2026 Biennial Language Program

9:00 a.m.: Opening
Introduction to the event by Véronique Boulhol, IA-IPR and CASNAV coordinator for the Lyon School District.

9:30 a.m.: “Dicterie”
Christophe Benzitoun, a member of the collective Les Linguistes atterré·e·s, offers an original exploration of dictation, spelling, and the history of the French language through a fun and interactive “dicterie.”

11:00 a.m.: Meeting with Marie Rose Moro
Child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Marie Rose Moro will discuss the challenges of bilingualism, cultural blending, and supporting the children of immigrants.

2:00 p.m.: Carte blanche for INALCO’s “Languages and Cultures of the World” student group
An afternoon of workshops and hands-on activities focused on languages, translation, multilingual writing, and writing systems.

9:30 a.m.: Exploring Multilingualism
Christine Perego is giving a lecture to help us better understand the contemporary realities of multilingualism.

10:30 a.m.: Linguistic diversity as it manifests itself in our societies
Interactive workshops that offer hands-on experiences with the dynamics of multilingualism.

1:00 p.m.: Questioning the Norm: Dictation
Christophe Benzitoun continues his exploration of spelling and linguistic norms.

2:00 p.m.: Feedback on the Æntrelangues Contest
Introduction to a multilingual creative writing contest organized by INALCO.

3:00 p.m.: Designing and Implementing a Multilingual Project
The “Caravan of Ten Words” shares artistic and community projects centered on languages.

Young audiences:
3:00 p.m.: I’m listening
A sensory and sound workshop focused on listening, sound massages, and musical naps, led by Serge Sana.

4:00 p.m.: Let’s go! Lulled by the world
The theater company Les arTpenteurs presents a musical and visual show for young children and families featuring lullabies from around the world.

4:30 p.m.: A Look at the Book Toc toc toc
AFALAC invites children and their parents to a multilingual reading session and a sensory exploration inspired by a children’s picture book.

In the evening:
6:00 p.m.: Tribute to Chiac
Screening and discussion of Marie Cadieux’s film about Chiac, the iconic language of Acadia.

6:00 p.m.: I learn by understanding
Screening and discussion of a documentary on bilingual and multilingual education reforms in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

6:00 p.m.: Gossip
Film screening and discussion on the relationship to the Arabic language in families with an immigrant background.

20h : El Calife
An electro-oriental and nomadic concert blending Mediterranean, Balkan, and Indian influences.

10 a.m.: An Odyssey Through the Work of Henriette Walter
The Biennale’s patron shares her passion for languages and words.

10 a.m.: The Language Hut
Multilingual writing workshop led by Noëlle Mathis.

1:00 p.m.: I don’t speak the language
A Conversation with Noëlle Mathis on Inherited Languages and Identity.

1:00 p.m.: Polyglossia
A multilingual quest full of puzzles and collaborative challenges.

2:00 p.m.: The Secrets of Scientific Language
A lecture combining physics, mathematics, and science outreach.

2:00 p.m.: KabouLyon
An interview with Sadia Hessabi about her life journey between Afghanistan and France.

2:00 p.m.: Introduction to Intercomprehension Among Romance Languages
A workshop to discover how to understand other Romance languages without having studied them.

3:00 p.m.: Primitif
Film screening and discussion on invented languages and the profession of language creator.

3:00 p.m.: Interactive and Fun Grammar
A participatory workshop on the rules and conventions of the French language.

4:00 p.m.: Let’s focus on… accents!
Lecture by Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus on accents and linguistic discrimination.

4:00 p.m.: Picture Books and Languages / The Language of Illustration
Roundtable discussion on illustration, translation, and drawing as a form of expression.

4:00 p.m.: The Language Café
A multilingual and poetic performance by the theater company Les arTpenteurs.

5:00 p.m.: From the clog to the monkey’s skull
Rozenn Milin traces the history of the imposition of dominant languages.

6:00 p.m.: Regional Languages: Combating Prejudice, Raising the Right Questions
A lecture by Philippe Blanchet and Rozenn Milin on the challenges facing regional languages.

7:00 p.m.: La Sonora del Martes
A multilingual concert featuring musicians and singers from the MJC in Villeurbanne

10 a.m.: Discourse and Argumentative Analysis
Lecture on campaign platforms for the municipal elections in Lyon.

11 a.m.: Speaking Tough or Speaking Soft in Politics
Analysis of forms of contemporary political discourse.

11 a.m.: The Language Hut
New session of Noëlle Mathis’s multilingual writing workshop.

12 p.m.: Grand Kosmo Bingo
A cooperative, multilingual game centered on cooking and the languages of the world.

2 p.m.: How’s the Family?
A performance by Pauline Adjélé Wilson blending songs, stories, and childhood memories.

2:00 p.m.: Can We Use Words That Offend?
A lecture by linguist Patrick Charaudeau on the sensitive use of words.

3:00 p.m.: Let’s go! Lulled by the World
Another performance of the musical and visual show for families.

3:00 p.m.: Tilawalin Berber Choir
Concert and sung storytelling based on Kabyle traditions.

3:00 p.m.: From Babel to AI: Writings on Multilingualism
A lecture by Christian Tremblay on the concept of multilingualism.

4:00 p.m.: The Poetic Challenge of an Afghan Woman
A musical reading and storytelling session centered on Afghan poetry.

4:00 p.m.: When Life Stories and Languages Meet
Presentation of a collaborative research project combining migration narratives and oral traditions.

5:30 p.m.: Concert Under the Language
Musical closing of the Biennale with a concert blending jazz, rock, Arab-Andalusian music, and multilingual vocals.