Why are languages important ? Let’s find out together ….

So, why French ? Think of as many reasons as you can why you should study French. Jot them down. Let’s see how many you get…

Do you know what these words mean? au pair fiancé(e) femme fatal blond(e) brunette cul-de-sac deluxe ensuite restaurant chef menu cuisine buffet croissant champagne hotel ballet chic souvenir

Can you think of any others? au pair fiancé(e) femme fatal blond(e) brunette cul-de-sac deluxe ensuite restaurant chef menu cuisine buffet croissant champagne hotel ballet chic souvenir

croissant baguette champagne

You know it already ! Did you know 40 per cent of words in English are derived from French. Number - numéro Risk - risque Theory - théorie Table - table Danger - danger Café - café Important - important(e) Cassette - cassette How many more can you think of ? Jot them down too.

Most people have an ‘active vocabulary’ of about 1,500 – 2,000 words. And it gets better ! Most people have an ‘active vocabulary’ of about 1,500 – 2,000 words. That means most people tend to use the same words again and again, even though they may know more. So….

As 40 per cent of English words come from French …. ….it means…. There are about 600 French words you know and use every day.

Learn another nine hundred over the next few years….

and you’re totally fluent ! 

The Facts French is spoken on FIVE continents 43 countries speak FRENCH as their 1st or 2nd language That’s 181 MILLION people ! or 181,000,000 x Another 82 ½ MILLION learn to speak it. France is the NUMBER ONE tourist destination in the world - 70 million people go there every year !

Do you know in which countries they speak French?

Here are just some of them… 1. Belgium 2. Benin 3. Burkina 4. Burundi 5. Cameroon 6. Canada 7. Central African Republic 8. Chad 9. Comoros 10. Congo 11. Congo, Democratic Republic of 12. Cote d'Ivoire 13. Djibouti 14. France 15. Gabon 16. Guinea 17. Haiti 18. Luxembourg 19. Madagascar 20. Mali 21. Monaco 22. Niger 23. Rwanda 24. Senegal 25. Seychelles 26. Switzerland 27. Togo 28. Vanuatu 29. Vietnam

When someone says “France“ to you what comes into your head? Groovy Baby!

French is the language of… cuisine culture fashion the arts dance and…

LOVE   Try to have a ‘tête-à-tête’, ‘rendezvous’, and a ‘frisson’ in any other language.

War Could you learn about battles without ‘manoeuvres’, ‘espionage’, ‘sabotage’ and ‘massacre’ ?

How about lunch ?

A ‘restaurant’, ‘buffet’ or a café? And what will you choose ? Where will you eat ? A ‘restaurant’, ‘buffet’ or a café? And what will you choose ? ‘Casserole’, ‘omelettes’, or ‘gateau’ ?

As if that’s not enough, Why study French ?

Work. Knowing French will help you in the global economy of the future. You will be much more attractive to overseas employers if you can work in a global market. Most European children learn a second language at primary school and a third at secondary school. You need to be able to compete with them. With French you can be involved in transactions happening every day in French on every continent.

Opportunity France is a world leader in telecommunications. The EU is the second largest trading block in the world, French is one of its official languages. French is vital if you work for the United Nations, UNESCO, or in foreign affairs. Global businesses need French speakers: transport, travel and tourism, import / export, education, media and publishing, finance, banking, customs, immigration, international aid agencies.

Travel ? Vietnam Cambodia Egypt New Caledonia Tahiti Senegal Speaking French enables you to be an educated tourist, asking for directions, information and opportunity in places like: ? New Caledonia Vietnam Tahiti Senegal Cambodia Switzerland Egypt

Culture Knowing French increases your appreciation of other people and their culture. Because so many people speak French so widely, knowing French increases your chances of being able to communicate in a non-English speaking country.

France is the home to a host of sporting events: Le Mans Monte Carlo Horse racing at Longchamps Not to mention…. RUGBY ! The Tour de France

 And French is ALWAYS the first language used to announce the winners and medals at the Olympic Games and the Winter Olympics.

Knowing French will improve your English Learning French helps you to understand how your own language works, its grammar, tenses, verbs and adverbs. Knowing English means you already know some 15,000 French words … … And that’s without vocab tests !

Because your progress is rapid and your is success easy to measure. Learn French, feel good ! It will improve your memory, problem-solving skills, self discipline and self-esteem. Why ? Because your progress is rapid and your is success easy to measure.

Success in higher education French will help you improve your chances at degree and post-graduate level. Many institutions require French or German for scholars to conduct research. Times are changing…In the U.K there are moves to make success in a language at NCEA level 1 a prerequisite for university entry.

Convinced ? In New Zealand far more girls study the French language than boys. People form relationships when they have something in common. Hmm…. Got it yet ?

Merci !