Why learn French?

1. Whylearn French?

2. It is an official language in 29 countries, most of which form what is called, in French, La Francophonie, the community of French-speaking countries. • It is an official language of all United Nations agencies and a large number of international organizations.

3. According to the European Union, 129 million, or 26 % of the Union's total population speak French, of whom 65 million are native speakers and 69 million are second-language or foreign language speakers, thus making French the third language in the European Union that people state they are most able to speak, after English and German. • 20 % of non-Francophone Europeans know how to speak French, totaling roughly 145.6 million people in Europe, alone.

4. French is the official language of the following countries • Belgium • Benin • Burkina • Burundi • Cameroon • Canada • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Congo • Cote d'Ivoire • Djibouti • France • Gabon • Guinea • Haiti • Luxembourg • Madagascar • Mali • Monaco • Niger • Rwanda • Senegal • Seychelles • Switzerland • Togo • Vanuatu • Vietnam • New Caledonia

5. In addition, French is an administrative language and commonly used, though not on an official basis, in the following countries : • Mauritius • Algeria • Mauritania • Morocco • Tunisia

7. Current situation • French was the language of diplomacy and international relations from the 17th Century to the beginning of the 20th Century. The importance of French in diplomatic relations has only been recently overshadowed by English, when the United States emerged as a full-fledged superpower. • If French has lost its hegemony to English, it remains the second-most used language in diplomatic relations. As an example, 28 states are members of NATO, but it has only two working languages, English and French.

8. French and English are also the only two working languages of other renowned institutions : • The International Olympic Committee • The UN Secretariat • The Council of Europe • The International Court of Justice • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. • English, German, and French are the only working languages of the European Commission and the European Space Agency. French, English and Spanish are the only three official languages of the World Trade Organisation and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

9. Nowadays, speaking French is considered to be requirement for careers in: • Cuisine • Fashion • Art • Literature

10. Or in international organisations,either governmental (such as the UN) or nonprofit organisations such as the Red Cross, Amnesty International, Médecins sans Frontières, or Médecins du Monde. • Some scholars consider French as being either "the second most influential language [after English]” or "the most practical foreign language [for a native speaker of English]".

11. There are several reasons why it’s important to learn French in today’s day and age : • Learning French will give you a better understanding of English (French is the largest contributor of foreign words in English). • During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature. More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words. Engarde croissant chauffeur fiancé À la carte garage attitude

12. French is spoken in more than 30 countries on 5 continents by over 300 million people as either a primary or secondary language. • French is the second-most commonly taught second language in the world (after English).

13. French is the second-most frequently used language on the Internet.

14. The United States is France’s leading investor, creating 25% of new jobs in France. There are over 2400 US companies in France, generating 240,000 jobs. Companies include IBM, Microsoft, Dow Chemical, Coca-Cola and many others. • France is the second leading investor in the United States. There are over 3000 French companies in the US, generating 700,000 jobs. Companies include Mack Trucks, Zenith, Bic, and Dannon, among others.

15. The French connection - La Perouse NSW is named after the French explorer Jean-François Galaup de Lapérouse, and several thousand French nationals reside there. The French Museum is also located there.- A French school (the Lycée Condorcet) is located in Sydney.- Australia imports many resources from France, including energy, minerals, fuel, and building supplies.- There are nearly 300 French companies in Australia, which employ thousands of Australians.- The first cars imported to NSW were from France.- The first film ever screened in Australia was a French film.- The first airmail flight in Australia was executed by a French pilot.- The CourrierAustralien, launched in 1891, is the oldest non-English newspaper in Australia is a French newspaper.

16. Whylearn French? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3OBy8fSywU Vive la France !