Southeast Asia, the Caribbean Islands, and even Canada and Louisiana in North America.  If you were to draw a line connecting all French speaking countries, it would show how far a person could travel only speaking in French.  More importantly than travel, all of these places share a common way of thinking and expressing themselves because they share the same language.  Speaking French helps people show each other their appreciation of food.  They prepare French foods and use French names.  French bread is all over the world and so are the names of many other French dishes.  They show their hospitality and manners like: Bon appétit for enjoy your meal.

Jalil A., Hillside School (NJ), Grade 5

First Place - Middle School

Bonjour.  Comment ça va?  For anyone who has taken French, this is a common phrase.  The words are automatic, from French class to a Paris cafe, usually sprinkled with Madame or Monsieur for an extra touch of politeness.  It's just there, a code logged into your tongue.  Who ever knew that this simple phrase could be the key

First Place - Middle School Poster 

Eddie S., Springton Lake Middle School (PA), Grade 7

that opens the lock of the world?

Consider this: French is the first or second language in about 50 countries and used in every continent except Australia.  That's people in 50 countries that could understand you, 50 countries where you could find a friends, 50 countries that you share one thing in common with.  And for you who love computers, French is the second language of the internet.

Most importantly, learning French can help you understand different cultures.  In a world where

we are killed for our differences, this can be a vital trait.  French can be offered as a sort of olive branch to other countries.  It can link us together, even if the color of our skin is different or our economic situation.  Learning another language can deepen our respect for different people; now we consider their beliefs, instead of blatantly labeling them 'weird.'  We can be closer to other countries who don't even speak French because we respect their culture.French can be the binding thread that stitches us to the world, through language and culture.  And it all starts with this:  Bonjour.  Comment ça va?

Ça vien bien.

Felicity S., Melrose School (NY), Grade 7

Second Place - Middle School

A resident of beau. Paris named Pierre gazed at a map that had been placed in front of him.  The whole world was pictured on this map in vivid color.  It seemed as though the world on the map was moving.  You

Jeffrey E., Pottstown Middle School (PA), Grade 6
 

could see the people, dressed in their own different, unique clothing.  He stared at the tiny people and said softly, "Bonjour!"  Suddenly many of the people, from different countries and cultures, turned and looked up at the towering figure that was observing them.  They smiled, their eyes lit up, and they all said back, in a voice that combined many different tones and accents,"Bonjour!"

In almost every continent there is a country that speaks French, like a mini France.  Even though these places do not sport a mini Eiffel Tower, they all use the lilting language of French.  As Pierre watched the countries, they started to glow.  He saw many of the countries that he had visited, like Belgium and Switzerland, and also some tiny countries that he had never heard of before.  As he touched each one of these countries, he heard a sweet jumble of words, which he recognized as his mother tongue.  Pierre watched as the people whom he had observed before walked to the outer rim of the map, surrounding the world.  All the people, who were all different colors and cultures, spoke a sentence that Pierre would never forget.

"Parler français, et comprendre le monde."  Speak French, and understand the world.

Amritha M., Lionville Middle School (PA), Grade 7 

Third Place - Middle School

Speaking French must certainly contribute to a better understanding of the world.  After all, French is a global language spoken on five continents.  It is the official

Veronique P., McGugan Junior High School (IL), Grade 7

language of 28 countries and one of the principal languages of the UN, UNESCO, NATO, Red Cross, and Olympics.  This year is my first year of studying French, or so I thought.  I realize now that I have been learning French for years.

For me, French has opened the doors to many different areas of the world.  I began ballet lessons at the age of five, and I learned plié, relevé, and pas de chat as my ballet skills advanced.  When I cook, I sauté and purée, and I whip up fondues, crêpes, and soufflés.  In art, I have fun experimenting with papier-mâché, découpage, and silhouettes.  And, to a wedding, I have worn chiffon and my mom has worn toile. 

My family has traveled through northern United States and Canada and studied the portages of the voyageurs and the ceintures flechées of the métis.  French culture and French exploration have had an impact on the North American continent, and therefore I learned French words as I grew to understand more about my world.

Now, I am learning to communicate in French.  My teacher's enthusiasm is contagious as he teaches my class the language that has been spoken for centuries in so many countries and by so many people.  What doors of understanding will open to me this year?  I can only imagine!

Mary Lou H., North Attleboro Middle School (MA), Grade 7

First Place - High School

Understanding the world.  First arises the challenges of understanding the cultures of the world, understanding the people of the world, and understanding the physical world itself.  Achieving these high goals requires an understanding of the languages of the world.  Speaking French is like the beginning of a journey into vast treasury of outlooks. 

First Place - High School Poster 

Neville M., Champaign Central High School (IL), Grade 10

Spoken on five continents, an official language in 33 countries of the world, an official language of the United Nations, it is a global language   However, facts and figures alone will not tell all about this language  French is a language of history, of civilization, of literature, and of musicality.  French is a language of beauty, of rhythm, of nuances, and of subtle innuendoes.

French can unite people, for a language creates bonds.  French is the official language of post offices worldwide.  French is the official language of the International Red Cross.  It is one of the two official languages at the Olympic Games, an encounter and disappearances of barriers and differences of the world.  French even has many lexical similarities to Italian, Portuguese, Rumanian, Spanish, German, and English.  This language pervades the far corners of the earth.  From Paris to Quebec, from Vietnam to Martinique, its realm is truly immense.  This language transcends the raging seas, entering into the hearts of its speakers, gently scattering speakers worldwide.

A language is not just the words people say or write.  A language encompasses interactions, gestures, and ideas.  A language is an invitation into a people.  A language is an exploration of a culture.  A language is an added perception of the world.  Communication can connect the world, word by word, phrase by phrase, sentence by sentence, conversation upon conversation, and language upon language.  It is only by speaking languages that such communication is available to a person.   Speaking languages brings into a person the opportunities and possibilities of attaining the treasures that a language holds.  Speaking the French language is an open doorway to creating bonds, exploring cultures, and ultimately understanding the world.

Monica L., Jasper High School (TX), Grade 10

France has had a tradition of being a center of culture.  The city of Paris has been the radiant center of the aesthetic side of humanity for centuries.  French is a language of romance, of beauty, a language of passion.

I chose to learn French for two reason.  One reason was to access the rich French culture. Knowing French, I

Christine R., Pemsburg High School (PA), Grade 11

could read the great novels of Western Civilization in their original text, and listen to the magnificence of French poetry.  The second reason was for my future.  I already knew most used languages in the world, but there was yet a large portion of the world that was off-limits to me, the French world.  Knowing French, I would have access to almost the entire global population, and I would truly be a citizen of not just America, but of the world.  In the twenty-first century, French is the second most spoken tongue in the world.  As the official language of the Olympics, it is the tongue that sends a message of brotherhood and unity to the world.  From Quebec to Louisiana, from Morocco to Vietnam, the French language is the common thread that knits together a global community.

The world is getting smaller and smaller, and people and ideas are coming together.  In the process of all this, language is the last barrier.  As American students of the French language, we are learning the two most commonly used languages in the world.  As students of the French language, we are unlocking the door to the ideas, cultures, and traditions of many worlds and countless peoples.

In the nineteenth century, Napoleon conquered most of Europe, and left a permanent French print on the framework of Europe.  In the twentieth century, France as a colonizer established the French language and culture in places all over the world.  The world we live in today has been shaped dramatically by the French culture.  Within this world lie great knowledge and riches, vast unknowns and opportunities.  Within it lies the future that we are to live in; the key to this future is the French language.

Jack W., Jasper High School (TX), Grade 10 

Speak French and Understand the World

The French language is one of unique and indescribable beauty.  Ranging from Paris, the epicenter of the traditions of France and perpetuated by a wonderful history of culture and pride the language reaches many locales.  These include Africa and many islands throughout the Pacific and Atlantic

Nanette Z., Mount St. Mary (AR), Grade 9

where French is spoken in various dialects, all important to the world.  France's influence stems from the popularization of the language in America and other countries across the world.  This mainstreaming of the language takes on many forms, and continues to mold the ever-impacting influence of the French language on society, as it constantly plays a role in business and the global community's problems.

In this age of a global market economy, the language barrier is an obstacle to the cooperation of global corporations and other business enterprises.  Also, as we see times of war and hate, we can take solace in the fact that the global community is doing its part to fight these horrors.  language barriers pose an elusive problem, that if solved could grant us the freedoms and peace we all desire.  The global community while being ethnically diverse could be united with common language and French gives us the necessary tool to obtain unity.  The United Nations uses French as one of its languages, displaying its importance in helping us understand the world.  As part of the European Union, France contributes its ideas, language, and culture to economic development.  Problem solving and decision making are greatly aided and we can enable ourselves to understand our world and shape it into a utopia free of hatred with the continuation of the French influence.

The application of French in the business world, and to the solutions of our world's problems is a major step in improving our understanding of the world.  Unification amongst countries and businesses would grant unlimited possibilities toward achieving our goals.  First we must decipher them without the obstacle posed by language.  French holds the key to the understanding of the world.

Patrick C., Midland Park High School (NJ), Grade 10

Speak French and Understand the World

In my junior year of high school I had had enough!  I was tired of my boring classes, and I wanted a change.  I went to my counselor's office and said, "I wish to take French."  He looked at my schedule and said, "But you're already taking sign language.  You want to take two languages?"  "Yes," I stated quite surely.

I honestly am not so sure why, exactly, I wanted to take French.  I knew I wanted to learn a language other than sign language so that I would have the option of maybe traveling outside the country one day.  I also knew I didn't want to take Spanish because I had it in elementary school and was tired of it.  I had no interest in German, so the only one left was French.  I had no idea what kind of French student I would make, but I tried it anyway.  Besides, I thought, it's an intro. class.  How hard could it be?

As it turns out, it was harder than I had anticipated at first, until I got the hang of it.  The more I learned to speak it, the more I fell in love with it.  French quickly became one of my favorite classes.  I loved it not only because I was speaking a FL, but I was also learning about new cultures in the world in places like France, Africa, and Canada.  I suddenly understood the importance of being globally conscious and educated.

I found myself itching to visit these places and see where history took place.  When I was sitting in world studies the semester before, I really didn't care at all who Napoleon was or what took place during the French Revolution.  Honestly, I just memorized facts for the test.  But when I was in French class, and I started to feel a slight connection to the Francophone world, I suddenly found myself taking an interest in those things.

Now I can't wait to travel and study abroad--an opportunity that I probably wouldn't have thought to take if I hadn't learned this amazing language.  Learning French has also improved my understanding of English and inspired me to learn more about languages.  Last summer, for fun, I started learning Italian, and I hope to take a class someday and travel to Italy.

All the time I find myself growing in my understanding of French, and I find it so exciting.  I will very often think in French.  When I'm using sign language I think of the word I'm signing in French, and sometimes I pray in French.  But the most exciting even took place last week when I had my first dream in FRENCH!  (Cool, n'est-ce pas?)

So, it's quite evident that learning French has definitely opened up a whole new world to me and inspired me to broaden my horizons.

Sasha W., Bethel College (MN), Freshman

Speak French and Understand the World

"Parler français et comprendre le monde."  Less than two months ago, I had little understanding of the previous quote, nor did it have nay relevance in my life.  However, now that I have been studying French for less than a semester, I fully understand and appreciate what "speak French and understand the world" means.  College is an establishment full of many open doors, that will expand, challenge and benefit students; allowing them to translate ambition into practical goals.  However, expansion of the mind is not the consequence solely of a college education.  If one would desire to expand one's intellectual and experiential horizons, there is no more life-expanding process than studying abroad.  And, I feel, no better place than France to live and learn.

Since I am a biology major, it has become clear to me that research and scientific break throughs are irrelevant, if a scientist is incapable of sharing his or her findings and visions with others.  Though mathematics is said to be the universal language, scientists from different countries need to verbally communicate with one another.  But, how does an American scientist present their work globally?  They do it through a universally accepted language, ie., through French!!

Contrary to most beliefs, French, and not Spanish, is ranked second in terms of  the number of countries that utilize that language as one of the official languages.  Though the use of Spanish is becoming more and more pervasive in America, French has a more world wide appeal and use.  The number of French-speaking countries is wide-spread and is often associated with intelligence, sophistication and artistic creativity.

Though I am only a sophomore in college, I am very interested in expanding my knowledge in the biological sciences.  To that end, I have been made aware of an opportunity to work as an intern at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France.  The name of the institute is in honor of Louis Pasteur, one of the early pioneers in microbiology.  He is well known for his development of pasteurization and immunization.  Pasteurization is, of course, the process that applies heat to kill harmful microbes in food.  Pasteur is better known for his discovery of vaccination.  After Pasteur presented his work to the Academy of Science, subsequently, the Pasteur Institute was established in 1880 as a clinic and research center.

To apply, one must have an exceptional background in biology, as well as the desire and capability to learn French.  Since the internship is in Paris; fluency in French is imperative.  However, if the internship were to located in a different country, French would still be beneficial.  In less than two months, French has become a crucial component to my future.  The ability to speak French will allow me to travel overseas, gain experience from other biology students from all over the world, learn about and from other cultures, and, more importantly, help me to better understand the world.

Maryellen F., Philadelphia University, Sophomore

Third Place - College Division

How can speaking French help you understand the world?  Out of 12 world languages, it ranks only tenth.  Can French reveal the world to you?  As an American learning French, you are opening up your mind to the fact that we aren't the only country in the world.  There are other languages and cultures that, by exploring them, can enrich your life.  It's an opportunity to reach beyond the comfort zone of your own circle and get into the thought process of people that live it differently.  Almost 70 million people use French as their native language, and another 50 millions speak French as a fluent second language.  Within that, there are many different cultures that can challenge even the way we view daily life.

As a romance language, French not only sounds beau., but it is often connected to expensive and fancy things.  Many major fashion designers are French or take their cue from the French runway.  Many expensive European dishes go by French names to add an air of sophistication to them.  By learning French, one can feel more at ease in more elegant settings.  French not only opens up cultures in other countries, but it can also be a bridge to a more elegant class.

Sarah V., Bethel College (MN), Sophomore