Private company

Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales

The Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (French pronunciation: [ɛ̃stity nɑsjɔnal de lɑ̃ɡ e sivilizɑsjɔ̃ ɔʁjɑ̃tal]; transl.1

Last updated Oct 18, 2026.

Overview

1669Founded1

The Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (French pronunciation: [ɛ̃stity nɑsjɔnal de lɑ̃ɡ e sivilizɑsjɔ̃ ɔʁjɑ̃tal]; transl. "National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations"), abbreviated as INALCO, is a French grand établissement with a specializing in the teaching of languages and cultures from the world. Its coverage spans languages of Central Europe, Africa, Asia, America, and Oceania. With 104 languages taught as of 2024, this institution is currently the world's largest provider of language training courses.2

How it started

1914 The school is renamed the École nationale des langues orientales vivantes (ENLOV)

1971 The school is renamed the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales or Inalco (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations)

From Wikipedia’s article on Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Leadership

Who has led Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Timeline

  1. 1669Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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