Why Learn FRENCH ?

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.
If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.                                                                                                           (Nelson Mandela)

1. French is a melodious and romantic language with a relatively quick learning curve.
2. It is not limited to one or two continents.
   
3. French is spoken in TWO of the G8 countries.
   
4. French is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
   
5. Be understood in 55 countries across five continents and by over 200 million people.
6. French is the third most common language on the Internet. Connect with pen pals, visit foreign websites and find student exchange opportunities.
7. Paris hosts over 1,000 congresses annually - and a world record of international congresses
   
8. France has the world’s greatest number of of Nobel Prize winners in literature. (12)
   
9. France is the world’s major tourist destination.(60 millions visit France annually)
   
10. Paris is considered the capital of the world in terms of quality of life (Healey and Baker)
    
11. France is with Germany the main pillar in the EMU (European Monetary Union).
    
12. France is Europe’s foremost investor abroad.
    
13. France ranks 4^th in terms of world power and it does not have the debt problems facing many other major industrialized nations. (A positive sign for joint projects, business and scientific co-operation).
    
14. 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.
    
15. France is renowned for the quality of its high-tech.
    
16. French is a major language of high-tech and business in the world. (Second language on the internet.)
    
17. Over 50,000 English words have their origin in French.
    
18. In terms of number of words, French is the largest language after English.
    
19. France offers a range of generous scholarships to our graduate students.
    
20. French is the most widely taught second language after English.
    
21. French is the official language of the International Red Cross.
    
22. French is the official language of post offices across the world.
    
23. French is one of the two official languages at the Olympic Games.
    
24. French-speaking Africa represents an area larger than the U.S.A.
    
25. Montréal is the second largest French-Speaking city in the world.
    
    , founded in 1892, is the oldest ethnic newspaper in Australia.
    
26. Le Courrier Australien
27. Trade with Australia in 1995 totaled the following (figures obtained from the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry):
• Imports 6,3666, 000,000francs (the highest level recorded)
• Exports 4,393,000,000francs (1 Australian dollar= 3.5 francs)
28. Megabucks for trade: In 1995 the United States did business/trade with the following countries in order of importance: 1. French-speaking countries; 2. Japan; 3. Spanish speaking countries.
29. Learning French can help you improve the interpersonal skills you bring to your international career.
    
30. A good knowledge of French enables you to fully enjoy at the movie theaters or on TV, the best films from the French-speaking world.
    
31. 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 Society to Science, Fashion to Finance, Music to Medicine …just to mention a few.
    
32. For those with the appropriate skills there are also possibilities for employment (building a career rather than keeping a job) in the following fields:
• International business( what other kind of business is there in a global economy?)
• International agencies.
• The tourism and hospitality industries.
• The diplomatic service.
• French and /or French-speaking research institutes.
• Teaching
• Translating or interpreting.