I assembled this series of high-profile facts regarding France to help my middle school Australian students *get* that French is a Power language and that it would be an amazing opportunity-broadener for them in the next few years.

1. Too many reasons to *GET*
French!

2. Reality check:
There are all kinds of reasons
to learn a foreign language –
and French in particular.
Reality check:
There are all kinds of reasons
to learn a foreign language –
and French in particular.

3. Your [family] trip to any
country will be greatly
enhanced if you speak
the language beyond a
basic, “Bonjour,” “Merci”
and “Au revoir.”

7. The locals will be more
friendly and helpful, as they
will be impressed by your
efforts at speaking their
language.

9. An obvious one is to be
able to communicate
with the people who
speak it.

10. Flip-side: As most Europeans know
YOUR language, not knowing
ANY foreign language
might make you seem
un-intelligent or lazy.
And that would be SO wrong,
RIGHT?

11. HARD FACTS
Reality #1: U are not going
to be 14 FOREVER!
Reality #2: Whether u can afford it or
not, at one time or another, you will
WANT to go to Europe.

12. Reality #3: you have NO
idea whom you will meet
and what you will need to
do in a few years’ time.
True or False?

13. Reality #4: You probably already know –
deep inside – that you don’t know for
sure where you will want to be ... or
need to go ... some 5 years from now ...
some 10 years from now.
True or False?

14. Reality #5: by the time you
need that amazing full-time
job, around 2020,
you might not be able to find
what you need in Australia.

16. Massive Heads Up: whether you *think*
you would like to become a mechanic,
a doctor, a manager, a chef, a model, a
spy, a horse trainer, an architect, a
model, a teacher, a ballerina, a singer
or a vet or a scientist, knowing a fair
amount of FRENCH will always give
you an edge over the competition.
Why?

17. Because everyone *out there* knows
that French is a challenging language
to master.
And NOT everyone CAN do it.
So, when you show that you speak
French reasonably well, it tells
everyone that you know how to train
your brain and that you have great
self-discipline!

18. There’s this WEIRD thing
about French: while Japanese
is primarily spoken only in
Japan and German is primarily
spoken only in Germany,
French is spoken officially in 33
countries in which French is
either the official language, or
one of the official languages

19. & here are some of the
reasons that make French
the most *out there and
useful* language to learn:

20. Fact: France is the
world’s leader in
inspiring high-end,
luxury fashion.

22. Fact: France is the
world's third military
power after the US
and Russia.

24. Fact: the French are
a world leader in
medical research: the
AIDS virus was first
isolated by French
doctors.

25. Fact: Most
commercial satellites
are put into space on
French Ariane
rockets.

27. Fact: France is the fourth
largest producer of
practical and prestige
automobiles in the world
with their range of
Renault, Peugeot and
Citroën.

29. Fact: France has the
5th largest economy
in the world after the
U.S., Japan, China,
Germany.

30. Fact: France is the leading
country in terms of classic
high-end, expensive cuisine.
French chefs are world-famous
and inspirations to 1000s of
wannabe chefs around the
world.

31. Even snails don’t taste like snails
They are WORLD famous delish


32. Fact: The world’s fastest train is STILL
the French TGV.

33. Fact: France is the
world's leader in
the production of
luxury goods.

35. Fact: France gives
more humanitarian
aid per capita to
developing nations
than does the US.

36. Medecins Sans Frontiers
is its original name

37. Doctors Without Borders
(Medecins Sans Frontieres) is an
internationally-based, non-
governmental medical
organization with a presence in
over 70 countries throughout
the world.

38. The volunteers working for
MSF include doctors, nurses,
engineers, water and
sanitation experts,
administrators, as well as
other professionals.

39. Wot? U already know you’ll never be into helping
the world in that way?

40. Fact: France is the world's
second largest builder
and exporter of civilian and
military aircraft and
helicopters.

41. Fact: The French
Airbus is the world's
second largest fleet
of commercial
airliners.

42. In 1890 Baron Pierre de Coubertin
founded the International Olympic
Committee.

43. 120 yrs later, French,
you might have
noticed, IS still the
Official language of the
O.
Games!

44. So ... let’s say it one more time:
whether you *think* you would like to
become a mechanic, a doctor, a
manager, a chef, a model, a spy, a
horse trainer, an architect, a model,
a teacher, a ballerina, a jet pilot, a
singer, a race car driver or a nurse or
a vet or a scientist, knowing a decent
amount of French will open up
MANY options for YOU.

46. Know French and you could
truly be on your way to
being an urban player in the
huge global world out there!
Who knows, right?

48. Uh ... not so fast!
Question: is the earth flat OR is the planet
already almost flat?
Ah! D’ you hear that ‘cos of all the new
technologies already in place, the *world* is no
longer just ... *round*?

49. That means that even if you
don’t ever leave *home,* just
with your laptop and your
professional specific add-ons
and apps,

50. From home, YOU could do be
doing your own work-thing with
French speaking doctors,
managers, actors, bands,
scientists, mechanics, spies or
nurses in 33 different countries
without even getting into a car ...
or a plane!
Entirely up to you!

51. Smokin’ plan!!
So, what about
French?

52. Don’t leave
home
without it!

53. It’s like,
WHY would you?