Transcript French at Dalhousie - Dalhousie University

French
French in the world
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French is a Romance language—a descendent of Latin, along with Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, etc. It developed from a dialect of Old
French spoken in the territory of Île de France (Paris).
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Nowadays French is spoken worldwide.
In Europe:
Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland.
In Africa:
Bénin, Cameroon, Maghreb countries (= Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia),
Mali, Senegal, Togo, etc.
In the Americas:
Canada, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Pierre et
Miquelon, US (Louisiana, Vermont).
In Asia:
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.
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• French is the mother tongue of more than 120 million people
and the second most-commonly taught second language
in the world (after English).
• It is an official language in some 30 countries
and one of the 5 official languages of the United Nations.
• French speaking countries of the world—pays de la
francophonie—form a powerful economic and cultural network
(comparable to the Commonwealth); they sponsor research and
development and scientific and cultural exchange worldwide.
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French in Canada
• French is the mother tongue of Quebeckers, Acadians,
Franco-Ontarians, Franco-Manitobans and Fransascois—
close to 7 million people,
or 22% of the total population of Canada.
• It is taught as a second language across the country.
• It is one of the two official languages of Canada
(along with English): all Canadian institutions—Parliament,
Government Agencies, etc.—are bilingual.
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The influence of French language and culture:
the case of English
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Historically, English borrowed 70% of its vocabulary from French.
Here are some of the old borrowings that are now part of the English
language:
[kinship terms] aunt, cousin, nephew, niece, uncle...
[foods]
biscuit, mutton, pork, potage, prune, raisin, veal, vinegar...
[architecture]
ceiling, chamber, chimney, palace, square, tower...
[furniture]
carpet, chair, curtain, cushion, lamp, lantern, table...
[abstract terms] glory, memory, victory...
Etc.
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• French expressions used as is in English:
à propos, Bon appétit!, carte blanche, C’est la vie.,
café au lait, Comme ci comme ça., crêpes, croissants,
déjà vu, haute couture, hors d’oeuvre, raison d’être,
R.S.V.P., touché, voilà, etc.
• English expressions bearing a direct reference to French culture:
French bread, French fries, French key, French kiss,
French mustard, French window, take a French leave, etc.
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French: language of art, fashion and—love
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France has more Nobel Prize laureates in literature than any other
country in the world. Here are some: Albert Camus, André Gide,
Anatole France, François Mauriac, Romain Rolland.
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It is also one of the top film-making countries in the world. French
cinema has produced such mega stars as Jean-Paul Belmondo,
Jean-Louis Trintignant, Gérard Dépardieux, Daniel Auteuil,
Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, Juliette
Binoche, Béatrice Dalle, and so on.
Québec has a vibrant film industry, as well. Thus, the work of these
Québecois directors has been internationally acclaimed: Claude
Jutra (Mon oncle Antoine, A tout prendre, Kamouraska), Robert
Lepage (Confessional, La face cachée de la lune), Denys Arcand
(Jésus de Montréal, Le déclin de l’empire américain, Les invasions
barbares).
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• France and Belgium are the leading producers of comics
(bande dessinée): Astérix and Tintin are known all over the
world.
• Paris is one of the world’s fashion capitals: everyone is
familiar with fashion lines of Pierre Cardin, Coco Chanel,
Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, to mention just a few.
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French at Dalhousie
• Courses in French language, linguistics, literature and
culture
Spoken French, Quebec French, French for Business, Cinema:
the French phenomenon, Stories and Legends of the
Francophone World, Electronic Tools for Teaching French, and
many more.
• Study abroad programs
A year in Dijon (France)
• Certificate of proficiency in French
• Social & cultural life
Students’ French society, film screenings, wine & cheese parties,
and a lot more.
www.french.dal.ca
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Carreers with French
• Teaching
• Language Techologies
• Translation & Interpretation
• Journalism & Communications
• Public Service
• International Trade
• Business Administration
• Tourism
Etc.
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