Announcements

FROM: Dr. Arcides Gonzalez RE: French 101 Elementary French & French 347 Francophone Africa
Sent:
7/8/2020 12:41:22 PM
To: Students

 

French is the language of the future!  Come join us in classes currently offered Fall 2020 in Elementary French 101, Elementary French and French 347 Francophone Africa.  

Why study French?  Here are just a few of the reasons:

1.  Forbes reports that French is the language of the future, according to a study by Natixis investment bank projecting French will be the "most-spoken language in the world" by 2050. Read the article and think about the study's methodology, to see if you agree with the bank's analysis. (Forbes, March 21, 2018) 

2.  ABC News reports that according to Bloomberg Rankings , French is the second most useful language in the world for business.  It is spoken on all 5 continents whereas Chinese, Arabic and Spanish are regional.

3.  Studying French makes you smarter!

 “…. scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.”   Sunday Review  “Why Bilinguals Are Smarter:  Gray Matter  By YUDHIJIT  BHATTACHARJEE MARCH 17, 2012

4.  French is one of the easiest languages for native English speakers to learn.  In 1066, the French Duke of Normandy conquered England and made French the official language of England for a time.  As a result, more than half of our current English vocabulary comes from French—words like avenue, university, café, exam… sound like and are spelled like their French counterparts.

5.  In French 101 you'll learn about the basics of the French language as well as some basic notions of culture. 

6.  In French 347, Francophone Africa, an online course conducted in ENGLISH, you'll learn about Africa and all the countries whose official language is French. You'll get a taste of Francophone Africa's culture (art, music, film, literature, traditions) and the movements that led up to Independence from France.

 

Come join us!  For more information contact Dr. Arcides Gonzalez at gonzalez@calu.edu