French at Play

Let’s Play in French

This project aims to enable migrant and non-French-speaking families in Lausanne to play board games with their children, so that they can, on the one hand, enjoy quality time with their families and other families, and, on the other hand, improve their French language skills.

Migrant and non-French-speaking families in Lausanne with children in compulsory education (grades 1–11).

Français en Jeu is a Vaud-based association that promotes social integration and self-reliance in the daily lives of migrants facing social and economic hardship through French language classes and activities focused on language practice. Forty-three percent of Lausanne’s population is foreign-born, and a significant portion of them have little or no command of French, which effectively hinders their integration. For parents of school-age children, being able to communicate with their children in the language of their host country—to understand their reality, support them, and connect with other families—is essential, yet often difficult. By offering, on select Wednesday afternoons, a space centered around board games—primarily for non-French-speaking families and a few French-speaking families—facilitated by “French Through Play” instructors will foster these encounters, these exchanges, and the practice of French in a friendly, informal, and playful setting. In short, this project will foster interactions between parents and children, parents and other parents, and children and other children. Furthermore, it will encourage the practice of French.

In 2024, we plan to offer, at the FeJ Lausanne offices, three family game sessions for 30 participants (migrants and a few French-speaking families), on a Wednesday afternoon (2:00–5:00 p.m.), led by three staff members who are French instructors from “Français en Jeu.”

3,000