Victoria+A.

Bonjour mon chéri! You may have heard this phrase through movies, shows, or maybe even a lame attempt at a pick-up line, but what does it actually mean and what language is it? "Bonjour mon chéri" means "hello my darling" in French and is a common term of endearment. Not only is French common in T.V shows and obviously, France, but French is also seen as a large impact on other countries around the world. There are twenty-eight official Francophones, or French-speaking countries, in the world, and even more countries that are members of the Francophone organization. You may be familiar with some of these areas such as Belgium, Canada, Chad, Haiti, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Switzerland. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of French in the world.

So why study French? French is the only other language besides English that is spoken on five continents. It is spoken among many different organizations including the United Nations, UNESCO, NATO, and the International Red Cross, to name a few. Among the international work force, many employers prefer French among all other languages; French even beat out Spanish. So when I consider these facts I know I definitely want to study French abroad. My top three places of study that I would like to visit are Haiti, Madagascar, and Switzerland. My first choice is Haiti because if I am going to be studying French, why not help people while I am at it? I know that the destruction of the earthquake in Haiti will be felt for years to come, and I could have an opportunity to help them and study at the same time. My next choice is Madagascar, and I must admit, it is because ever since I saw Disney’s //Madagascar,// I have been dying to go. I love beaches and want to travel to an island. My last choice is Switzerland because I have been to Europe and fell in love with the culture. I think Switzerland would be the closest experience to that, besides France, and I would get to practice the language while there.

Overall, I think that importance of French in the world is not understood. Throughout this I have learned different countries in which French is spoken and how important it is in the world.

5/2/10: French Final Conversation media type="file" key="vick.aguilar- french final.mp3"

4/29/10: Conversation 3 media type="file" key="11vaguilar3.m4a" width="300" height="50"

2/26/10: L'alphabet Français media type="file" key="vick2.m4a" width="300" height="50"

2/22/10: French Convo. 1 media type="file" key="VICK.MP3" width="300" height="50"

@Aguilar.La Culture Français