Which should I choose?

The World of Chinese

Why study Chinese? 1/5 of the world's population lives in China.

Why study Chinese? Mandarin Chinese is the native language of over 1 billion people, making it the most widely spoken first language in the world.

Why study Chinese? In addition to Taiwan and Hong Kong, countries with large overseas Chinese populations include Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Speaking Mandarin gives you a tool to do business with them.

Why study Chinese? China is one of the world’s oldest and richest continuous cultures, over 5000 years old.

Why study Chinese? 1. China has become one of the largest trading partners with the US. 2. Over 16,000 US companies sell products in China. 3. Trade is not only from China to the US, but also the other way. ($41.8 Billion in 2006)

Why study Chinese? Knowledge of Chinese is beneficial when considering employment in the following areas: International Business, Banking and Law Finance Trade Diplomacy Academics News Media Travel

Chinese is easy to learn!

The World of French

Why study French? More than 200 million people speak French on five continents.

Why study French? French is the international language of cooking, fashion, theatre, the visual arts, dance and architecture. A knowledge of French offers access to great works of literature, as well as films and songs, in the original French.

Why study French? France is the world’s number-one tourist destination and attracts more than 70 million visitors a year. A little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France.

Why study French? French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts.

Why study French? The Francophonie, the international organization of French- speaking countries, comprises 68 states and governments.

More facts about French… French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, and the ninth most widely spoken language in the world. French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world.

Why study French? Knowledge of French is beneficial when considering employment in the following areas: Aeronautics and Telecommunications Literature and Drama International Business, Banking and Law Service industries Math, Engineering, Computer Science Culinary Arts Medical and Scientific Research Fashion, Art, Music study

Pourquoi Take French

The World of Spanish

Why study Spanish? There are over 328 million Spanish speakers worldwide (

Why study Spanish? In the US, it is spoken by some 35 million people or around 10% of the US population. This makes the US home to the fourth largest Spanish-speaking population in the world. (

Why study Spanish? Spanish is the fourth most widely geographically used language in the world, spanning 44 countries. It is the official language of 21 countries. (

Why study Spanish? It is the third most commonly used language on the Internet (after English and Chinese). (

Why study Spanish? 68.8% of high school students and 52.2% of post- secondary students with world language programs choose to study Spanish. (

More facts about Spanish… It serves as an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, World Trade Organization, and North American Free Trade Agreement. Hispanic citizens make up 15.4% of the US population and the second largest ethnic group. There are more than 5,000 elected US officials who are of Latino/Hispanic origin. (

Why study Spanish? Knowledge of Spanish is beneficial for the following career choices: Law Enforcement Politics and Public Relations Public Services Communications in Radio and Television Nursing and Social Work Hotel and Restaurant Management Pan-American Business and Finance Legal and Business Services

French vs. Spanish The common perception that Spanish is the easiest foreign language is in reality a myth. All languages require a commitment to daily study and to the learning of new vocabulary and language concepts. Spanish probably got its reputation as the “easiest” language because it has fewer pronunciation rules than some other languages. (Comparison of language choices, Bull Peche, National Bulletin, AATF)

French vs. Spanish Therefore, if one learns the pronunciation rules and applies them, it may be easier to pronounce Spanish than French, for example. However, there is more to a language than its pronunciation… (Comparison of language choices, Bull Peche, National Bulletin, AATF)

French vs. Spanish FRENCHSPANISH VOCABULARYLess difficult; more words that are similar to English More difficult; fewer words that are similar to English due to Arabic influence GRAMMARLess difficult; especially with past and subjunctive More difficult; especially with past & subjunctive; 2 verbs for “to be” PRONUNCIATIONMore difficult; more exceptions to the rule; some sounds that don’t exist in English Less difficult; more phonetic; fewer sounds that don’t exist in English (Comparison of language choices, Bull Peche, National Bulletin, AATF)

Which will you choose?

Language Selection Forms Friday, February 15, 2013 Language Selection Forms due back to Guidance Counselors

THANK YOU!