IMPORTANCE AND SCOPE

OF
FRENCH AS A
LANGAUGE IN
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS

 MADE BY:
MANIKA CHUGH

2ND SEMESTER MIB

ROLL NO:17
INTRODUCTION

 On an international level, after English, French is the most

commonly taught second language in the world today.

 French is an official language in 29 countries; it is one of the leading

languages in Europe and other continents with 113 million
Francophones worldwide. La Francophonie has 55 member states.

 In many countries of the Middle East, the Far East and Africa,
the French language still enjoys a privileged position in
administration, commerce and international business due to old
cultural ties with France and the existence of a large French-speaking
population in these areas.

 The combination of French and International Business therefore opens

up a wide range of attractive international opportunities for the French
speaking graduate, across for profit and not-for-profit sectors.
A Brief History of the French Language
In the 12th and 13th centuries, like the rest of Europe, France's language and
culture were heavily dominated by the presence of the Catholic church.
Latin was not only considered the language of communication within the
Church, but it was also exclusively used within the sciences and philosophy.
Latin was the language of educated individuals. Like all other romance
languages, Latin words were adopted into French and contributed strongly to
the evolution of the language. For example, the French word "bien" for good
is similar to the Latin one "bene".

French Beginnings
During the 13th and 14th centuries, French began to emerge as a language of
its own. The French of this period, called "François," was beginning to be
used more widely in place of Latin for official purposes. This lingua
Gallic began to compete with Latin and eventually overpowered the
previously dominant language as the language of choice for administrative
purposes. More and more documents began to be translated into "François"
and it was in this way that French began to evolve into its own language,
separately spoken yet still similarly written to Latin.

The Influence of French

As early as the 13th century, "François" was already used and taught in
England. French came to be considered a desired knowledge and it was
sophisticated to have knowledge of French in one's education. French was
considered polite and was associated with high society. By the middle of the
14th century, French was the most widely spoken language in Europe, and
one can consider this influence as the earliest beginnings of French as a
diplomatic language. As a result of the Hundred Years' War, French was
rejected by England, replaced by a nationalistic view that only English
should be used for official affairs. However, French continued to be used
despite the intentions to ban it from judiciary practices.

INTERNATIONAL SCOPE OF FRENCH:

While any language will be useful for some jobs or for some regions,
French is the only foreign language that can be useful throughout the
world as well as in the United States. French as a foreign language is the
second most frequently taught language in the world after English.
French and English are the only two global languages.

French, along with English, is the official working language of

 The United Nations

 UNESCO
 NATO
 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
 the International Labor Bureau
 the International Olympic Committee
 the 31-member Council of Europe
 the European Community
 the Universal Postal Union
 the International Red Cross
 Union of International Associations (UIA)

French is the dominant working language at

 the European Court of Justice

 the European Tribunal of First Instance
 the Press Room at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium
Benefits Of Learning French Language

 TRAVELLING MADE EASIER: If you can speak French, you will

love traveling even more that is prerequisite of international business.
French, being spokenacross five continents - North America, South
America, Europe, Africa and Asia,is one of the most widely
recognized languages. Even major tourist destinationsconsider French
as their national language. Other countries like Morocco, Monaco, and
Egypt are a few members among the 56 listed on the International
Organization of French-speaking countries.

 BETTER CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING: Learning a foreign

language largely helps you to get familiar with some of the cultural
understandings of that country. Culture forms the basis of a language,
thus, by learning the language, you get a brief idea of that country’s
culture. Becoming multicultural will help you be in touch with the
events occurring across the world. For international business its
necessary that you know other countries culture as well.

 BETTER BUSINESS OPPPURTUNITIES: French language is

highly useful in overseas business, in both manufacturing andservices.
Various French products, including beverages like wine and liquors,
cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear reactors are exported to
numerous countries across the world. Thus knowing french as a
foreign language opens up numerous sectors for us to work in.

 MOST PRACTICAL LANGUAGE: When employers and

universities look at applicants, they do not start looking atthe bottom
of the list to see who has done only the minimal amount of
requirements necessary or taken the easiest route available, they start
at the top of thelist and look for those students who have risen above
the rest. With French they have access to the most widely spoken
foreignlanguage in the world after English and they become familiar
 with a culture that significantly influences our own. The French
economy is one of the strongest inthe world and is increasingly a
leader in technological innovation. In sum, French is the language of
the future.

Reasons to study French

 It is not limited to one or two continents.

 French is spoken in two of the G7 countries.
 France is the world's major tourist destination (60 million tourists a
year).
 France is in 4th position in terms of world power and it does not have
the debtproblems facing many other major industrialised nations. (A
positive sign for joint projects, business and scientific co-operation).
 France is renowned for the quality of its high tech,. (The TGV is the
fastest train in the world - 515 kph).
 French is the official language of the International Red Cross.French
is one of the official languages of post offices across the world.
 France is one of the two official languages at the Olympic Games.
 French-speaking Africa represents an area larger than the USA.
 French is the most widely taught second language after English.
 French is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
 .A good knowledge of French enables you to fully enjoy, at the
cinema or on TV, the best films from the French speaking world.
 Learning French can help you improve the interpersonal skills you
bring to your international career.
SCOPE OF FRENCH IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

1. Improves your language-

Learning a foreign language is always helpful. You will find that it

becomes easier to study other languages once you have mastered a
certain language. The more you enhance your foreign language skills,
the more you will be able to comprehend other languages. If
you learn French you will find it easy to learn other languages that
have originated in Europe.

2. Widen Your Job Opportunities

Being able to speak French will greatly benefit you when it comes to
getting jobs or when it comes to your career. This capability will
heighten your market aspect since, you are perceived as an
international asset. Employers are likely to prefer applicants who
speak more than one language. Despite the fact that American English
is widely spoken by most of the people in the world, businesses and
companies constantly communicate with other clients who can't speak
it. The French are always conducting business with the United States,
and if you know how to talk with French clients, you might just be on
your way to promotion.

3. Open Yourself to Other Cultures

The language of France is strongly connected to its culture, which in

turn, is connected with the history and traditions of the country. The
native tongue of France defines it from all the other countries of the
world. If you know how to speak French, comprehending the
country's culture will not be that hard. You will be able to look at
France in a whole new light, seeing the country as a place which you
have never seen before. Aside from better understanding their culture,
you will be able to understand French movies, without looking at the
subtitles.
4. Enhance Your IQ and Your Personality

When you study and speak other languages, you will be able to
enhance specific aspects of your intelligence. It has been reported that
studying a foreign language will help you increase your skills in
problem solving and your memory skills. Children who learn another
language oftentimes have higher scores in language and reading and
math tests. Aside from enhancing the intelligence of a person, it also
helps in improving the personality. When going through the process
of learning, a person develops patience and discipline. This is the
reason why, most people who have learnt a foreign language decide to
learn another one.