refers to men and women who share French as a common language. There are more than 320 million French speakers across the world, from Canada to Africa, from Paris to the Middle-East, from Asia to the Pacific. With them, also with 51 millions people who learn French and 93 millions pupils or students learning or studying in French, French is the 5th most widely spoken language on the planet, the 4th language used on Internet and the 2nd used in diplomacy.
But French is not only a language. French is also a cultural vehicle that lets us get closer, French is also a vehicle of our universal and common values such as peace, democracy and human rights.
According to Mrs Solevad Ilai, the teacher, “learning French is a challenge that can open up your mind to new perspectives and help you connect with all types of people across the globe. Currently, we offer basic and intermediate levels of French to students”.
The Ambassador, alongside with dignitaries of the university, finally had the opportunity to handle the diplomas of French to the graduates.
