French: The Language of World Citizen
French: The Language of World Citizen
Author: Ms. S. Manimegalai, French Language Trainer, Dept. of Humanities, BIT
French Language
“French is the language that turns dirt into romance,” says the celebrated American author Stephen King. A new language is always the medium to make connections with new hearts and souls, culture, and a new humanity. Language is what connects people at deeper levels with more meaningful associations.
French is now spoken by 300 million people across all the five continents and remains the second most learnt language after English. Africa has the largest French speakers in the world. According to the France Diplomatie website, “Demographers forecast that France’s birth rate will make French the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe, ousting German, by 2025”. After the English Language, French is the prominent language taught all over the world. At any point in time, an approximate one million people learn French and appear for qualifying examinations in a year.
French is the most preferred language for international employment opportunities and is well recognised as the business language of the world. 87 International organisations have French as their official administrative language; some of them are the United Nations, European Union, African Union, Red Cross and the World Trade Organisation, NATO, FIFA etc. French is the 6th common language on the internet having close to 4.1% of the content from 10 million French-language websites, which would multiply in the days to come. French is easy to learn for someone who knows English because 29% of modern English vocabulary comes from the French language. French has simple grammar making it easily learnable.
Understanding the French culture is an important learning for a globally matured citizen. The French culture has great pride in itself as a nation, language, music, movies, its arts, and historical legacies. The French creative culture has been one of the world’s greatest assets.
French culture respects equality and they have it as their country’s motto, “Liberté, Egalité, Fratenité”. To learn the French culture, literature and its historic legacy, French is critical as only then, the learner would appreciate the greatness of the French cultural world.
Opportunites for French Proficiency
The French language offers upwardly mobile job opportunities across the world. Hence learning French is a real career path opener for youngsters. Some of the jobs that require French as a basic language are as follows.
Translators are in great demand, in spite of the online translation tools which are available because a French translator would be able to do translation more accurately than the tools or apps. Interpreter jobs are many these days, as globalisation has flattened the world with many people travelling on work or business more often and more locations than before.
The interpreters are paid well in all countries, especially the French interpreters. Publishing editors in the French language are in great demand worldwide, the books have to be published for the African, Canada populations too, and hence there are many openings that keep coming for the French publishers and editors. Tour guides, Resort staff, Flight attendants, Diplomats, Government positions in Canada and African countries, French teaching, ESL teaching and Voice over artists are some of the most demanded avenues to work with the knowledge in French. Apart from the positions mentioned above NGOs, worldwide organisations and French companies are in constant need of French fluent employees always.
The French language is taught world over by Alliance Française. Alliance Française is Paris’s official hub of the French language and culture. They are the World’s French experts offering various language courses across the world. They enable the learners of French to get closer to the French language and culture, thus helping them communicate with confidence in their real-life requirements. Alliance Francaise awards FLE, which is a quality certification with the highest learning stars. This certificate is awarded to the maximum number of students of Alliance Française by the ministries in the French Government than other institutions.
French Language Certification
The French language can be learnt with certification, which is universally recognised. The French language certification is awarded according to the framework given by the Council of Europe. These certification standards are known as CEFR, which has six levels:
Level A1 – Beginners level which enables understanding basic phrases and terms used in day to day situations.
Level A2 – This level covers basic French language. Basically, this enables the students in articulating in French with exchanges for personal information, employment, local geography etc.
Level B1 – This is a pre-intermediate level. This level enables the student to communicate effectively in varied situations, especially while working or travelling.
Level B2 – This level is an upper-intermediate level. This level deals with complex texts. It enables the student to become fluent in the language in the professional, academic, and social contexts.
Level C1 – This level is an advanced level which enables the student to be fluent in professional, academic, and social contexts.
Level C2 – This level is an upper advanced French level which would enable the students to be fluent and professional in language usage even in complex settings.
You can choose your level of language requirement and learn with certification. The certification process is organised so professionally across the world and it helps the learners to achieve the expertise they decide and get global recognition with certification.
Conclusion
French is one of the most prominent foreign languages for Indians to pursue and excel for their better career and future.
The Department of Humanities, BIT, presently offers beginner level French language training as a part of the language elective curriculum during the II, III, and IV semesters. Advanced level training is offered on
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