Speaking French to become a legionnaire?

By Louis Perez y Cid

When a man first crosses the gate of the Foreign Legion Recruitment Group (G.R.L.E.), he often arrives with a bag, a past... and a language that few people around him understand. Nepalese, Polish, or even Mongolian, at the Legion, the origins are counted by the dozens.

Very quickly, however, all these men must learn to understand each other, to live together, and above all, to act together. On the field, in combat as well as in the daily life of the regiment, only one language is imposed on everyone: French.
At the Foreign Legion, learning French is not just a matter of integration. It is a necessity for cohesion, for discipline, and for operational efficiency. It is even one of the first challenges that every volunteer must face.

The Foreign Legion is composed exclusively of foreigners. Today, no fewer than 144 nationalities are represented within its ranks. A large portion of the recruits arrive without speaking French, which inevitably creates communication difficulties right from the selection process, and especially during the initial training of the volunteers (E.V.).

However, the non-commissioned officers of the Legion come from this recruitment. And everyone knows that the non-commissioned officer corps constitutes the indispensable backbone of a regiment.

The integration of non-French-speaking legionnaires, their progression in the hierarchy, and later their integration into the national community necessarily involve mastering the French language.
That is why the teaching of French in the Foreign Legion has always been considered essential.

In its early days, the Legion's battalions were organised by nationalities or linguistic groups. This organization quickly proved problematic, as it fostered rivalries and tensions between communities.

In 1835, for political reasons, France ceded the Foreign Legion to Spain. This episode led to several defections and destabilised certain units. Faced with this situation, the commanding officer at the time, Colonel Bernelle, made a major decision, even before their arrival in Spain, he ordered the mixing of nationalities in all the battalions and companies.
He also imposed French as the sole language of command and service.

This reform was called "the amalgamation."

Experience quickly demonstrated that this organization promoted integration, strengthened cohesion, and developed a sense of camaraderie. Since then, this principle has remained one of the foundations of the Foreign Legion.

For a long time, the legionnaires learned French empirically, through contact with their comrades and superiors. This situation lasted until 1954.

Subsequently, French instruction was provided by the officers during the training period. In four months, the volunteer recruit had to acquire a vocabulary of about 500 words, a minimal language often called "survival French."

An important development took place in 1976 with the creation of the Foreign Legion Instruction Regiment (R.I.L.E.) in Castelnaudary, which has since become the 4th Foreign Regiment (4th RE). This structure allowed for the implementation of a structured pedagogical method, called the "Képis blancs" method, with the support of civilian teachers.

Today, military equipment is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and technical training is becoming ever more demanding.
In this context, proficiency in French has become an essential component of the operational capacity of the units. It is also essential for training the leaders and specialists that the Legion needs to remain among the elite units of the Army.
Learning French is no longer just a matter of integration; it has now become an operational necessity.

At the French Foreign Legion, French language instruction does not stop at the end of initial training.
It begins at the 4th Foreign Regiment and continues throughout the legionnaire's career, in all regiments, both in mainland France and overseas, including for the officers.

A directive from 2005 by the Foreign Legion Command (COMLE) sets the terms. A true "chain of French language instruction" has been established throughout the Legion. All levels of command participate in it, it's everyone's business.
The educational materials, courses, exercises, and tests are identical for all legionnaires until they reach level 4.

Level 1
The legionnaire doesn't speak French or only a few words.
Level 2
He has a vocabulary of about 500 words, including approximately 250 military vocabulary words and 250 civilian vocabulary words. He understands instructions and expresses himself with simple structures.
This level is the one that must be reached at the end of the initial training, after four months.
Level 3
The legionnaire possesses a vocabulary covering the essentials of daily life as well as common military vocabulary. He knows how to construct complete sentences and expresses himself with a clear and understandable flow.
Level 4
He possesses a precise and varied vocabulary, expresses himself with ease, and can use complex sentences. He is also capable of writing a report in French.

Each level is subject to evaluation tests.
These tests are organised according to a schedule set by the COMLE, or at the initiative of the French language instructors, particularly during registration for certain courses.

Each type of military training corresponds to a required level of proficiency in French.
The linguistic progression of the legionnaires is also observed in the daily life of the regiment, reports, inspections, reviews, departures and returns from training or service activities.
The results are recorded in the individual campaign and training file of each legionnaire.

The system implemented by the Foreign Legion constitutes, in many respects, a model of linguistic integration.
In this area, certain civilian institutions responsible for the integration of foreigners in France could undoubtedly draw inspiration from the rigour and efficiency of the legionnaire model.