The Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi has opened applications for its 2026 winter training scholarships in France, offering more than 10 funded places for French-language teachers and selected future French teachers from South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

The scholarships provide an opportunity to participate in intensive, in-person professional training in France during November and December 2026. The programme is aimed primarily at teachers of French as a Foreign Language (FLE – Français langue étrangère) working in primary schools, secondary schools and universities. A smaller number of places may also be available to students enrolled in French departments who intend to become French teachers.

Successful applicants can choose between two professional-development programmes delivered by major French-language training institutions:

• CAVILAM – Alliance Française in Vichy: 30 November to 11 December 2026
• CLA – Centre de Linguistique Appliquée in Besançon: 16 November to 26 November 2026

The scholarship covers major costs connected with participation, including international and domestic travel, visa-related consular fees, accommodation, meals or a living allowance, travel insurance and the cost of the training itself.

Application Deadline: Thursday, 1 October 2026 at 12:00 noon.

About the 2026 France Winter Training Scholarship Programme

The 2026 scholarship call is organised by the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi and supports in-person professional training in France.

The programme is intended to strengthen the professional skills of French-language educators in Southern Africa by giving them direct access to specialised pedagogical training offered by established French institutions.

More than 10 scholarships are available, and applicants are asked to select one of two training options according to their professional interests and development needs.

The programme is particularly relevant for educators who want to:

• Improve their French-language teaching methodology
• Strengthen pedagogical leadership
• Develop more contemporary classroom practices
• Explore approaches to oral communication and learner engagement
• Understand emerging teaching tools
• Integrate artificial intelligence and modern educational practices into language teaching
• Build stronger professional expertise within French-language education
• Apply new knowledge in their schools, universities or educational institutions after returning home

The application process places significant emphasis on applicants explaining how the training fits into their professional project and how they intend to reuse the skills acquired in their own professional practice.

Two Training Programmes Available in France

Applicants are required to indicate which of the two training programmes they prefer.

Option 1: CAVILAM de Vichy – Pedagogical Coordination Training

The first programme will take place at CAVILAM in Vichy, France, from:

30 November to 11 December 2026

The programme is titled:

“Assurer la coordination pédagogique d’un dispositif de formation”

This can broadly be understood as training focused on managing or ensuring the pedagogical coordination of a training system or programme.

This programme is particularly relevant for professionals who have, or aspire to have, responsibilities extending beyond classroom teaching.

Potentially relevant participants may include:

• French-language teachers taking on coordination responsibilities
• Heads of language departments
• Pedagogical coordinators
• Teacher trainers
• Senior French-language educators
• Academic managers
• University lecturers involved in programme coordination
• Educators responsible for curriculum implementation
• Professionals supporting other teachers or training teams

The programme provides an opportunity to develop a more strategic understanding of pedagogical management and the coordination of teaching and learning activities.

Option 2: CLA de Besançon – Winter Pedagogical University

The second training programme will be held at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée (CLA) in Besançon, France, from:

16 November to 26 November 2026

The programme is called:

“Université pédagogique d’hiver” – Winter Pedagogical University.

The Besançon programme includes three thematic modules of 10 hours each, with participants asked to select one pathway within each module.

The choices listed in the application include subjects such as:

• Integrating the body, voice and movement into learning
• Discovering and using youth cultures in language classrooms
• Promoting wellbeing in the language classroom
• Creating conditions that support effective learning
• Teaching oral communication and orality with or without teaching materials
• Designing and delivering a 21st-century FLE course
• Rethinking teaching and learning in the age of artificial intelligence

These themes show that the programme is strongly focused on contemporary teaching practices.

Participants can therefore gain exposure to pedagogical approaches that move beyond traditional textbook-based teaching and explore learner wellbeing, youth culture, oral communication, classroom interaction and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Minimum French-Language Requirement

Applicants must have a sufficiently strong command of French to participate effectively in professional pedagogical training.

The application explicitly states that candidates must have at least:

B2 level in French.

The application later notes that pedagogical training generally requires participants to have at least B2 level and, in some cases, C1 level.

Applicants are asked to indicate their highest DELF or DALF qualification, with options ranging from DELF A1 through DALF C2.

Candidates who have not taken DELF or DALF may instead provide details of another French-language test or certification, including the name of the qualification and the assessed level.

This means that DELF or DALF certification is useful, but the form does not state that having a DELF/DALF certificate is the only way to demonstrate French proficiency.

Who Is the Scholarship Designed For?

The programme gives priority to teachers of French as a Foreign Language working at different levels of education.

The official call specifically identifies teachers working in:

• Primary schools
• Secondary schools
• Universities

A smaller number of opportunities may also be available to:

• Students in university French departments
• Students intending to become French-language teachers

The application form asks practising teachers how many years they have taught French and requests information about the institution in which they currently work.

Applicants may be teaching in institutions such as:

• Nursery schools
• Primary schools
• Secondary schools
• Technical schools
• Universities
• Universities of technology
• Alliance Française institutions

The application also explicitly includes an option for applicants who are currently students.

Countries Covered by the Scholarship

The scholarship call is specifically open in:

• South Africa
• Lesotho
• Malawi

The application form asks applicants to select their country of residence from these three countries.

The programme therefore has a clear Southern African geographic focus.

Importantly, the application also contains specific instructions for candidates whose nationality is different from their country of residence or employment. Such applicants may be asked to provide a valid residence permit, work permit or permanent-residence document.

This indicates that the programme is not framed solely around citizenship; legal residence or employment circumstances in one of the participating countries are also relevant.

What Does the Scholarship Cover?

One of the most attractive aspects of the programme is the broad level of financial support provided by the Embassy of France.

The scholarship covers the following expenses:

Visa Consular Fees

The Embassy will cover the consular fees associated with the visa application.

Successful candidates will still be responsible for completing the visa process promptly and supplying all required documentation.

International Return Travel

The programme covers return air transport from:

• South Africa
• Lesotho
• Malawi

to France.

Train Travel Within France

The Embassy also covers onward train transportation in France to the location of the selected training programme.

This is particularly useful because participants travelling to Vichy or Besançon will need to continue their journey after arriving in France.

Accommodation in France

Accommodation will be provided either:

• In an individual studio; or
• With a host family,

depending on the participant’s preference and availability.

Applicants can state their preferred accommodation arrangement in the application.

Host Family Accommodation

Participants choosing host-family accommodation receive two meals per day as part of the arrangement.

Candidates can also indicate specific needs or preferences relating to the host family, including:

• Allergies
• Phobias
• Dietary requirements
• Preferences regarding pets
• Smoking or non-smoking households
• Other relevant personal considerations

Individual Studio Accommodation

Participants who choose an individual studio will have access to a small kitchen area.

Meals are not included with studio accommodation.

Instead, scholarship recipients staying in studios receive an increased lump-sum maintenance allowance intended, among other things, to help cover food expenses.

Where the training institution offers a cafeteria, university restaurant or another catering arrangement that is paid for by the French Embassy, the allowance may be adjusted accordingly.

Meals and Living Allowance

Depending on accommodation arrangements, the scholarship covers meals and/or provides a maintenance allowance.

The final amount of the allowance cannot be confirmed before the beginning of the training.

Any amount communicated in advance is therefore indicative and does not represent a binding financial commitment by the Embassy.

Applicants should also be aware that the allowance is usually paid two to three days after arrival in France, once the training institution has confirmed the participant’s arrival to Campus France.

Participants must therefore bring enough personal money to cover their initial expenses, including meals during travel and during the first days in France.

Travel Insurance

The scholarship covers travel insurance for selected participants.

Training Fees

The cost of the selected training programme is also covered by the French Embassy.

Taken together, these benefits make the programme a substantially funded professional-development opportunity.

Passport Requirements

Applicants should review the passport conditions before beginning their application.

A passport should:

• Be currently valid
• Have been issued less than 10 years ago
• Contain at least two blank pages
• Remain valid for at least three months after the applicant’s expected departure from the Schengen Area

The application specifically states that temporary passports or temporary travel documents are not accepted.

Applicants are responsible for checking passport validity sufficiently early and arranging renewal if necessary.

Passport Copy Requirements

Applicants possessing a valid passport must upload a high-quality colour scan.

Accepted file formats are:

• PDF
• JPG
• PNG

The maximum file size for this passport upload is 1 MB.

Candidates who already hold a valid visa allowing them to enter France are also asked to provide a copy.

Applicants whose nationality differs from their country of residence or employment must combine relevant documents into a single PDF, including the passport identity page and valid residence documentation.

The Embassy places significant emphasis on document quality. Blurred, poorly framed, overexposed, dark, incomplete or otherwise unreadable files may not be processed.

Required Application Documents

Applicants should prepare the complete documentation before submitting the form.

The principal documents required are:

1. Valid passport copy
2. Completed French Government training scholarship application form
3. French-language CV
4. French-language motivation letter

Additional supporting documents may be required depending on nationality and residence status.

French-Language CV

Applicants must upload their curriculum vitae in French.

The file should be named using the following structure:

SURNAME_Firstname_CV.pdf

The application system allows only one upload, so candidates should verify the document carefully beforehand.

Motivation Letter and Professional Project

Applicants must also provide a motivation letter in French.

The letter should briefly explain:

• The applicant’s background
• Their professional project
• Why they selected the particular training programme
• How the training relates to their professional development
• How they intend to reuse and transfer the skills acquired into their professional practice

This is likely to be one of the most important qualitative elements of the application.

A strong motivation letter should therefore move beyond generic statements about wanting to visit France and instead demonstrate a clear connection between the training, the applicant’s current professional role and the needs of their learners or institution.

French Government Training Scholarship Application Form

Applicants must also complete the formal training scholarship dossier.

The form must be:

• Completed correctly
• Signed by the applicant
• Completed where required by the applicant’s institution
• Signed by the relevant authority
• Officially stamped by the institution

The applicant’s school, university, educational institution or administration must complete, sign and stamp the section titled:

“Attestation de l’autorité locale compétente.”

The candidate must also personally sign the declaration and commitment section.

Document Quality Standards

Applicants should pay particular attention to the administrative quality of their documents.

The Embassy states that the following may not be processed:

• Ordinary photographs of documents taken by mobile phone
• Low-quality scans
• Unreadable scans
• Incorrectly completed forms
• Forms completed entirely by hand
• Incomplete applications
• Documents missing required signatures
• Documents missing institutional stamps

Candidates who need to print the application form should first complete it digitally, then obtain the necessary signatures and institutional stamp before scanning all four pages into one PDF at a minimum resolution of 200 dpi.

Employer or Institutional Authorization Is Essential

Teachers should confirm their availability with their employer before applying.

The application asks candidates to confirm that they have:

• Checked their academic calendar
• Contacted their administration
• Obtained authorization to be absent during the selected training period

A candidate cannot be definitively selected without written authorization from their administration.

Applicants should therefore begin this process early.

Previous French Government Scholarship Recipients May Apply

The form asks whether candidates have previously received a scholarship from the French Government.

This includes previous:

• Short training scholarships
• 15-day training programmes
• One-month training programmes
• Long-term study scholarships
• Other relevant French Government scholarship experiences

However, the form explicitly states that this question is for information purposes and is not eliminatory.

Therefore, having previously received a French Government scholarship does not automatically prevent a candidate from applying.

French Teacher Association Membership

The application also asks whether candidates are members of French teacher associations operating in the participating countries.

These include:

• Association for French Studies in Southern Africa
• French Teachers Association Lesotho
• Association Malawienne des Professeurs de français
• Association des Professeurs de Français du Gauteng
• Association des Professeurs de Français du KwaZulu-Natal
• South African French Teachers Association of Western Cape

The application does not state that membership of one of these organisations is a mandatory eligibility condition.

Visa Responsibilities for Selected Candidates

Receiving the scholarship does not remove the participant’s responsibility to complete the visa process.

Selected candidates must undertake the required visa procedures without delay and submit a complete visa application within the timetable communicated by the French Embassy.

Applicants are also expected to immediately report any difficulty that could delay or prevent issuance of the visa.

Travel Commitments

Because travel tickets are arranged and financed by the French Embassy, scholarship recipients must respect the travel arrangements communicated to them.

Participants must ensure that they arrive at the airport on time and have all required travel documents.

If a participant misses a flight because of circumstances attributable to them—for example lateness, failure to appear for boarding or missing/non-compliant travel documents—additional ticket modification or replacement costs may remain the participant’s responsibility.

Attendance Requirements

Successful candidates commit to attending the entire training programme.

They must participate consistently throughout the programme and provide feedback to the French Embassy after returning home.

The scholarship should therefore be viewed as a serious professional-development commitment rather than simply an opportunity for international travel.

Early Departure and Possible Repayment

Recipients who voluntarily interrupt their stay and return before the end of the training programme may be required to reimburse expenses already incurred in relation to:

• Accommodation
• Meals
• Transport

Applicants should therefore ensure they can attend the complete programme before accepting an award.

Application Timeline

The key dates for applicants are:

Application Deadline: Thursday, 1 October 2026 at 12:00 noon

CLA Besançon Training: 16–26 November 2026

CAVILAM Vichy Training: 30 November–11 December 2026

After submitting the online form, applicants automatically receive an email containing a copy of their responses.

Applications can be modified until the deadline on 1 October 2026 at noon.

How to Prepare a Strong Application

Candidates interested in the programme should begin by carefully reviewing the two available training programmes and determining which one aligns most closely with their current responsibilities and longer-term professional goals.

A competitive application should clearly demonstrate:

1. Relevant professional or academic connection to French-language teaching.
2. At least B2-level French proficiency.
3. A clear professional reason for choosing the selected programme.
4. The ability to apply the knowledge after returning home.
5. Institutional support for participation.
6. A valid passport meeting all Schengen requirements.
7. Carefully prepared and professionally presented documentation.
8. Availability for the full training period.

Candidates should avoid generic motivation statements and instead demonstrate how the scholarship will create measurable value for their students, institution, teacher network or wider French-language education community.

Why This Scholarship Is Important for French-Language Educators

Professional-development opportunities of this kind offer more than short-term classroom training.

For teachers of French in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, participation provides direct exposure to French pedagogical institutions and current approaches to FLE teaching.

Participants can potentially return with new knowledge relating to:

• Curriculum design
• Teacher coordination
• Innovative teaching methods
• Oral-language instruction
• Classroom wellbeing
• Youth culture
• Artificial intelligence in education
• Contemporary FLE methodology
• Professional networking

The requirement to explain how acquired skills will be reinvested in professional practice also reinforces the programme’s multiplier effect: the benefits are intended to extend beyond the individual scholarship recipient.

Conclusion

The French Government Winter Training Scholarships in France 2026 provide an exceptional professional-development opportunity for French-language teachers and selected future French teachers based in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

With more than 10 scholarships available, successful participants will attend one of two specialised in-person training programmes in France during November and December 2026.

Candidates can choose between the CAVILAM Vichy pedagogical coordination programme, running from 30 November to 11 December 2026, and the CLA Besançon Winter Pedagogical University, running from 16 to 26 November 2026.

The scholarship covers major participation costs, including visa-related consular fees, return transportation to France, onward train travel, accommodation, meals or a maintenance allowance, travel insurance and training fees.

Applicants must demonstrate at least B2-level French, prepare a French CV and motivation letter, obtain the required institutional authorization and submit complete, high-quality supporting documentation.

The final deadline is:

Thursday, 1 October 2026 at 12:00 noon.

For more global opportunities, click HERE.