A CARIBBEAN-born local language teacher has received one of the highest French honours - knighthood for her service to the culture and language of France.

Riquette Bonne-Smith has been awarded the French Knighthood in the Order of Academic Palms (Chevaliere dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques).

Yesterday, the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Washington, DC together with New York French Consul Richard Duque, and Edgar Humann, Honorary French Consul in Bermuda, announced that the French Government has named Mrs. Riquette Bonne-Smith a knight in the Order of the Academic Palms.

"It is the highest academic honour given by France for outstanding service to the country," said Mr. Humann. "This prestigious award is in recognition of Mrs. Bonne-Smith's 20 years of dedication in promoting French and advancing the learning of the French language and culture, which include the establishment of a French and Spanish tutoring school called La Maison Francaise des Bermudes."

Mrs. Bonne-Smith runs a language school called the Bermuda International Language School which offers classes in everything from Portuguese and German to Japanese.

She has taught French at all levels in Bermuda and placed many students in a French study programme abroad. She is a past president of the Alliance Francaise des Bermudes, a local French culture group, and a former Bermuda College lecturer. She is also the founder and president of the Institute of Talented Students in Bermuda.

The Order of the Academic Palms was established in 1808 by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and comes under the umbrella of the French Ministry of EducationLOCAL

Mrs. Riquette Bonne-Smith, a French citizen who was born in Martinique, is the wife of lawyer Orlando Smith. She holds a Bachelor of arts in English literature and a Master of arts degree in French language and literature. She is a graduate from University of California in Santa Barbara.