NATIONAL FRENCH WEEK: 

LA SEMAINE DU FRANÇAIS

NOVEMBER 5-11, 2007 & 2008

NATIONAL FRENCH WEEK 1999

ESSAY AND POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

Essays

• First Prize
• Runners Up

• First Prize
• Runners Up

Posters

• Runner Up, Grade 3-5
• First Prize, Grade 6-8
• Runner Up, Grade 6-8
• Runner Up, Grade 9-12

French: An Investment in the Future

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, it is apparent that the world is growing smaller.  Throughout the past one hundred years, our ability to communicate and to travel around the world has been enhanced to a level where it is almost taken for granted.  With modern technology, we now have the capacity cross the Atlantic in under three hours, to e-mail a person in Australia in fifteen seconds, to chat on-line instantly with another child in Japan, or to phone a friend in Europe for a few dollars.  Effective and convenient communication between countries opens new doors to the potential for world peace and prosperity.  Therefore, it is essential, not to mention extremely enjoyable, to be fluent in a foreign language.
French is spoken more widely than any other language except English.  It is a native language in parts of Canada, in many African countries, in the Caribbean and in Europe. In fact, in most European countries, one can get by speaking relatively basic French.
 

For all these reasons, French language and culture should remain integral parts of world society.  French will be an important aspect of the next, multicultural millenniums

Adam M., Grade 7 (MA)

French: An Investment in the Future

French is a widely used language.  Scholars that can speak it fluently have an advantage over some people for many jobs.  Many countries recognize it as an official language, such as Canada, France, and the European Union.  There are many jobs available that require French speaking skills with airlines, import-export companies, and the United Nations, where French is the second most widely used language.  You could also become a French teacher, interpreter or a translator, with the knowledge of French.

French is a first or second language in more than 40 counties [sic], 125 million people around the world speak it, and it is spoken on every continent.  Because French is so widely used, you will have a greater chance of communicating in non-English speaking counties or areas if you should visit one.  You can also speak with French people on the Internet and make new friends.

At all Olympics French is an official language.  Events, winners and medals are also spoken in French.  Living near the Quebec border, you can follow some sporting events such as car races (Le Mans and Monte Carlo), horse racing (Long champ [sic]), tennis tournaments (French Open) and the Tour de France.  French opens up a way to understand sports in all French speaking countries.

By learning French, you also sharpen your English skills. 40 to 50% of English vocabulary comes from French.  Improved English scores will improve your skills on the SAT tests, which will determine the college you get into.

In many scientific fields, German or French must be known in order to conduct research.  Civil engineering, space/aeronautics, medical technologies, and telecommunications are a few areas where French's leadership in science and technology shows through.  To graduate school and conduct important research, French is a very helpful ability.

Traveling to France with the knowledge of French can be a much more worthwhile trip.  France is the most visited place in the world with 67 million tourists in 1997.  If you can speak French you can talk to a friend, be an educated tourist, ask for directions, get your hotel room, and a variety of other tasks.
 

Many books are not translated to there fullest extent from English. If you can read French, then you can understand such books as, Les Miserables, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Little Prince, and The Stranger in their original language.

French is a very important language and by studying it, it brightens your future and opens worlds of possibilities, therefore increasing your chances of success in the real world.

Amy V.

French, An Investment in Your Future

You ask why would you ever need to know how to say "Je m'appelle Jenny" or "Quelle heure est-il?" Well there are many reasons to learn the French language.  Some may say it will help them to find a decent job while others may say it is because they would like to travel to a French speaking country.  There are even some who plan to play a French sport.  These are all fine reasons for learning French, but I am different.  I don't know what I want to do with my life when I grow up.  The investment for me is different.

People study the French language f or many reasons.  Some people may be interested in becoming a French teacher.  How would they fulfill the requirements of their job without knowing French?  Other people could be interested in studying French art and literature.  How are they to do this without knowing the French language?  Another reason to learn French would be if you moved to France or a French speaking country.  In this situation you would encounter many difficulties if you did not know the language.  If when you grew up you decided to go into an international business that required knowing the French language you would have to learn it. As you can tell, there are many reasons to learn French.  It will help you in many situations.  These are all good reasons to invest in learning the language.

As for me, the investment at this time in my life is mostly to become educated and to realize how many other languages and places there are in the world.  Even though Spanish is a more widely spoken language in the United States, and learning it might be more useful, I prefer French.  I like the sound of French.  It sounds smooth, flowing and connected unlike some other languages like German and Spanish which sound rough and choppy to me.  I like writing, and reading, and speaking French.  I feel that I am making an investment in the present, for I am learning the language right now!

Jenny M. (MA)

French: An Investment in the Future

"Parlez-vous francais?" sounded so abstruse to me four years ago when I first started studying French.  At that beginning I memorized it without full understanding, but later as my vocabulary continued to expand and my knowledge spread, I defined my way through this puzzle, French.  What in the beginning scared me, later on attracted me with its sweet and fast tunes.  Now, when I look back at that hard work I feel proud for the knowledge I have achieved.  This makes me feel good for the moment and I am sure it will make me feel better later.  The study of French will help my travel, my opportunities for future jobs and most of all it will broaden my knowledge in the linguistic appreciation.

There are approximately thirty-five countries around the world that speak French.  As a person who loves travelling, knowing French will encourage me to visit many of these countries.  First of all, my language skills will improve.  Secondly, I will be able to be in closer contact with the inhabitants, get to know them better, become part of them and they will become part of me.  French will not only help my traveling, but my traveling will help my French too; it will be a bridge to the world for me.

In an early future, after graduating college, I will be looking for a good, satisfying job.  Companies today are looking for skilled and completely educated employees.  Even if it will not be a job where French is required, French knowledge in my curriculum will make me look more qualified.  That is why French will open the doors to more job opportunities for me.

Even if one day in the upcoming future I will not have the luck to visit French speaking countries or my job will not require French acquainted employers, the study of French will give me a personal treasure of knowledge.  Language learning is not simple pure learning.  It is understanding a culture and its customs, it is perceiving what unites a nation, its language.  Knowing French will bring my education a level higher.  It will not only improve me as a person but it will also enrich me.

Bora V., Grade 12 (MA)

French: An Investment in Your Future

Did you know that French is the first or second language in more than forty countries around the world and is spoken by 125 million people?  Or that it is the first or  second official language used to announce sporting events like the Olympics, Grand Prix, French Open, hockey games, and the Tour de France?  French is also the official language of the European Economic Community and the United Nations.  French is definitely a strong and worthwhile investment in your future.

Did you know that when applying for a job in a large corporation, especially one that does a lot of work over seas, if you can fluently speak another language you already have an advantage over everyone else?  That is because corporations are always looking for people who can communicate with their clients in other countries.  And because France is one of the economic leaders of the work French would be a logical and useful language to learn

Because forty-to-fifty percent of English comes from French, while you are learning another language, you are also furthering your understanding of the grammar of English.  Learning a foreign language has been proven to improve students' scores on the ACT and SAT tests.
 

As you can see, French is useful in all areas of life.  From sporting events, the United Nations, the European Economic Community, jobs that require work with foreign countries, ACT and SAT scores, to travel abroad, French is a part of modern life and is truly an investment in your future.

Nikki B., 10th Grade (MO)

French, An Investment In Your Future

The French Language could have a major impact in your life.  It is extremely helpful in your academic achievements.  It has been proven that French can raise your ACT and SAT scores, which are what colleges look at for their acceptances.  Also, speaking French fluently is a very good career qualification.

Many major United States companies need employees who can communicate internationally.  There are very many jobs in many different fields that you could have using the French language.  You could be a journalist, a United States import-export officer, an international lawyer, an overseas medical or agricultural worker, you could even be a rich art dealer, or even a film director, or an actor or actress, the opportunities are endless!

Did you know, that when you speak French, you can communicate with more than 125 million French-speaking people worldwide?  French is also one of the only two languages spoken on five continents.  Traveling would be a lot easier in a lot of places if you knew French.

I myself chose to learn French for inany important reasons.  First of all, I've always been interested in the French culture.  Art, music, theatre, history, literature, cuisine, and it being the language of love all interested me.  Another reason I'm taking French is I plan on taking French all four years of high school, earning weighted grades.

The university I hope to attend is The University of Missouri, Columbia.  This university is especially known for its journalism
course.  I plan on majoring in journalism, and minoring in French in college.  After I graduate from college, I hope on getting a job working for one of my local newspapers, hopefully The St. Louis Post Dispatch.

After writing for newspapers in the United States for a couple of years, I plan on moving to France for awhile, and apply for a job writing for a newspaper or magazine there.  I would love to be an international journalist.

Being fluent in French will be a major investment in my future, and in many ways, can be an investment in your future too.

Holly C., 9th Grade (MO)