Professional French and integration: the example of CVO Semper in Belgium
The Centre for Adult Education (CVO) was founded in 1970 by the Brussels Chamber of Commerce (BECI). This vocational training centre, which became CVO Semper in 2019, following the merger with the CVOs of Meise-Jette, Strombeek and Vilvoorde, is now the largest CVO in the Brussels Region and its northern suburbs.
The CVO Semper has been a partner centre of the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) since 2005 and has been offering the Professional French Diploma to its students for almost 20 years. Karel Storme, a teacher at CVO Semper, tells us more about it.Interview with karel Storme, French teacher at CVO Semper
Could you introduce yourself and tell us why you became a French teacher?
My name is Karel Storme and I live in Belgium. I come from a small Flemish village, just a stone's throw from the language border, the line that divides Belgium into different language areas. As a child, I was fascinated by what was happening on the other side of the border. My choice of French was obvious.
After my master's degree in French language and literature at the Catholic University of Leuven, I also obtained my teaching diploma.
Since 2007 I have been working at the CVO Semper in Brussels as a teacher of French as a foreign language and professional French: the French for future employment.
Before I started working full-time as a teacher at CVO Semper, I worked for 6 years in a company where I was in contact with French-speaking and French-speaking suppliers and customers. With this experience, my choice of professional French was a natural one.
Why does CVO Semper offer professional French courses?
Our school offers French as a foreign language course and professional French courses. There is a real demand from students for courses that are specifically adapted to the professional context.
In addition, the BECI (Brussels Chamber of Commerce), which has always been very supportive of our school, believes that training aimed at business and the job market is important. This is how we help employers find the right talent!
Multilingualism is indeed essential in Belgium. French is one of the three national languages, alongside with Dutch and German.
Learning French is therefore an important key to successful integration and participation in society and the job market.What French courses do you offer?
We offer professional French courses, and the possibility to obtain the Professional French Diploma at the end of the course. We also offer general French courses, both face-to-face and distance learning.
On the one hand, we welcome newcomers who have chosen Belgium for family or professional reasons. Many of these students learn French because they need it in everyday life, at home, and at work.
Some of these students are looking for a new job or a promotion within their current company. This is where the professional French diplomas have a real added value to their CVs.
There are also students who learn French for fun or to develop their network of friends, so in this case it becomes a personal challenge!
Finally, there are also students who take courses at a university or college, sometimes as part of an Erasmus exchange. The diploma will help them in their future research on the job market in the French-speaking world.
Our courses fill up quickly as we are recognized in our local ecosystem, but we also have courses tailored for businesses and organizations that are in high demand.
Our desire is to meet the current needs of the world of work in French, and our courses, as well as the Diploma of Professional French, perfectly meet this need.