After Nam Ky officially became a French colony in 1874, the colonial administration implemented a Francophone policy aimed at gradually shifting cultural influence from the Chinese sphere to that of France. French was introduced into the curriculum and progressively established as the principal language of instruction at various educational levels within the French-Vietnamese school system in Nam Ky. Based on an analysis of the Francophone policy adopted by the colonial authorities in these schools, this article clarifies the curriculum content, modes of implementation, and educational outcomes of the policy in general education. Furthermore, the study highlights the positive impacts of the French language on the formation and development of patriotic intellectuals educated in French-Vietnamese schools in Nam Ky from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century.