The benefits of knowing a foreign language, and reasons that French is a good choice. French is very useful in business (I have 20 years' experience).
The number of speakers of French is expected to grow dramatically to nearly 1 billion by 2060: think of what that means to people who are in middle school through college now!
Good Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them well
Why Know a Foreign Language? Why Choose French?
1. Why Know a Foreign Language?
Why Choose French?
by Valerie Rushanan
L’église avait des voûtes
La balle a percé l’armure Le ciel était gris
La porte était rougeLa rose était rouge
2. Why know a language?
Speaking another language is in demand
for many types of jobs!
Go to indeed.com and enter a language!
La cité interdite
Pékin (Beijing), Chine
You’ll have co-workers and
customers all over the world
You must communicate clearly
with them.
3. Why know a language?
More problems need global teams to solve them:
Les Alpes
Martigny, Suisse
National security and diplomacy
Environmental and healthcare issues
Energy efficiency
Clean water
AIDS
4. Why know a language?
La place principale
Cracovie (Kraków), Pologne
The best or least expensive
human resources are often
available in other locations
Software is released in
multiple languages
simultaneously
More problems need global teams to solve them:
Global teams allow work to
be done around the clock
5. Versailles, France
Make your mind more adaptable:
a 21st-century skill!
Bilingualism slows the onset of dementia
Learn about your first language, expand your vocabulary
Understand how languages are related or are different
Why know a language?
6. Most people in the world are bilingual
Only a small percentage of U.S. residents are
Why know a language?
Gain access to new ideas,
places, & activities
Interests vary by
culture, so some things
aren’t translated
Experiencing a place in
person is the best!
Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris
7. Why choose French?
In 2013, 300 million total:
110 million native speakers
190 million second-language speakers
In 2025, 500 million total
In 2060, 1 billion total
The number of French speakers worldwide is
expected to rise dramatically.
8. Identity
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
What are my values?
Why choose French?
The U.S. was founded by working with French
politicians and philosophers.
Much of the U.S. (Louisiana purchase) was under
French control for many years and retains some laws.
Many Americans are of French descent because of
migration from France and New France.
9. International work
Many companies from French-speaking countries have
offices in the U.S.
Many American companies and international organizations
have offices and customers in French-speaking countries
Why choose French?
French is one of the top languages
into which business materials and
software are translated
La Défense (près de Paris), France
10. Travel and fun
Gain access to
things you can’t get
by staying home and
speaking just one
language
Le Château Frontenac,
Québec, Canada
Go places and meet new people.
Try new foods! Learn to cook
French meals.
Enjoy French films, music,
literature, fashion, painting,
interior design…
Crêpe fraise - chocolat,
faite à la maison !
11. Museums, architecture,
history, food…
Why do YOU want to go?
France is the #1
most visited country
in the world.
Why choose French?
Le Louvre, Paris
Des cafés à Paris
12. Most visited countries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings
Number of French speakers, map:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language
http://www.francophonie.org/Denombrement-des-francophones.html
Languages in high demand for translation:
http://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/2010/02/01/top-20-target-languages-a-year-in-translation/
Bilingualism slows the onset of dementia:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-11-08-being-bilingual-may-slow-the-
onset-of-dementia/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/100218-bilingual-brains-alzheimers-dementia-science-aging/
Number of bilinguals in the world and in the U.S.:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-leveen/how-america-can-get-her-b_b_545925.html
Photo of China: Jennifer Thorson. All other photos were taken by the Rushanan family.
Presentation by Valerie Rushanan (valrushanan@verizon.net, www.linkedin.com/in/valrushanan/ ), CC 2011-2014,
all rights belong to their respective owners.
Credits & References
Une Citroën,
Paris