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½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ academics participate in professional development course in France

Prof. Anne-Marie Bezzina Busuttil, who lectures in French Linguistics within the Department of French at the Faculty of Arts, and Ms Anna Scicluna, Coordinator of the French Subject Area within the Department of Languages and Humanities in Education (DLHE) at the Faculty of Education, recently participated in a two-week professional development course at CAVILAM – Alliance Française in Vichy, France.

The course, held from 14 to 28 August 2026, provided intensive training in a range of aspects relating to the teaching and learning of French as a Foreign Language (FLE), including French didactics, language pedagogy and French culture. CAVILAM – Alliance Française is internationally recognised for its expertise in French-language teaching and teacher education, bringing together practitioners and specialists from across the world.

For the two University of Malta academics, the experience provided a valuable intercultural encounter with practitioners from all continents, united by a shared interest in the French language and its teaching.

The international composition of the course created a particularly rich environment for exchange, dialogue and reflection on different educational contexts and approaches to FLE.

The experience also offered opportunities to establish and strengthen international professional networks, exchange ideas about teaching practices and explore potential avenues for future research collaboration.

Such encounters are particularly valuable in the context of the University of Malta's commitment to internationalisation and to strengthening connections with academic and professional communities beyond Malta.

The up-to-date training received at CAVILAM will contribute directly to the academics' teaching and academic responsibilities at the University of Malta.

It will enhance their ability to prepare and support effective teachers of French as a Foreign Language in Malta, as well as to supervise postgraduate students specialising in French didactics.

The course also provided valuable perspectives and resources for the teaching and exploration of French culture, an essential component of language education and intercultural competence.

Prof. Bezzina Busuttil's participation was made possible through a bursary funded by the Embassy of France in Malta. Ms Scicluna has similarly benefited from Embassy of France bursaries in previous years, enabling her to undertake professional development opportunities in the field of French language teaching.