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?
3. One of two official languages of
the United Nations and Red Cross.
• Where is the UN?
4. Most frequently required language
for international jobs.
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• (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?
• What is its capital?
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?
8. To make you more sophisticated as
you improve your English vocabulary!
Do you know what these words mean?
Café
Chic
Tête-à-tête
Détante
Coup d’état
Chapeau
Haute couteur
Touché
trompe d’oeil
laissez faire
au gratin
filet
au jus
R.S.V.P.
à la mode
je ne sais quoi
soufflé
dormant
corps
fatigue
nom de plume
C’est la vie!
chef
joie de vivre
9. Learning a foreign language makes
you smarter and more creative!
• Why would this be?
• 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.
• Can you match the person with the trade?
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Jules Verne
Claude Monet
Georges Depardieu
Nicolas Sarkozy
Marie Curie
Jacques Cousteau
Wyclef Jean
Gustave Eiffel
Victor Hugo
A. rapper from Haiti
B. president of France
C. writer
D. scientist
E. painter
F. architect
G. underwater explorer
H. writer
I. actor
Now can you identify them?
11. It helps you learn history.
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In what war did General Lafayette fight?
What kind of ruler was Napoleon Bonaparte?
What significance did the Normandy beaches play in WWII?
Who was one of our biggest allies in WWII?
Where were the first cave paintings found?
Why are there so many French speaking countries in Africa?
Who was Joan of Arc and what did she do?
What happened to the king and queen in the French Revolution?
What was the Versailles Peace Treaty and where was it signed?
What language did the royal court speak in England before English?
Did you know?
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Lance Armstrong won the ____ 7 times.
The Queen Mary II was built in ____.
The second fastest train (TGV) was built in ___.
(What’s the first fastest? Where?)
Most commercial satellites are put into space on ___Ariane rockets.
The ___ Film Festival is a prestigious event held every year in France.
The Grand Prix of ____ is one of the most famous Formula I car races in the
world.
Grace Kelly was an American actress who became a _____ of Monaco.
The ____ Rouge is a nightclub in Paris and the name of a movie.
The French ____ is an exclusive coastal destination for wealthy Europeans and
American movie stars.
When we celebrate, we tend to drink ___ , named after a region in France!
____ is the world’s leading center of the fashion industry.
Where else in the world is
French spoken?
• Switzerland
Madagascar
• Belgium
Tahiti
• Luxembourg
French Guyana
• Haiti
vietnam
• Québec, Canada
Guadeloupe
• Africa (west coast and north mostly)
• Martinique
Louisiana
• Laos
Parlez-vous français?