The plan is the brainchild of Geneviève Fioraso, the Minister for Higher Education, who warns France is being left behind in the global knowledge race and that universities that fail to modernise will languish as places where “five people sit around a table discussing Proust”.

“It is the cultural heritage which is at stake”

In her crosshairs is a 1994 law stipulating that French must be used in classrooms from nursery to university, barring lessons in a foreign language and visits from foreign guest teachers.

Many colleges work around the rule, but reform would open the gates for more English-medium teaching, which has helped neighbouring Germany and the Netherlands increase their international student numbers in recent years.

There has been high profile support for the idea from a group of six scientific researchers and university heads, including Nobel-winner Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who helped identify the virus that causes Aids.

Khaled Bouabdallah, vice-president of the conference of the heads of universities, said: “We have been in favour of this for many years. Foreign students who normally shun our universities will come.”

Others however warn the move could harm French culture. Several leading unions in the education sector have threatened to strike on Wednesday, when debate over the proposal begins.

“It is the cultural heritage which is at stake,” said Claudine Kahane, a senior official of Snesup-FSU, one of the main education unions.

In addition, the influential Academie Francaise, set up in 1635 and the official guardian of the language, has warned the move promises “the marginalisation of our language”, while MPs of all political stripes plan to vote against the measure. MP Pouria Amirshahi, a lawmaker representing French expatriates living in Francophone Africa, has said that the impact would be felt beyond France, too. “The signal given out to those everywhere who learn French is not reassuring.”

Fioraso has dismissed the criticism, noting that as many as 790 training courses are already taught in English

Fioraso has dismissed the criticism, noting that as many as 790 training courses are already taught in English. According to a study from the Institute of International Education, France offers the fifth highest number of courses in English in Europe after Spain, Sweden, Germany and front runner the Netherlands.

Fioraso’s proposal follows a raft of measures outlined in April designed to stem the falling number of foreign students in France. They include overhauling the state’s education marketing arm, Campus France, extending student visas and widening post-study work opportunities.

In a speech at the time she said: “Our country has lost ground in the last 10 years, going from third to fifth place in the ranking of the most attractive countries for higher education. The impact has not only been quantitive but also, more importantly, qualitative. The best students, particularly in science, are turning away from our country to find better destinations for their education.”