A key part of the Franco-Scottish Society’s mission – to promote French Language and Culture – is aimed at young people be they in primary, secondary, further, or higher education in Scotland.

The Society delivers practical help and financial assistance to students of French and also sponsors academic projects which are in accordance with its mission and specific laid down in donations left to the Society.

Alexander Gray, a lawyer and member of the Aberdeen Branch of the Franco-Scottish Society, left the residue of his estate to the Society, asking for a trust to be setup that would help to fund young people studying French and to promote visits to French speaking countries "for the purpose of perfecting or improving their knowledge of the spoken language".

In accordance with the provision of the bequest, "The funds available are applied as widely as peracticable throughout Scotland in relatively small grants rather than on the award of a limited number of high value scolarships or study grants". They are particularly aimed at helping people who might not otherwise be able to meet the full cost of a trip on their own.

For more information, please contact your nearest FSS Branch who manages an annual sum for this fund. If there is no local Branch in your area, contact the General Secretary of the Franco-Scottish Society for Scotland.

The fund began with generous gifts from the 8th Marquis of Lansdowne (1912-99), former President and Honorary President of the Franco-Scottish Society, this was supplemented with the proceeds of an appeal in his memory. The Fund met the cost of the Lansdowne Lecture (now the Franco-Scottish Society Lecture), a talk given on a French theme by an expert on their chosen subject –talks are delivered in November every second year.

The Lansdowne Prize is awarded each year to the student with the best mark in higher French, the examination board is responsible for notifying the Society, so the award can be given.

The Franco-Scottish Society and Total E&P UK have worked closely with Education Scotland, the Institut Français d’Écosse and Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), to sponsor a nationwide competition which supports French learning in Scottish schools.

The initiative was launched in January 2016 to encourage primary and secondary schools to prepare and deliver an artistic performance of their choice in French. Pupils are asked to submit a short video of a dialogue/song/ play / report or other activity in French. The judging takes place in two phases: a semi-final at local authority level, with a special semi-final for independent schools, followed by a national final. There are 4 awards, 2 for primary and 2 for secondary schools. First-prize winners are invited to celebrate la journée mondiale de la francophonie in March at the Institut francais d’Ecosee where the pupils take part in French activities and receive a selection of French books at a special ceremony.

Every year the FSSS awards a Prize to the candidate with the highest mark in Advanced Higher French. SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) notifies the Society who then contacts the educational establishment and prize winner. The establishment usually organises a special ceremony where the prize winner is presented with a certificate and prize by a representative of the Society.

This annual prize was for many years funded from a generous gift from the 8th Marquis of Lansdowne (1912-99), former President and Honorary President of the Franco-Scottish Society and was known as “The Lansdowne Prize”. The fund is now exhausted and since the 2017-18 session the prize is funded from the Society’s own funds and has been renamed “The FSSS Language Prize”.

Association des Membres de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques-Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland.

This competition was launched by Amopa in 2012 and attracted a total of 19 entries from 5 schools across Scotland. Since then the number of schools competing has increased every year. The Franco-Scottish Society is a partner since 2018.

The programme is designed for students preparing for the Advanced Higher Unit Assessment and adds an element of interest by introducing a competitive element. Students are required to submit an audio tape or video recording of part of the assessment or preparation session. All entries are reviewed and commented upon by experienced SQA examiners who assign the entry one of three grades: très bien, bien and assez bien, which are benchmarked against the three pass grades of the SQA Assessment itself. Participating schools receive a DVD of a recent French film, pupils receive a graded certificate, the winners a French dictionary, DVD and book on France at a prize giving ceremony.

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, in partnership with SCILT (Scotland's National Centre for Languages), established an essay prize in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community and to mark her one hundredth birthday.

This programme emphasises the importance of learning a language in a globalised world and encourages students of French to continue beyond S3 level in secondary school. It seeks to deliver practical support to students preparing for their Higher and Advanced Higher oral exams.

The FSSS through its branches and in conjunction with the Scottish-based education attaché of the French Embassy can provide volunteers from its members to go into a local school once or twice during the school year as a “language ambassador” to help students gain confidence and develop strategies for the oral exam.