The 20th of March is la Journée de la langue française [French Language Day], otherwise known as la Journée internationale de la Francophonie [International Francophone Day]. French is one of six official languages of the United Nations, meaning French Language Day is one of six celebratory days to promote multilingualism, an important concept embodied within the United Nations; “Ces journées sont l’occasion de sensibiliser la communauté internationale à l’histoire, à la culture et à l’utilisation de chacune de ces langues” [These days are an occasion to raise awareness among the international community about history, culture and the use of each of these languages]. 

While France and Canada are among the first countries that come to mind when considering where French is spoken, there are, in fact, 93 states and governments that make up L’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) [International Organization of Francophones]. Examples include Morocco, Egypt, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Vietnam. The term “Francophone” refers to the people who use French regularly and fluently, regardless of their first language. This word allows inclusivity when talking about the 321 million francophones around the world (as of March 2025). To celebrate the language and all the people who speak it, French Language Day was created with a specific date in mind; “La date de la Journée de la langue française a été choisie symboliquement en référence au 20 mars 1970, qui marque la création de l’Agence de coopération culturelle et technique (ACCT), devenue l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)” [French Language Day’s date was symbolically chosen to reference 20 March 1970, which marks the creation of the Agency of Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT), now known as the International Organization of Francophones (OIF)]. 

With multilateral cooperation, OIF has four main missions: 

• “Promouvoir la langue française, le plurilinguisme et la diversité culturelle” [Promoting the French language, multilingualism and cultural diversity].
• “Promouvoir la paix, la démocratie et les droits de l’Homme” [Promoting peace, democracy and human rights].
• “Appuyer l’éducation, la formation, l’enseignement supérieur et la recherche” [Supporting education, training, higher education and research].
• “Développer la coopération économique au service du développement durable” [Developing economic cooperation for sustainable development]. 

This year’s theme, “Je m’éduque, donc j’agis” [I educate myself so I can act], embodies many of these missions. In this instance, the word educate is used in a broad sense. It not only supports education literally, but also highlights the importance of knowing what’s happening in the world, understanding global issues and making an effort toward change. OIF goes into detail about what this theme means: “…un accès à une éducation de qualité pour toutes et tous, notamment dans un monde où les avancées technologiques redéfinissent nos repères, contribue au développement durable et à la paix, en formant des générations engagées et responsables” […equal access to quality education for all, especially in a world where technological advances are redefining our benchmarks, and contributing to sustainable development and peace by forming committed and responsible generations].

Beyond a classroom, a lot can be learned through communication, media, literature and other cultural aspects of different francophone countries. If you talk to any translator or interpreter, they will tell you that one language cannot be directly translated into another. Many things can never be said in other languages because they are all created differently with various historical backgrounds and cultures tied to each language.

I read a French novel in university called Petit Pays by Gaël Faye. The story follows what happened in the 1994 Rwandan genocide from a child’s perspective. The author used his own experiences and the experiences of the people around him to create a story that allows people to learn about what happened in a way that textbooks could never achieve. You can feel the pain and suffering with word choices and visualizations. You can learn how French is different in Rwanda than in France and then think about why that might be. There’s so much depth and nuance conveyed in French that is lost when translated to English. It’s different, and that can be said about most translations.

As a polyglot, I’ve discovered how much I can learn about the world in a way that monolingual people miss out on. The people around me have said how difficult it can be to truly express yourself in a language you weren’t born speaking, especially because each language has its own nuance. Language is a way to tell others about your needs, feelings, desires, experiences, etc. Just from books alone, I’ve learned so much about the world. Now think about how important language is for diplomacy. Language is a way to learn, make peace, and reach conclusions and decisions. It’s a way we can learn from history and make better decisions because of it. This is why multilingualism is essential and why celebrating our differences can help make the world a better place, especially when we take the chance to understand others and think empathetically. I educate myself so I can act.