The Alliance Française de Boston et Cambridge, Inc., is a private, not-for-profit organization, founded April 13, 1898.

It is one of over 800 Alliances Françaises located in 137 countries worldwide. The first to bring the French language to foreigners, the Alliance Française has spearheaded teaching methods which take into account not only the mother tongue of each learning public but also their traditional ways of learning.

In the summer of 2000, the French Library (at the time known as The French Library and Cultural Center) entered into an agreement with l'Alliance Française de Boston et Cambridge, combining forces to promote the French language and culture in the Boston area.




Board Members

  • Zeina Aoun, President
  • Peter Sprayregen, Treasurer
  • Barbara Bouquegneau, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA
  • Barbara "Suki" De Bragança
  • Alexia Duc
  • Elaine Hepworth
  • Lisa Micali
  • Lucy Sprayregen
  • Isabelle Roy

Alliance Française Competitions

Alliance Française hosts several competitions for French students & teachers, with incredible prizes for our winners.

REBECCA & JEAN-PAUL VALETTE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE PRIZE

Created in 2005, the Rebecca and Jean-Paul Valette Alliance Française Prize is given each year in honor of Rebecca and Jean-Paul Valette, whose dedication and contribution to the teaching of French in the United States have touched so many lives and inspired tremendous enthusiasm for the French language and culture.

The prize consists of $4,000 for a trip to France or a French-speaking country. It is awarded to an adult French Library student who successfully completes a minimum of two consecutive group classes preferably at the beginner level (A1).

Prize candidates are asked to write an essay describing the vision of a project that they would conduct while on their awarded trip. Past winners range from an opera singer who traveled to Canada to complete a workshop to a bench maker who traveled to France to complete further studies in this artistic field.

Deadline:TBC - mid fall 2024
Award announcement date: TBC
Award ceremony date: TBC
Learn More

de Bragança Excellence in Teaching Award

The de Bragança Excellence in Teaching Award was created in 2005 by Suki and Miguel de Bragança in order to reward a French Library teacher who distinguished him/herself by the quality of his/her work in the classroom.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE OF BOSTON AWARD FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS OF FRENCH

The Alliance Française of Boston is pleased to announce its annual award for Middle School Teachers of French based in the USA. Four prizes will be awarded to teachers and their students to be used for a field trip to the French Library of Boston. Teachers must demonstrate that their visit will help to promote the learning of French and bring excitement to their French program.

The Alliance Française believes that the middle school age is the time when many students become fascinated with the richness of a particular foreign language, and decide to continue studying that language in high school.

Upon completion of the field trip, the Alliance Française will request from the awardee a written summary of the effectiveness of the visit to the French Library, with photographs if applicable, and copies of any publicity the project received in the teacher’s home newspaper.

Teachers must be based in the USA, with preference given to teachers who are members of the AATF, The French Library Alliance Française and/or MaFLA, in the hope that they will share the results of their projects with colleagues across the state. Upper grade levels of middle schools plus the ninth grade will also be preferred.

Please note that the award has no cash value. Each field trip is limited to a maximum of 30 students who will enjoy a cooking workshop, a cultural workshop and a visit of the library. Transportation is not included is the award.



Deadline: Ongoing
Award announcement date: Ongoing

Ready to apply? Questions? Please contact Elisabeth Karnoub at ekarnoub@frenchlibrary.org or 617-912-0400.