“Bonjour!” That’s how students at Government Senior Secondary School in Sector 19, Panchkula, greet their teacher, Anju Chahal, in unison as she steps into the Class 6 classroom. Above the doorway, a poster sets the scene: “Voyage en France (Journey to France).”

The usual rustic Hindi and occasional English phrases are now interspersed with “un, deux, trois,” “une table (a table),” and “un stylo (a pen).”

The Haryana government has introduced French in Class 6 in 26 government schools this academic session following a rigorous year-long training of selected teachers by the French Embassy. Out of the participants, 26 teachers cleared the qualifying tests to teach basic French as an activity-based fun language. The curriculum covers culture, festivals, music, games, and basic conversation in French, all without exam pressure.

Once the smartly turned-out students settle down, Shivanshi turns to Nishika with a twinkle in her eye: “Comment tu t’appelles? (What is your name?).” The question sparks laughter and friendly competition, with boys and girls eager to show off their new conversational skills. What follows is a 60-minute session where learning a language feels like a game rather than a burden.

Chahal, a post-graduate teacher in English, focuses on daily expressions to help students build vocabulary and perfect their pronunciation. Having already cleared the A1 and A2 DELF certification levels, she undergoes online coaching for two hours a day, four days a week, supervised by the French Embassy. She is currently preparing for the B1-level certification, which will qualify her to teach French up to Class 12.

“French is a very polite language, and the students are loving it,” Chahal explains, noting that French and English share the Latin alphabet and numerous cognates. “Pronunciation is the main hurdle. I’ve turned this classroom into a language lab to help them practice so they can eventually interact with peers back in France.”

Colourful classroom, spirited students

The classroom walls are lined with student-made posters showcasing French terms for clothing, food, family members, and animals. One poster highlights Les sites touristiques à Paris, while others display les nombers (counting charts), les fetes Francaises (French festivals) and everyday phrases that students repeat aloud, often breaking into giggles over tricky tongue-twisters.

All 26 participating government schools in the state use standardised material provided by the French Embassy, including songs, videos, poems, and flashcards. Flashcards are a class favourite, helping students quickly learn words like la robe (dress), la jupe (skirt), le lion (lion), le singe (monkey), écoûter (to listen), and la moto (motorbike).

“We’ve already learned the days of the week, months, and numbers,” says student Sajan R. Nearby, Khushbu proudly demonstrates counting from zero to 100: “Zero is zéro, one is un, two is deux, three is trois, four is quatre…”

Classmates Pallavi, Rajan, Luvkush, and Kunal find French easier to pick up due to its overlap with English. Chirag says that most of his peers have already memorised daily vocabulary, while Pallavi believes the lessons are actually boosting her English skills. “Since July 10, we have been learning French and have made reasonable progress. This class is improving our English too because French is similar,” she adds.

In Mahi’s opinion, the best part is that students are learning a foreign language without the exam pressure. “The government gave us a chance to pick up another foreign language without worrying about marks or exams. We have grabbed the opportunity to become multilingual.”

Students like Kavita and Amrita enjoy flaunting French at home to their père (father), mère (mother), frère (brother), and sœur (sister). Rajan prefers using it to tease friends from neighbouring schools.

Panchkula’s pride

“Ours is the only school in Panchkula district running this programme because Chahal was the only teacher from the district to pass the French Embassy exam,” says principal Nirmal Dhull. The campus accommodates roughly 1,450 students from Classes 6 to 12. “It’s an enrichment activity, not part of the three-language formula,” she says.

As the 60-minute period ends, the children show little urge to rush off. Walking toward the dining area for their midday meal, the Class 6 students continue muttering French words, drawing curious looks from their seniors. Their accents may still be a work in progress, but their enthusiasm is unmistakable and infectious, indeed.