Why Study French?

1.C’est la langue d’amour! “Ooh la la, Pepe!”

2.One of two official languages at the Olympic Games. What is the other language? (English)

3. One of two official languages of the United Nations and Red Cross. Where is the UN? (NY)

4. Most frequently required language for international jobs. (Based on survey in 2009): 92% of companies preferred French 36% preferred Spanish 11% a UN language (Arabic,Chinese…) 7% Arabic 5% Russian 1% Japanese, Hindi, German, Chinese

5. French is spoken by our largest trading partner.

6. More tourists visit France than any other country in the world. What continent is France in? (Europe) What is its capital? (Paris)

7. There is much French influence in our own culture! Can you identify all these things?

(culture cont’d) Can you recognize these from popular culture?

Do you know what these words mean? 8. To make you more sophisticated as you improve your English vocabulary! Do you know what these words mean? Café trompe d’oeil soufflé Chic laissez faire dormant Tête-à-tête au gratin corps Détante filet fatigue Coup d’état au jus nom de plume Chapeau R.S.V.P. C’est la vie! Haute couteur à la mode chef Touché je ne sais quoi joie de vivre

9. Learning a foreign language makes you smarter and more creative! Why would this be? Sentence structure / recognizing cognates The girl is big. La fille est grande. The boys are athletic. Les garçons sont sportifs.

10. Knowing French makes you more literate and well-rounded. Jules Verne (writer) Claude Monet (impressionist painter) Audrey Tautou (actress) François Holland (current President) Marie Curie (scientist) Jacques Cousteau (underwater explorer) Wyclef Jean (Haitian rapper) Gustave Eiffel (architect) Victor Hugo (writer) Coco Chanel (designer)

Now can you identify them?

11. It helps you learn history. Did you know? General Lafayette was a key ally in the American Revolution? Napoleon Bonaparte named himself emperor? D-day occurred on the Normandy beaches, June 6, 1944 in WWII? The first cave paintings were discovered in Lascaux, France? Many countries speak French in Africa since they were former French colonies? Joan of Arc saved France, then was burned for it? Marie Antoinette, from Austria, never said, “Let them eat cake” ? The Versailles Treaty brought WWI to an end? The British royal court spoke French at one time due to William the Conqueror? Asterix is a famous comic strip in Europe based on the Roman conquest in France?

Did you know? The Tour de France is the most famous bicycle race held every July in France. The TGV is the second fastest train in the world. The Cannes Film Festival is a prestigious event held every year in France. The Grand Prix of Monaco is one of the most famous Formula I car races in the world. Grace Kelly was an American actress who became a princess of Monaco. The Moulin Rouge is a nightclub in Paris made famous by the “can-can” dance. The French Riviera, or the Côte d’Azur is a prime vacation destination along the Mediterranean coast. When we celebrate, we tend to drink champagne, named after a region in France. Paris is the world’s leading center of the fashion industry. Arianespace launches Ariane rockets from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guiana. France, shaped like a hexagon, is about the size of Texas.

Where else in the world is French spoken? Switzerland Madagascar Belgium Tahiti Luxembourg French Guyana Haiti Laos Canada Guadeloupe Africa (west coast and north mostly) Martinique Louisiana

Parlez-vous français?