Why+I+took+French

To read and listen to students testimonies go to the bottom of this page: **"Why I took French"**



Any second language is an asset to those who learn to master it. Languages enable us to learn and comprehend the world beyond our own as well as our place in that world. How does one choose “another” language??? The choice is often personal. It may be because of relatives who still speak a particular language or an older sibling who was successful in that language in school or on the job. Ultimately, another language provides a lot of self-satisfaction. Travel becomes much more meaningful when we understand “them”.

With nearly 70 million visitors, France is the number one tourist destination in the world.

Ben Franklin liked France so much that he stayed there for many years. Currently, Johnny Depp has chosen to live in the south of France rather than anywhere else. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani recognized the importance of French when he proclaimed the second week in November “French Language Week”. As the mayor said in his proclamation, “The ability to speak and read French is invaluable to travelers, to business people, to diplomats, to people in a wide variety of professions, and to users of the Internet.” In fact, French is the second most frequently used language of the Internet.

The International Organization of Francophonie (French-speaking nations) has 51 member states. Of these, 28 countries have French as an official language. 200 million people around the world understand, speak, read or write French. Along with English, French is the official working language of the United Nations, UNESCO, NATO, the International Monetary Fund, the European Court of Justice and the Press Room at the European Commission in Brussels. French is usually associated with careers in high fashion, fine art, literature, and gourmet food, but French is also an excellent tool for careers in government, business, science, and technology. Over 1200 French companies employ approximately 500,000 Americans, and US companies employ nearly 600,000 people in France. Some corporations with headquarters in both countries include Mack Trucks, Zenith, RCA-Thompson, Bic, Dannon, Michelin, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Du Pont, Xerox, Eastman Kodak, Renault, General foods, Microsoft, Coca Cola, Merck, Louis Vuitton, Moet, L’Oreal/Lancome to name a few. (1 Richard Shryock) For more information use the link at the bottom of the page. Proficiency in French opens up more possibilities in the job market.

So, let’s get started with French!
Then off to Paris to climb the Eiffel Tower, see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, marvel at the palace in Versailles, enter Notre Dame cathedral and when ready for a break, have a snack at a sidewalk café or a gourmet dinner at a chic restaurant. Should you become a bit homesick, you can always take the bus to Euro-Disney, just outside the city.

There is a 6-week program at the Elementary Schools after school to get acquainted with four of the languages: Spanish, French, German and Russian. Officially, Sparta offers students a five-year program in French including an Advanced Placement which may result in college credit should the student pass the test. In the High School there is opportunity to travel with the teacher to Canada (Quebec province) and / or France.

French is a Romance language which means it is derived from Latin. It is a romantic language as well, “la langue de l’amour”, the language of love. Climb on board in French class, you may learn to love it too!

For personal experiences in French at Sparta High School, hear and read what other students have to say.


 * ="Why I took French "=

media type="file" key="allison-french.mp3"

media type="file" key="amy-French.mp3"

media type="file" key="kay-french.mp3"

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