To this day, French is the second most commonly-taught second language in the world (after English). Léopold Sédar Senghor, the Senegalese poet, politician, member of the Académie Française and the first president of Senegal, described the French language as «langue de gentillesse et d’honnêteté», “Language of kindness and honesty” But you might ask yourself why you would need to learn French? What is French? Who speaks French? Where is French spoken? How many French-speaking countries are there? What benefits learning this new language might have for you? Who speaks French in the United States and the North America? In which international organizations is French an official language?   
How many people speak French? According to La Francophonie dans le monde 2006-2007 there are: • 128 million Francophones - Speak French (as a native or adopted language) fluently and use it on a regular basis. • 72 million "partiel" Francophones - Live in a francophone country but do not speak French regularly, due to limited knowledge. • 100-110 million students of all ages - Do not live in a francophone country, but have learned/are learning French in order to communicate with Francophones. In 1999, French was the 11th most common first language in the world, with 77 million first language speakers and another 51 million second language speakers, according to the Ethnologue Report. Where is French spoken? French is one of two or more official languages in Belgium, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey), Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti (the two official languages are French and French Creole), Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland, and Vanuatu. In many countries, French plays an important role, either as an administrative, commercial, or international language or simply due to a significant French-speaking population: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Dominica (French patois), Egypt, Greece, Grenada (French patois), Guinea-Bissau, India, Italy (Valle d'Aosta), Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Poland, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Kingdom (Channel Islands), United States (Louisiana, New England), Vatican City, and Vietnam. What benefits learning this new language might have for you? Communication Skills: In many careers and free-time activities, you will find it beneficial to communicate with people who are native French speakers. In any realm of business, it always pays to know the client's language. French instruction also encourages you to think about important details of language usage which may not have occurred to you before, thereby improving your writing and speaking skills in English as well. In School: Learning French will help improve your knowledge of the English language. Your English vocabulary will increase and learning French will be easier because 30% of English words come from French. Over 20,000 English words have their origins in French. English grammatical structure is similar to French structure therefore by learning French grammatical structure your understanding of English will be enhanced and vice versa. The history and literature of the English and French speaking worlds intertwine in essential ways. Your understanding of cultures will be improved. Also keep in mind that most graduate schools require knowledge of at least one foreign language, and French remains the most commonly used language after English. France offers a range of generous scholarships to our graduate students. Jobs: One example of the importance of French can be seen in a recent listing of international jobs (1/23/01) distributed by the US State Department: • 92 required or preferred French, • 21 a UN language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) • 38 Spanish • 6 Russian • 3 Arabic • 4 German • 2 other languages According to the fact sheet released by the UN Employment Information and Assistance Unit Bureau of international Organization Affairs U.S. Department of State, 9/16/99, of the various types of professional positions for which international organizations recruit: 5 required French 2 Spanish 1 Portuguese 1 Arabic Jobs in Business: Knowledge of a second language is essential in over 60 occupations. Each of the major U.S. corporations routinely employs 500-5,000 persons abroad. Commercial language schools now have waiting lists, due to increased demands in business and industry for people with strong language skills. 1,261 companies surveyed reported 60,687 positions requiring a second language. As more and more businesses are "going global" by opening offices throughout the world, the knowledge of French is an increasingly important asset when applying for jobs. The increased multilingualism of society here in the US also calls for college graduates with French skills. 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. French is the foreign language spoken by our largest trading partner (Canada). France has the fourth largest economy in the world after the U.S., Japan and Germany. France is first in the world in production of luxury goods. In recent years, the U.S. has been the largest direct investor in France and France has been one of the three largest investors in the U.S. French companies employ over 400,000 Americans. Jobs in Science and Technology FRANCE IS A WORLD LEADER IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. France is the second in the world in commercial aircraft production, defense production and export of agricultural products; third in rocketry and electronics equipment; fourth in automobiles (Renault also makes Mack trucks). Seven of France's top ten exports to the U.S. are industrial or high technology products. France is fourth in research in the fields of high energy physics, medical research: the AIDS virus was first isolated by French doctors, medical genetics (the Human Genome Project is located in Paris), Aerospace: most commercial satellites are put into space on French Arian rockets, The fastest train (TGV) is French, and France is the world's second largest builder and exporter of civilian and military aircrafts and helicopters (Airbus is the world's second largest fleet of commercial airliners, the fastest commercial airplane (Concorde), and all the US Coast Guard helicopters are made by Aérospatiale. Fiber optics were invented in France. France is the world's largest manufacturer of television sets (HDTV was invented in France). and France is among the leaders in hydroelectric and nuclear power. Jobs in Government: In the fields of diplomacy and trade, the federal government is always seeking qualified applicants with French language skills. If you see international conferences and negotiations in your future, you'd better learn one or more languages now. French is one of the official working languages in dozens of international organizations, including: The United Nations UNESCO NATO The 31-member Council of Europe The European Community The International Monetary Fund The International Labor Bureau Amnesty International Red Cross and Red Crescent Interlope International Olympic Committee Postal Services Throughout the world North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Org. for Economic Cooperation + Development (OECD) World Health Organization (WHO) World Trade Organization (WTO) Union of International Associations (UIA) • 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 Research: No matter the area of specialization, knowledge of French is not only helpful, but often necessary for academic, business, or social research. Translations are not always correct or even available. French is also the second language of the internet in terms of the number of WWW pages. Art and Culture: No matter how good the translation, inevitably some meaning is lost in the process. Therefore, to fully appreciate the richness of French literature, theater, opera, and films, knowledge of French is essential. Other aspects of a French-speaking country's culture are also best appreciated by those who can speak and understand the French language. How could you, for example, savor a gourmet French meal in a Parisian restaurant if you couldn't read the menu? Self-Fulfillment: Learning French is a big accomplishment which brings with it great satisfaction and added confidence. In addition, immersion in foreign cultures can open whole new avenues of self-exploration and personal growth. Intellectual Stimulation: Learning French enhances your skills in analyzing, discussing, and categorizing information and ideas. Convinced? Register today for French Classes at Truman College. Check out our schedule under “French at Truman College” or at http://www.trumancollege.cc/schedules/schedule.php Do you have any concerns? email me at mdamghani@ccc.eduhttp://www.trumancollege.cc/schedules/schedule.phpmailto:mdamghani@ccc.edushapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1
There are 33 French speaking-countries - French is the  official language in 33 countries, second only to English (spoken officially in 45). French and English are the only languages spoken as a native language on 5 continents and the only languages taught in every country in the world.
French is the official language of France and its overseas territories ( French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis, Futuna, French southern, Antarctic lands, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte) as well as Bénin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Luxembourg, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Sénégal and Togo; the Canadian province of Québec, and the Swiss districts of Vaud, Neuchâtel, Genève, and Jura.
Travel: To travel the world and experience the essence of French-speaking cultures, knowledge of French is essential. Don't get stuck on all-American 5-day tours of a continent! They only skim the surface and show you what someone else thinks you should see. To truly get to know a French-speaking country it takes more time and, above all, French language skills.
 
Watch my “Why Study French?” powerpoint and you will be convinced!!! "To have another language is to possess a second soul." (Charlemagne) Le “Site Map” L’Introduction Le Vocabulaire La Grammaire Les Liens Why Study French?
Encounter any issues such as inactive links, spelling problems, etc. Please email me at mdamghani@ccc.edu   Merci Beaucoup.
Les Liens La Grammaire Le Vocabulaire L’Introduction Le “Site Map”