At the Lycée Français de New York, bilingualism is more than learning two languages—it is central to our commitment to shaping citizens in the world, of the world, for the world.
Students gain native-level fluency in French and English, moving effortlessly between languages and cultures while developing the empathy, curiosity, and flexibility to engage confidently with the world.
In classrooms, on playgrounds, in performances, and beyond, students interact daily with native-speaking teachers, coaches, and peers. About 30% of our students speak three or more languages, and this deep linguistic and cultural immersion fosters the skills and perspectives that prepare them to be true citizens of culture and courage.
At the Lycée Français de New York, students begin their bilingual journey with a strong foundation in French, starting with full immersion in Nursery. Guided by French teachers and assistants, even children from non-French-speaking families pick up the language quickly.
Starting in Pre-K, instruction introduces English while maintaining a strong focus on French (80% French, 20% English), ensuring students achieve true fluency in an English-dominated city like New York.
With support available for learners new to the French or English languages, every child gains confidence and thrives in both languages.
When I arrived at the Lycée in Nursery School, I was transported immediately into a French world and surrounded by a culture I didn't really know. My parents, who do not speak French, wanted their children to live in a French-speaking world, and I am so lucky they made this choice. Thanks to the Lycée and my teachers, I feel as French as I do American.
French is one of the fastest-growing languages globally, with an estimated 750 million speakers by 2050, according to the International Organization of Francophonie. As the fourth most spoken language in the world, French opens doors to communities across Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, North America and Southeast Asia.
However, a Lycée education is about much more than learning in French. The ability to speak a second language makes it far easier to acquire a third, fourth, and even fifth language, as students have already developed the confidence and executive function they need. Our students gain cultural competence alongside language skills, building empathy, openness, and flexibility that will serve them throughout life—in university, the workplace, and in personal relationships across the globe.
Bilingualism strengthens the mind in remarkable ways. Research by Canadian psycholinguist Ellen Bialystok shows that bilinguals excel at managing multiple tasks, solving problems across verbal and nonverbal domains, and discerning the essential from the non-essential.
A bilingual brain is not only more agile but also healthier over a lifetime—bilingualism has been linked to a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.
Bilingualism naturally enhances creativity. Studies have shown that bilingual students come up with more ideas across a wider range of categories when problem-solving. Bilingualism facilitates cognitive flexibility. At the Lycée, our students’ exposure to multiple languages and cultures fuels their imagination, allowing them to draw from a rich pool of vocabulary, perspectives, and experiences to invent, innovate, and approach challenges in original ways.
Studies show that bilinguals exhibit greater empathy in communication with others, originating from the perspective they gain in not only speaking another language but learning to interpret meaning through subtle cues.
“There are as many ways to live one’s bilingualism as there are bilingual individuals,” states Lycée Primary School Director Vaninna Boussouf. “Bilingual individuals are a place where two languages and two cultures come in contact with each other, meet, and melt into a new entity.”
Enroll in our Saturday morning French classes and our French immersion Summer Camp today!
Every year, Bilingual Brain Week offers an opportunity to connect cognitive science with educational practice through workshops for our students, families, and staff to participate in.
#Bilingualism
#Innovation
#Well-being
