To those who think Spanish is “easier” and/or “it’s more
practical,” let me add my personal pitch for French courses. This is simply not true. Although pronunciation in French may take a
bit longer to develop, it is as consistent as Spanish pronunciation (and both
are much easier to decipher from the written word than English!). Grammar and sentence structure in French is
often more similar to English than it is in Spanish. In short, each language
has its easy and difficult points.
As for practicality, in addition to the general reasons for
language learning, here are a number of reasons to study French in
particular: [adapted
from http://www.frenchteachers.org
]
- Proficiency in French increases
your job prospects. A U.S. State Department study of the
international job market at the turn of the millennium indicates that over 50% of international jobs
require or prefer candidates to speak French.
- French is the second most
influential language in the world. Language
Today, a publication for language professionals, ranked French second
only to English at the turn of the millennium.
- Canada, whose official languages
are French and English, is the primary trading partner of the United
States. With
NAFTA, more and more products will be marketed in Canada and companies
will require French-speaking employees.
- France ranks 4th in the
world in terms of Gross National Product. Plus,
over 1,200 French companies have investments in the U.S., and these French
companies employ over 400,000 Americans annually.
- France is the #1 tourist
destination in the world. The number of people visiting France per
year is greater than its entire population.
- In over 20 African countries,
French is used for government and business. There is
a strong French influence in North Africa, West Africa, and Central
Africa.
- French is an official language of
many international organizations. It is an official language at the United
Nations, the Red Cross, the International Monetary Fund, the World Health
Organization, UNESCO, and the International Olympic Committee.
- French is spoken on dozens of
islands all over the globe. Including islands in the South Pacific,
the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean.
- All three branches of the European
Union are headquartered in French-speaking countries. EU
headquarters are located in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.
- French is an official language in
the United States. The State of Louisiana’s official
languages are French and English.
If you have any questions about language study here at Fox
(or in general), please let me know. I’d be happy to talk with you. I believe
passionately, as do all our language instructors, in the vital importance of language study for a sound liberal arts
education. It is also a field in which
Americans lag egregiously behind the rest of the developed and developing
world.
Hillary
Hillary Doerr Engelhart
Asst. Prof. of World Languages
UW- Fox Valley
hillary.engelhart@uwc.edu
(920) 832-0109