Transcript French in Today`s World

What is the value of studying French?
When you decide what foreign language
you would like to learn, please remember
that French is the language that can give
you the most choices in your studies or
your career.
Let me try to convince you that French
remains the second most practical
language in the world after English!
Prepared by Maria Wowro, who is accomplishing her own
career goals thanks to the knowledge of French.
Why the knowledge of French is so useful?
1. French is a language spoken around the world
2. French remains the language of high diplomacy
3. French makes you more competitive in the job market
4. There are career development programs for American
students that can help you gain unique work experience !!
Lets have a look at some numbers to see
why French is a “global” language and
can be useful throughout the world !
Just imagine, that there are 6 thousand languages now spoken on Earth!
French is one of only 15 spoken by more than a hundred million people, and one
of only four along with English, Spanish and Arabic used as official languages in
more than 20 countries ! (French with 33 countries ranks second to English)!
Moreover, if you can speak French you can be understood in 43 countries across
five continents by over 200 million people in the world!
French, along only with English, is taught in every country in the world!
French has of course official status in several
European countries such as:
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France
Belgium
Switzerland
Luxembourg
Monaco
I will talk about France and its commercial ties with the U.S. a little later.
I would like to present to you now the 3 other countries:
Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg
Belgium
This small country located in the heart of Europe is famous for its beer and
chocolate , but you might be surprised to learn that its capital – Brussels - is
considered the “administrative heart” of the European Union (EU).
Brussels is the seat to EU’s most
important institutions which are
European Commission, Council of
the EU, and European Parliament
Brussels also hosts many key
international institutions like
NATO, along with 1,000 other
international organizations and
2,000 international corporations.
Just imagine, there are more
ambassadors and journalists in
Brussels than Washington, D.C.
Switzerland
Switzerland is another country located in the heart of Europe. Although its
surface is relatively small, Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world!
(Switzerland has a higher GDP per capita than such huge economies like USA or Japan)!
Moreover, Switzerland is the second
highest rated country in the quality of
life index! It means that it is one of
the best places to live in the world!!!
One of its cities - Geneva - hosts many
international organizations, and NGOs
including Red Cross, WTO , WHO,
ILO, and U.N.
Geneva is also the European
headquarter to several large multinational corporations (P&G, HP) and
many Swiss banks.
Luxembourg
or Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Not only is Luxembourg the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy but
also a country that possesses the highest GDP per capita in the world !!!
Moreover, Luxembourg is the fourth
highest rated country in the quality of
life index. So, once again, one of the
best places to live in the whole world!!
The capital of the Grand-Duché Luxembourg City - is one of the
wealthiest cities in the world, it is
banking and administrative centre and
a seat of several institutions of the
E.U. including the European Court of
Justice, the European Court of
Auditors, and the European
Investment Bank.
Many African countries have also chosen
French as their official language
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo (Brazzaville)
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
(former colony of Spain)
Gabon
Guinea
Madagascar
Mali
Niger
Rwanda
Senegal
Seychelles
Togo
French is also spoken by a large percentage of population in Maghrebian countries :
Maroco, Algeria, Tuniesia. If you were ever interested in discovering the Islam culture I
strongly encourage you to study French!
French has official status or is spoken in many
other countries such as:
Haiti, Lebanon, Syria, Laos,
Cambodia, Vatican,
France's overseas territories
of French Guiana,
Guadeloupe, Martinique,
Saint Barthelemy, St.
Martin, Saint-Pierre and
Miquelon, French Polynesia
and New Celedonia.
It would take too much time to talk about all of them!
Instead I would like to tell you few more words about your closest neighbor – CANADA…
Canada
Canada and the U.S. have the world's largest trading relationship!
The province of Quebec alone is the
fifth largest trading partner of the
United States
Approximately 81% of all Quebec’s
exports go to the United States.
Quebec has the second largest GDP
of the Canadian provinces and is
Canada’s largest province by area.
French is the official language of
Quebec.
Sources
“The Story of French” by JeanBenoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow
Article by Richard Shryock fromVirginia Polytechnic Institute and the State Univeristy:
“French the Most Practical Foreign Language”
http://www.fll.vt.edu/french/whyfrench.html
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index 2005
CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web : “U.S.-French Commercial
Ties”
French – American Chamber of Commerce in Cleveland
Embassy of France in the United States
Great Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce
IFA – Invest in France Agency
Ambassade de France Missions Economiques
CIA World Factbook
Continue on to the
“Language of Diplomacy” link
on the “Careers” web page for
further information.