French The Most

Practical Foreign
Language
10 Reasons as to
why…
Reason #1: To Get Into College.
Colleges love to see foreign LANGUAGE STUDY. In fact, most
college admissions requirements dictate at least two years of
foreign language study while more selective institutions (like
Lane) like to see at least four years of one foreign language.

Studies suggest a strong correlation between years of foreign

language study and higher test scores. In general, the more you
study French, the higher your ACT or SAT scores will be

(French students score as many as four points more than students of

Spanish or Italian).
When employers and universities look at applicants, they do
not start looking at the bottom of the list to see who has
done only the minimal amount of requirements
necessary or taken the easiest route available, they start
at the top of the list and look for those students who have
risen above the rest.

Largest host country for foreign exchange students

In addition, most graduate schools require KNOWLEDGE

of at least one foreign language, and French remains the
most commonly used language after English
Historically France and the French language have had an enormous
influence over American society. France was the United States' first
ally. French thought played a dominant role among the founders of
the United States in the 18th century.

It continues to shape America today through the influence of such

INTELLECTUAL currents as post-structuralism and post-
modernism. In the humanities and the social sciences, many of the
most important writings have come from France.

Students and researchers who know French have access to great

works. Many significant works are never translated and remain
accessible only to those who know the language.
Reason #2: Job Opportunities.
If you want to increase the job opportunities that are
available to you, learn French.

Make More Money when you speak a foreign language,

you open up the possibility of making more money.
Why? Because you're offering a skill that is in demand.
Consider flight attendants for example: if you speak
French and then service flights from the US to France,
you can often earn double what your non-Francophone
flight attendants are earning. Other jobs as well pay
more money for your services when you can assist in
translation.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
 Teacher/ Professor of History, Literature, Language,
Philosophy,
 Architecture and Art
 Translator/Interpreter
 Proofreading and Editing
 Science, Chemistry, Medicine
 Technology: Cars, trains, TVs, and the internet
 Luxury Goods: Fashion, Cosmetics, Perfume
 Aviation, Travel, Hotels
 Cuisine and Food
 Foreign Service Officer and Relations
 Business International Relations and Law
 International Organizations

Then maybe you need to seriously consider

the study of the French language…
Looks Good on Your Resume. It doesn't matter
whether the job for which you are applying
requires French, putting that you are fluent in
another language on your resume simply looks
good. When you show the tenacity to LEARN
at least one foreign language, it not only says
to a perspective employer that you are
intelligent, but also versatile.

Did you know that France has the Highest

percentage of women in management
positions.
French, along with English, is the official
working language of:

Our neighbors to the North, Canada, which

is a bilingual country and our largest
trading partner. Quebec alone (the
French speaking province), does $72
billion worth of business with the United
States, making it,our fifth largest trading
partner.
One of the OFFICIAL Languages of…

 the UN (United Nations)

 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
 Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD)
 the International Labor Bureau
 the International Olympic Committee
 the European Community
 the Universal Postal Union
 the International Red Cross as well as Medecins
sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders)
 European Court of Justice
One example of the importance of French can be seen
in a recent listing of international jobs (8/25/08)
distributed by the US State Department: 78 required
or preferred French, 27 a UN language (Arabic,
Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish), 17
Spanish, 10 Arabic, 5 Russian, and 3 German, 1
Chinese.
The Economics
 In 2006, the United States exported and
imported more to countries having French as a
national language than to countries having any
other foreign language. Exports to Canada
alone in that year were greater than the
combined exports to all countries south of the
United States.
 From 2003 to 2006 trade between France and
the United States increased by 75% with $1
billion of transactions taking place every day.
 Paris is the world’s fourth largest financial
hub.
 In recent years, the U.S. has been the largest
direct investor in France. France is nearly tied
with Japan, Germany and the Netherlands as the
second largest foreign investor in the U.S.
 The world invests in France: in 2006, France was
the third largest destination of foreign investment
in the world.
 More than 1200 French companies employ
approximately 500,000 Americans, and US
companies employ nearly 600,000 people in
France. Among foreign countries doing business
in the US, France employs the third largest
number of Americans.
Reason #4: French Is Popular.
French is one of the most popular languages in the world:
 About 178 million people speak French world-wide.
 It is at least one of the official languages in 29 countries.
 French is the most popular second language chosen among
students.
 More than 2 million Americans speak French in their
homes according to data from the 2000 census.
 16 million Americans are of French descent
While any language will be useful for some jobs or for
some regions, French is the only foreign language that
can be useful throughout the world as well as in the
United States. French as a foreign language is the
second most frequently taught language in the world
after English.

The International Organization of Francophonie has 54

member states and governments and 13 observer
countries. Of these, 32 countries have French as an
official language. French is the only language other
than English spoken on five continents.
La Francophonie

L’Andorre La Côte d’Ivoire Le Mali

L’Algérie Le Djibouti Le Maroc
L’Amérique: La Louisiane, la La France La Mauritanie
Maine, le Vermont
La Belgique Le Gabon Le Monaco
Be Bénin La Guinée Le Niger
Le Burkina Faso La Guinée Bissau Le Sénégal
Le Burundi La Guinée La Suisse
Equatoriale
Le Cameroun L’Haïti La Syrie
Le Canada/Le Québec Le Laos Le Tchad
Le Centrafrique Le Liban Le Tunisie
Le Congo Le Luxembourg Le Vietnam
Le Congo Démocratique Le Madagascar
 Overseas Possessions. Other Creole Speaking
Islands
Les Antilles- Martinique, St. Lucia, Granade

Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Les Grenadines

Martin, St. Barthélemy, la Guiane Hispañola
l’Île de la Passion St. Croix
Les Îes Africaines- Maurice, Mayotte, St. Kitt’s & Nevis
Réunion St. Vincent
Les les Antarctiques- les îles Crozes, Tobago
Kerguelen, Amsterdam & St. Paul,
l’île Adelie
Les Iles Océaniques- Wallis & Futuna;
Nouvelle Caledonie; les Îes Marquesas,
îles les societe; îles les Tuamotu, les îles
Australes, les Seychelles
St. Pierre & Miquelon
Reason #5: Improve Your English

One great benefit of studying French is that it will

undoubtedly improve your English. Did you know
that there are more French words lent to the
English language than any other foreign language?
(33-50%). By speaking French, you will
undoubtedly improve your vocabulary in English.
However, you will also find that by having to work
with and define verbs, nouns, subjects of sentences
and other grammatical points that you had never
thought about, your understanding of English
grammar will exponentiate.
 HISTORY OF ENGLISH

Battle of Hastings in 1066, GUILLAUME

le BÂTARD, conquered England bringing
his court and the French language with him
from Normandy. Off and on for the next
650 years England’s court would be spoken
in French.
Consequently the bigger, more intelligent
(ACT) words would be the synonyms of
the more simple, peasant English
equivalent.
REASON # Better Comprehension of
American Geography and History

Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by

France in North America during a period
extending from the exploration of the Saint
Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in
1534, to the cession of New France to Spain
and Britain in 1763. At its peak in 1712
(before the Treaty of Utrecht), the territory
of New France extended from
Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and
from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.
List of French Explorers
 Antoine Cadillac
 Jacques Cartier
 Samuel de Champlain
 Robert de La Salle
 Julien duBuque
 Jean-Baptiste-Point du Sable
 Louis Joliet
 Père Jacques Marquette
 Jean Nicololet
Reason #6 Science
 There is a higher percentage of
scientists than any other country, with
 France is a major world research center
in the field of high energy physics.
 Highest percentage of women
graduating in Engineering
 France is the U.S.'s fourth-largest
scientific collaborator
 World leader in proportion of
electricity produced by nuclear power
(70-75%)
 Largest turbine ever made for tapping
tidal energy
Reason #6 Technology
 FIRST in the production of trains, with Most extensive high-
speed railway system (= 31,536 kilometers). TGV holds the
speed record for rail at 320 kmh.
 World's largest manufacturer of television sets and the creators
of high-def.
 THIRD in control of software market
 THIRD most used language on the internet
 THIRD manufacturers of electronics equipment
 SPOT Image (Toulouse) has the largest constellation of
geospatial imaging satellites
 FASTEST passenger plane (Concorde)
 Air Liquide, (Paris) the world leader in industrial and medical
gases and related services
 France is the fourth largest producer of
automobiles in the world (Renault, Peugeot,
Citroen) and the third largest exporter.
 The French are the world's third manufacturers of electronics
equipment.
 European leader in aerospace (Aerospatiale, Arianespace,
Airbus...).
 Most commercial satellites are put into space on French
Ariane rockets.
 The ocean liner Queen Mary II was built in France.
 France is the world's third military power (after the US and
Russia), and has the world's second largest defense industry
(i.e. exocet missiles, radar technology.)
 France is the world's second largest builder and exporter of
civilian and military aircraft and helicopters (Airbus is the
world's second largest fleet of commercial airliners, and
many of the US Coast Guard helicopters are made by
Aerospatiale in Toulouse.)
 France has one of the most advanced systems of
telecommunications in the world being the creator of both
minitel and high-speed internet.
 France will be the site of the world's first nuclear fusion
reactor, the International Thermonuclear Experimental
Reactor
Reason #7 Sports

 Football-During a 2006 World Cup match, player Zinedine

Zidane head butted Italian player Marco Materazzi in the chest.
While it's true the two players exchanged words, at the time, it
was unclear as to what exactly was said.
 Tennis-Among the popular French sports are tennis, France that
it ranks only second to football. The last Frenchman to win the
French Open was Yannick Noah in 1983,
 .Handball-The sport of handball is popular in primary and
secondary schools in France, and team handball itself continues
to gain popularity in the country at large.
 Rugby-Rugby union is extremely popular in France, and in fact,
their rugby team is considered one of the strongest in Europe.
and the team has much to feel proud of; they've won the
championship fourteen times!
 Cycling-One can't discuss popular French sports without
mentioning the internationally well-known Tour de France. This
cycling event takes place each July and lasts three grueling
weeks.
 Basketball-It may come as a bit of a surprise that basketball is
quite popular in France.
Sports
 Many have successfully argued that the French have invented the following sports…
 Cricket,
 rugby,
 american football,
 wrestling, and
 Boxing
 Largest ski area (8000 km of slopes) Skiing World leader in security and safety on the
skiing slopes
 Hand-gliding
 Rock-climbing, Hiking, camping
 Sailing/ parasailing,Wind-surfing
 Kayaking
 Bassoball /Parkour
http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/extrem-sports-in-france-and-belgium
Reason #8 Cuisine
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 FIRST exporter of wines in the world and as being classified as

guaranteed quality and origin
 FIRST exporter of cheese in the world, making more than 400
different kinds.
 SECOND in agribusiness and food processing
 SECOND exporter of agricultural goods in the world
 THIRD largest market for kosher foods
 France is the second largest exporter of agricultural
 products in the world after the U.S.
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 Reason #9: Medecine and World Policy
France gives more foreign aid per capita to developing nations than
does the US.
With a 2.15 percent of GDP devoted to Research & Development,
France is ranked fifth among Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development countries.
The French have nearly 15,000 troops on peace-keeping duties in 15
countries including Afghanistan, the Balkans, and the Ivory Coast.
The French are a world leader in medical research: the AIDS virus was
first isolated by French doctors.
The French are a leader in medical genetics (the Human Genome
Project is located in Paris).
FOURTH exporter of medicines in the world
France is the world leader in medical research
World leader in homeopathy
World Leader in Artificial Insemination
Sederma, based (Le Perray) is the world leader in bioactive ingredients for
skincare
 In the context of the European Union,
France contributes up to 24.3% of the
European Union Peace Facility, which
makes it possible to finance African
peacekeeping operations with funds
from the European Development Fund.
 highest number of Jewish citizens in
Western Europe, Largest Armenian
community
 Highest number of Arabs of any other
country
 They are often the only peace-keeping
country between western and Arab
interests.
Reason #10: Culture, Leisure, and Trivia

Studying French is Fun!Last but not least, studying French is just

plain fun. Learning about a new culture, and learning a new
language broadens your horizons. It's probably the only class
you'll take where you can talk all the way through class and its
allowed. . .as long as you're speaking French.

Experience Cultural Diversity & Understanding in a world that's

becoming increasingly smaller through the cyber network, it
has become crucial that we understand and respect diverse
cultures. Studying a foreign language in general will help you
gain a different perspective on many historical events, as well
as an appreciation for new cultures.
 World leader in non-English rap music
 Lowest emigration rate, fewer people leave from than any other country
 More tourists visit France than any other country in the world , with
more chateaux than any other country.
 It has all of the Geographical climates of the United States in One
country that is smaller than Texas
 Largest reservoir of art
 Largest number of movie screens; Largest and most prestigious film
festival (Cannes)
 Highest proportion of forested land in the EU
 Greatest number of judges per capita (8.45)
 Lowest union membership, this means that workers are happy
 Shortest work week, 35 hour work week
 Longest vacation time, 6 weeks mandatory by law, (30 days)
 Lowest death rate from heart attack and stroke
 Lowest rate of cardiovascular disease
 Highest life expectancy for women in the EU
 lowest rate of carbon waste
 FIRST in number of pets, with an estimated 47 million
 Highest rate of pets (52% of families own a dog or a cat)
Why French is #1!?!
 Ambroise Pare (1510-1590): surgical instruments
 Blaise Pascal: mechanical calculator (1642)
 Metric system, proposed by Gabriel Mouton in 1670, worked out by the French
Academy of Sciences in 1790
 Nicolas Joseph Cugnot: steam-driven car (1769)
 George Louis Lesage used a single wire system to telegraph a message (1774)
 Joseph M.Jacquard - first industrially applicable automatic loom (late 18th century)
 Montgolfier (Joseph and Etienne): the hot-air balloon (1783)
 Louis Lenormand: the parachute (1783)
 Jean Baptiste Meusnier: lighter-than-air dirigible developed (1785)
 Claude Chappe: optical system telegraph (1791)
 Nicolas Appert - invented our canning process involving bactericide by boiling
(1810)
 Rene T.H. Laennec - invented the stethoscope (1816)
 Joseph L. Gay-Lussac (1778-1850), chemist: the hydrometer and alcoholometer
 Jean-Francois Champollion - first deciphered the Rosetta Stone(1822)
 Louis Braille: printed language for the blind (1829)
 Joseph N.Niepce: the principle of the photographic process (1826)
 Daguerre, Louis J. improved and patented photographic process (1839)
 French physicist Jean Foucault: the gyroscope (1852)
Henri Deville: invented electrolysis to refine aluminum from
bauxite (1852)
Henri Giffard, engineer: first successful steam-powered
steerable airship (1852)
Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville: Phonautographe:1st
machine to record sound (1857), with no playback
Raymond Gaston Plante: the lead-acid battery (1860)
Rouquayrol and Denayrouse: hard-hat deep-sea diving (1865)
 Paul Cornu (1907): short flight of first helicopter prototype
 Edouard Benedictus: the process for making laminated safety glass (1909)
 Henri-M. Coanda: turbine engine airplane (1910)
 George de Mestral: the hook and loop fabric fastener system, Velcro (1941)
 Emile Gagnan and Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau: "Aqua Lung" for scuba
diving (1943)
 Arthur Granjean: Etch-A-Sketch [toy] in 1958
 Roland Moreno: the concept of installing silicon chip computer memory on a
plastic card (1974)
 French launch Minitel (1980), first major public interactive computer network
 Robert Cailliau and Jean-Francois Groff, Swiss francophone co-inventors of the
WWW with Tim Berners-Lee (1992)
 ATM asynchronous transfer mode - high-speed internet
In Conclusion…
When employers and universities look at applicants,
they do not start looking at the bottom of the list to
see who has done only the minimal amount of
requirements necessary or taken the easiest route
available, they start at the top of the list and look for
those students who have risen above the rest.
High school students should consider studying at least
four years of a foreign language. College students
should seek to earn a minor in French or have French
as a primary or secondary major. With French they
have access to the most widely spoken foreign
language in the world after English and they become
familiar with a culture that significantly influences
our own..

The French economy is one of the strongest in the world

and is increasingly a leader in technological
innovation. In sum, French is the language of the
future.