Why French?
French is the mother tongue over 75 million people
· 220 million people around the world speak French and the number is rising in Africa (the number will be over 700 million in 2050)
· Canada, our biggest trading partner, has French as an official language
· French and English are the only 2 languages spoken on every continent
· You can be understood in 55 countries
· French is the official language of 29 countries
· By 2025 French will be the most spoken language of Europe
· French is the sixth most spoken language in the world
· French is an official language of (many of these have just French and English):
o the United Nations
o NATO
o the International Olympic Committee
o The 47-member European Council
o The European Union
o the Universal Postal Union
o the International Red Cross
o UNESCO
o the International Monetary Fund
o European Court of Justice
What's your favorite part about French? OR French students share:
"I love watching videos and hearing real life things about French. Like how our class helps us learn about the world."
"The end result of being able to put a conversation together is far more fun than any of the practice."
"Getting to learn another language with the freedom to enjoy it and ask questions"
"I like how much class practice we get"
"when we do games to practice lessons"
"the amount of practice we get...that helps me tremendously"
"I am almost never bored in class, I enjoy the flow...I'm constantly interested and entertained"
"I like when we learn about different countries and festivals"
· French-speaking Africa represents an area larger than the U.S.
· France and French-speaking countries account for 20% of world trade in goods
· French is the most widely taught language after English
· Over 20,000 English words have their origins in French
· France has the world’s 6th biggest economy
· France is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world after the U.S.
· France is the first exporter of perfumes in the world
· France is the first exporter of cheese in the world
· The French TGV train is fastest train in the world after Japan
· France is the world leader in electricity produced by nuclear power
· France has the largest number of different cheeses
· France has the highest number of Arabic speakers outside the Arab world
· France is a world leader in gastronomy (food)
· France has the largest and most prestigious film festival (Cannes)
· France has the largest ski slope area in the world
· French is one of the most used languages on the internet
· France is the world leader in non-English rap music
· Improve your score on the SAT and other standardized tests because English has a base in French more than other languages
· Be more competitive in the job market in disciplines like:
o Business
o Medicine
o Aviation
o Law
o Transportation technologies
o Distribution of luxury goods
· Many inventions were made by the French or francophone speakers:
o Mechanical calculator
o Metric system
o Steam-driven car
o Hot-air balloon
o Parachute
o Stethoscope
o Braille (written language for the blind)
o Margarine
o First movie camera
o Turbine engine airplane
o Aqua lung (for scuba diving)
o World Wide Web
o Concorde (fastest passenger plane)
· Advanced French grammar is easier than Spanish
· France is a world leader in medical research
· France has the highest number of castles
With French you can:
· Travel the world
· Be understood on all continents and in 55 countries
· Experience music, art, literature and film in the original language
· Visit Paris, the world’s biggest tourist destination
· Work:
o As a translator/interpreter
o As a teacher
o In international business or agencies
o In tourism and hospitality
o In the diplomatic service
o In French research institutes
o In fashion
o In organizations like Doctors Without Borders
· Improve your critical thinking skills
· Understand the culture of people around the world to help you to relate to those you work with