French:
The
Most Practical Foreign Language
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 whole
world. French as a foreign language is the second most frequently
taught language in the world after English. It is spoken as an official
language in 33 countries around the world and is the only language
other than English spoken on five continents. Therefore, French
and English are the only two global languages.
When
deciding on a foreign language for work or school, French is the
language that will give you the most choices later on in your studies
or your career.
French,
along with English, is the official working language of:
-
The United Nations
- UNESCO
- The
International Monetary Fund
- The
International Labour Bureau
- The
International Olympic Committee
- The
31-member Council of Europe
- The
European Community
French
is one of the official languages of:
- Postal
services throughout the world
- The
International Red Cross
French
is the dominant working language at:
- The
European Court of Justice
- The
European Tribunal of First Instance
- The
European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg
- The
Press Room at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium
One
example of the importance of French can be seen in a recent listing
of international jobs (4/8/97) distributed by the US State Department:
47 required or preferred French, 29 Spanish, 10 Russian and 3 German.
Importance
of French in school and work
Historically
France and the French language have had an enormous influence over
western society. French played a dominant role among the founders
of the United States in the 18th century and it continues to shape
the west 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 these works for several years before they are translated into
English. Many significant works are never translated and remain
accessible only to those who know the language. In addition, many
post-graduate schools require knowledge of at least one foreign
language and French remains the most commonly used language after
English.
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.
Reasons
to study French
- It
is not limited to one or two continents.
- French
is spoken in two of the G7 countries.
- France
is the world's major tourist destination (60 million tourists
a year).
- France
is Europe's foremost investor abroad.
- France,
Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany have the lowest rates of
inflation in the European Union. This is an indicator of the health
of these countries.
- France
is in 4th position in terms of world power and it does not have
the debt problems facing many other major industrialised nations.
(A positive sign for joint projects, business and scientific co-operation).
- France
is renowned for the quality of its high tech,. (The TGV is the
fastest train in the world - 515 kph).
- French
is the official language of the International Red Cross.
- French
is one of the official languages of post offices across the world.
- France
is one of the two official languages at the Olympic Games.
- French-speaking
Africa represents an area larger than the USA.
- French
is the most widely taught second language after English.
- French
is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
- Over
20,000 English words have their origins in French.
- In
terms of number of words, French is the second largest language
after English.
- Paris
had 1,100 congresses in 1993 (including 400 international congresses)
- a world record.
- France
has the world's greatest number of Nobel Prize winners in literature
(12).
- Montreal
is the second largest French speaking city in the world.
- Le
Courrier Australien, founded in 1892, is the oldest ethnic newspaper
in Australia.
- Paris
is considered the capital of the world in terms of quality of
life (Healey and Baker 1991).
- Megabucks
for trade: In 1994 the United States did business/trade with the
following countries in order of importance: 1. French speaking
countries; 2. Japan; 3. Spanish speaking countries.
- A
good knowledge of French enables you to fully enjoy, at the cinema
or on TV, the best films from the French speaking world.
- Learning
French can help you improve the interpersonal skills you bring
to your international career.
- You
can do so many more interesting things on the internet if you
speak French. There are many high quality internet sites available
in French, ranging from fashion to finance; society to science;
music to medicine
just to mention a few.
For
those with the appropriate skills there are also possibilities for
work in the following fields:
- International
business
- International
agencies
- The
tourism and hospitality industries
- The
diplomatic service
- French
research institutes
- As
a teacher
- As
a translator or interpreter
And
don't forget, French is spoken in over 43 countries in the world.
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