Whyfrench

•Your baby's first brush with the language you speak
takes place while he is still in the womb. His very first
cry is audibly shaped by the language he heard before
he was born, said a new study.
•A team of scientists from France and Germany,
comparing the gurgles, coos and cries of French and
German newborns, found that baby talk is not
universal.
•Earlier research had shown that by the third trimester,
human foetuses can memorise sounds from the
external world and are especially keyed in to the
melodic qualities of music and speech.
•It has been known, for example, that newborns prefer
the voices of their mothers and can decipher emotional
content - anger or joy - from the intonation of maternal
speech.
•However, even if tiny tots can perceive differences in language, it was widely held that they are incapable of vocalising those
distinctions.
•The new research, published in the upcoming issue of the US-based Current Biology, shows that this assumption is wrong.
•Researchers, led by Kathleen Wermke of the University of Wurzburg in Germany, recorded and analysed the cries of 60 healthy
newborns ranging in age from three to five days.
•Half the babies were born into French-speaking families and the other half were surrounded by German as they grew in the
womb.
•Astonishingly, cry melodies were clearly shaped by the mother - and their mothers' - tongue. The French newborns tended to
cry with a rising melody contour, while the German tots wailed with a falling tone, both signature features of each language, the
study found.
•'These data support the importance of human infants' crying for seeding language development,' Dr Wermke said. They also
reinforce the idea that some limitation to acquiring language skills at the earliest age may be more physical than cognitive.
•It has been shown that babies can begin imitating vowel sounds from about 12 weeks. However, this skill depends on a degree
of vocal control that is not possible physically at an earlier age.
•'Newborns are probably highly motivated to imitate their mother's behaviour in order to attract her and to foster bonding,' the
study noted. 'Melody contour may be the only aspect of their mother's speech that newborns are able to imitate.'
•This article was first published in The Straits Times.
By DORIS, ASE Student's Mother 1

Communication
An obvious reason to learn a new language is to be able to communicate with the people who speak it. This includes both the people
you meet when traveling as well as people in your own community. Your trip to another country will be greatly enhanced in both ease
of communication and friendliness if you speak the language. Speaking another's language shows respect for that culture, and
people in every country prefer it when tourists make an effort to speak the local language, even if all you can say in it is "hello" and
"please." In addition, learning another language can also help you to communicate with local immigrant populations at home.

Cultural understanding
Speaking a new language helps you to get to know another people and culture, as language and culture go hand in hand. Because
language simultaneously defines and is defined by the world around us, learning another language opens one's mind to new ideas
and new ways of looking at the world.

For example, the fact that many languages have more than one translation of "you" indicates that these languages (and the cultures
that speak them) place a greater emphasis on distinguishing between audiences than does English. French distinguishes between tu
(familiar) and vous (formal/plural), while Spanish has five words that indicate one of four categories: familiar/singular (tú or vos,
depending on the country), familiar/plural (vosotros), formal/singular (Ud.), and formal/plural (Uds.). Meanwhile, Arabic distinguishes
between nta (masculine singular), nti (feminine singular), and ntuma (plural). In contrast, English uses "you" for masculine, feminine,
familiar, formal, singular, and plural. The fact that these languages have such different ways of looking at "you" indicates cultural
differences between the people who speak them: French and Spanish focus on familiarity vs formality, while Arabic emphasizes
gender. This is just one example of many of the linguistic and cultural differences between languages.

In addition, when you speak another language, you can enjoy literature, film, and music in the original language. It is extremely
difficult for a translation to be a perfect replica of the original; the best way to understand what the author really meant is to read what
the author actually wrote.
By DORIS, ASE student's Parent
2

Business and careers
Speaking more than one language is a skill which will increase your marketability. Schools and employers tend to prefer candidates
who speak one or more foreign languages. Even though English is widely spoken in much of the world, the fact is that the global
economy depends on communication. When dealing with France, for example, someone who speaks French will have an obvious
advantage over someone who doesn't.

Language enhancement
Learning another language can help you to understand your own. Many languages have contributed to the development of English,
so learning those will teach you where words and even grammatical structures are from, and augment your vocabulary to boot. Also,
in learning how another language differs from your own, you will increase your understanding of your own language. For many
people, language is innate - we know how to say something, but we don't necessarily know why we say it that way. Learning another
language can change that.

Each subsequent language you study will be, in some respects, a little easier, because you've already learned how to learn another
language. Plus, if the languages are related, such as French and Spanish, German and Dutch, or Arabic and Hebrew, some of what
you've already learned will apply to the new language as well, making the new language that much easier.

Test scores
As years of foreign language study increase, math and verbal SAT scores increase. (1) Children who study a foreign language often
have higher standardized test scores in math, reading, and language arts.

Foreign language study can help to increase problem-solving skills, memory, and self-discipline.

The acquisition of a foreign language is the discovery of a new world and a new self. The acquisition of a new language has
intellectual value in and of itself: the process makes us conscious of what language is and how it works (its structure,
function, and arbitrariness, among others.) Learning a new language gives us a distinct point of view from which we can
evaluate and understand our own language.
Learning a new language gives us a distinct point of view from which
we can evaluate and understandDORIS, ASE student's Parent
By
our own language. 3

Neuroscientist Finds “Cognitive Edge”
when Children Learn French.
When children learn French, or another foreign language, they develop more sophisticated minds than their
monolingual peers, according to a study of bilingual children presented to the Society for Neuroscience.
The report on bilingual children who learn French and English was presented by professor Laura-Ann Petitto,
PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist at Dartmouth College, who has spent over 30 years researching the biological
foundations of language.
“Our findings show that bilingual children can perform certain cognitive tasks more accurately than monolinguals,”
Dr. Petitto said, in a press release. “Being bilingual can give you a cognitive edge.”
How much of an edge? When children learn French or another foreign language do they actually become “smarter” than kids
who only speak English? So far, the research of Petitto and her colleagues has revealed no quantifiable answers to these
questions but the overall implication is interesting.
Granted, most parents who encourage their children to learn French are more concerned with the culture – the chocolat and
cinéma – than experiments in cognition. Even so, the science is provocative. By taking a look at recent studies in
educational neuroscience, we can better understand the significance of their findings.

What does the “Simon Task” tell us about children who learn French?
Dr. Petitto‟s research compared a group of monolingual children who spoke solely English or French, with a group of children
who communicated in both languages. The groups were further categorized by age (from 4 to 6 years) and linguistic ability.
The children participated in the “Simon Task,” which involves colored squares flashing on a computer screen. As the squares
jump randomly from side to side, the children are asked to quickly select whether they‟re seeing a red or blue square. If red,
they press a button on their right. If blue, they press a button on the left. When correctly performed, a child who sees a blue
square on the right-hand side of the screen will nonetheless press the left-hand button, signifying blue.
The bilingual children reportedly scored much better than the monolinguals, suggesting that when children learn French and
English, they become better equipped to sort through abstract and contradictory information. Such activity requires a
significant degree of mental sophistication, especially for a six-year-old.

Petitto attributed the difference in skill sets to the increased cognitive demands when children learn French and English or
any other bilingual language pairing. By processing two languages, they develop greater mental flexibility and agility.
“For example, the brain that has been trained for bilingual language must look up and attend to the meaning for, say, „cup‟ in
one language, while suppressing the meaning for „cup‟ in the child„s other native language,” Petitto said, in the press release.
“This requires heightened computational analysis in the brain.” 4

Other cognitive benefits when children learn French

Dr. Ellen Bialystok is a professor of psychology at York University in Canada, who collaborated with Dr. Petitto on the “Simon Task”
study. For several years, Dr. Bialystok has been conducting her own research on the cognitive effects of learning another language.
“There is a lot of fear that exposing children to languages will cause confusion and harm,” Bialystok told Cookie magazine in 2006.
Research led by Bialystok has shown that when children learn French and English or are bilingual in other languages, they
consistently outperform monolingual kids on select cognitive tasks. The “Stroop Test,” for example, requires participants to name the
color of ink on a flashcard that features a contradictory or confusing word; for example, the word “yellow” written in blue ink.
Reportedly, bilinguals tend to be much better at naming the right color. Performance on the Stroop Test and Simon Task reflect levels
of attention control, sorting ability, and the resolution of complex information. Cookie reports that 4-year-old bilingual children are
generally more capable of sorting information and performing similar “frontal-lobe „executive‟ functions” than monolingual children
who are a full year older.

Children Learn French and Take Advantage of the Brain's Flexibility
While neuroscientists continue to debate the degree of cognitive benefits that come from learning a second language, educators and
linguistic experts have determined that there are no benefits whatsoever to withholding second language education. In fact, when
children learn French or another foreign language at an early age, they are much more likely to achieve fluency. The minds of
preschoolers are surprisingly capable of acquiring and integrating new modes of communication.
Dr. Bialystok told Cookie that there is “not a shred of evidence” to support the superstition that when young children learn French or
another foreign language, it leads to confusion or problems in English.
Dr. Petitto struck a similar chord when interviewed at a linguistics conference sponsored by George Washington University‟s
Graduate School of Education and Human Development. She declared : “I hope to make clear with regard to the architecture of the
human brain that it is not set to learn only one language. The brain is not a closed system. It was not etched to learn one thing.”
“We have multiple ways and multiple languages,” Dr. Petitto concluded. “The brain can handle that.”

5

How French Has Influenced English
Les influences de la langue française dans la langue anglaise

French Influence in English | French Vocabulary in English
The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin
and German were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English.
Without going into too much detail, I want to give a little bit of background about the other languages which shaped English. It was born
out of the dialects of three German tribes (Angles, Jutes, and Saxons) who settled in Britain in about 450 A.D. This group of dialects forms
what linguists refer to as Anglo-Saxon, and at some point this language developed into what we know as Old English. This Germanic base
was influenced in varying degrees by Celtic, Latin, and Scandinavian (Old Norse) - the languages spoken by invading armies.
Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." (1) When William the Conqueror
became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years.
Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no
noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status
to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into
Middle English.
Vocabulary
During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today.
This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature - learn some. More than a third of all
English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French
already know 15,000 French words. (2)

Pronunciation
English pronunciation owes a lot to French as well.

Grammar
Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general,
where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English.

6

Top Reasons to Take FRENCH

1.Be understood in 55 countries across five continents and by over 200 million people.
2.French is the third most common language on the Internet. Connect with pen pals, visit foreign
websites and find student exchange opportunities.
3.French is a melodious and romantic language with a relatively quick learning curve.
4.Develop critical, creative thinking and problem solving skills. French also provides the base for
more than 50% of the modern English vocabulary, which improves performance on standardized
tests.
5.Open the doors to art, music, fashion, food, architecture and literature.
6.Discover a new appreciation for other cultures in countries that speak French like: France,
Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco and many African nations.
7.Use French to pursue studies in Francophone countries.
8.Promote language diversity throughout the world.
9.Be more competitive in the national and international job market in disciplines like business,
medicine, aviation, law, transportation technologies, global/international distribution and luxury
goods.
10.French is the official working language of the UN, NATO, UNESCO, the International Olympic
Committee, the European Union, the International Red Cross and much more!
7

How many French speakers are there?
How many French speakers are there? Where is French spoken? How many French-speaking countries are
there? In which international organizations is French an official language? Read this introduction to some facts
and figures about the French language.

People often wonder how many French speakers there are, but a definitive answer is not easy to find. In 1999,
French was the 11th most common first language in the world, with 77 million first language speakers and another
51 million second language speakers, according to the Ethnologue Report. (1) French is the second most
commonly-taught second language in the world (after English).

Another source, La Francophonie dans le monde 2006-2007 (2), looks at it differently:
•128 million Francophones: speak French (as a native or adopted language) fluently and use it on a regular basis.
•72 million "partiel" Francophones: live in a francophone country but do not speak French regularly, due to limited
knowledge.
100-110 million students of all ages: do not live in a francophone country, but have learned/are learning French in
order to communicate with Francophones.

French-speaking countries (official)

French is spoken officially in 33 countries - that is, there are 33 countries in which French is either the official
language, or one of the official languages. This number is second only to English, which is spoken officially in 45
countries. French and English are the only languages spoken as a native language on 5 continents and the only
languages taught in every country in the world.(3)

8

I. Frenchis the official language of France and its overseas territories* as
well as 14 other countries:
•Bénin
•Burkina Faso
•Central African Republic
•Congo (Democratic Republic of)
•Congo (Republic of)
•Côte d'Ivoire
•Gabon
•Guinea
•Luxembourg
•Mali
•Monaco
•Niger
•Sénégal
•Togo

*French territories - DOM-TOM
Départements d'outre-mer (DOM)
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion
Territoires d'outre mer (TOM)
French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French southern & Antarctic lands
Collectivités territoriales
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte
9

French is also the official language of certain regions of multilingual
countries:
•Belgium: Wallonie region
•Canada: Québec province
•Switzerland: Jura, Genève, Neuchâtel, and Vaud districts

II. French is one of the official languages in the following countries:
•Belgium
•Burundi
•Cameroon
•Canada
•Chad
•Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey)
•Comoros
•Djibouti
•Equatorial Guinea
•Haiti (the two official languages are French and French Creole)
•Madagascar
•Rwanda
•Seychelles
•Switzerland
•and Vanuatu

10

French-speaking countries (unofficial)
III. In many countries, French plays an important role, either as an administrative, commercial,
or international language or simply due to a significant French-speaking population:
•Algeria
•Andorra
•Argentina
•Brazil
•Cambodia
•Cape Verde
•Dominica (French patois)
•Egypt
•Greece
•Grenada (French patois)
•Guinea-Bissau
•India
•Italy (Valle d'Aosta)
•Laos
•Lebanon
•Mauritania
•Mauritius
•Morocco
•Poland
•Saint Lucia
•Syria
•Trinidad and Tobago
•Tunisia
•United States (Louisiana, New England)
•Vatican City
•Vietnam
IV. Although there‟s no any official information about what role French plays in them, the
following countries are members of or associated with la Francophonie: Albania, Bulgaria,
Czech Republic, Lithuania, Macedonia, DORIS, ASE student's Parent and Slovenia.
By
Moldovia, Romania,
11

Where is French used?
French is considered an international language not only because it is spoken in dozens of
countries, but also because it is one of the official working languages in many international
organizations, including

•African Union (AU) (5)
•Amnesty International (4)
•Council of Europe (2)
•European Commission (3)
•Interpol (4)
•International Criminal Court (2)
•International Olympic Committee (2)
•International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (2)
•International Red Cross and Red Crescent (3)
•Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) (1)
•North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (3)
•North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (2)
•Organization for Economic Cooperation + Development (OECD) (2)
•United Nations (UN) (6)
•World Health Organization (WHO) (6)
•World Trade Organization (WTO) (3)
The number (in parentheses) indicates the total number of official working languages for
that organization.

12

Political relations

Our bilateral relations are excellent and trusting, as illustrated by Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong‟s recent visit to Paris in January 2008. Mr.Lee Hsien Loong had already
gone to Paris in November 2005. The Minister Mentor, Mr.Lee Kuan Yew, goes to
France each year.
In 2007, Senate President Christian Poncelet made an official visit to Singapore. The
Minister of Foreign Affairs went to Singapore in October 2007. Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Rama Yade represented France at the most recent
EU-ASEAN summit, which was held last 21 and 22 November in Singapore.
Finally, the Secretaries General for Foreign Affairs hold political consultations on an
annual basis: the most recent one took place on 17 March 2008 in Singapore.
Updated on 15.07.08

13

Economic relations
Singapore qualifies for OECD tax standards
By Sameera Anand | 16 November 2009

Singapore signs an agreement with France to share tax information, allowing it to
qualify for the OECD's white list of jurisdictions that have substantially tightened
their rules.
Singapore has entered into an agreement for sharing tax information with France. The
agreement, signed on Friday, marks Singapore's twelfth such agreement and, with this,
Singapore qualifies for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's
(OECD) white list of jurisdictions that h.... »

Singapore is our leading trading partner in Southeast Asia and our third-
leading trading partner in Asia. After the decade got off to a difficult start, bilateral trade
has picked up again to reach €6.5b in 2005 and 2006, before exceeding €7b in 2007. This
growth is due primarily to the dynamism of our imports (+18.4%), while our exports have grown
more modestly (+4.3%). While France posted a positive balance of €500M in 2006, the surplus
was reduced to €120M in 2007.
With total investments standing at nearly €3b, Singapore is the second-leading destination of
French investments in Asia, after Japan. The city-state plays host to 437 French company sites
(mainly in the electronics and financial services industries), including about 40 companies that
have been founded locally (restaurants and importers of wines and spirits). In 2006, 26 of these
companies were included on the list of Singapore‟s leading companies on the basis of their
turnover.
Trade
Source: French customs
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics By DORIS, ASE student's Parent
Updated on 15.07.08 14

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation
Our cultural presence in Singapore is valued. Our scientific cooperation benefits from the
priority Singapore gives to research and the new technologies sectors. Its first focus is on
biotechnologies, optics and optoelectronics, IT, robotics and applied mathematics.
The build-up of our university cooperation has been confirmed, stressing dual-diploma training
programmes (between France‟sgrandes écolesand Singapore‟s universities), nicely illustrated by
the establishment of the ESSEC and INSEAD business schools in Singapore.
France is accompanying Singapore in its goal of becoming a cultural centre with a regional
dimension, and is setting up ambitious artistic programming, focused on the idea of cultural
diversity, with key events. A framework agreement should initiate a cooperation initiative between
French and Singaporean museums soon, enabling the principal museums of the city-state to
take advantage of French expertise and play host to exhibitions of works from great French
museums.
Updated on 15.07.08

Defence cooperation
Defence cooperation holds a key position in our bilateral relations, with security a priority for
Singapore, which earmarks a third of its budget thereto. France has been able to develop quality
cooperation initiatives with the city-state, based on two components: operational cooperation and a
strategic dialogue.
Updated on 15.07.08

15

Meeting between Bernard Kouchner and his Singaporian counterpart, Mr
George Yeo (January 20, 2009)
On 20 January Bernard Kouchner had a meeting with George Yeo, Singapore Foreign Minister, who paid a two-day official visit to
France.

© MAEE/F. de la Mure
The Singapore Minister‟s visit provided the opportunity to pursue the very detailed dialogue our two countries
maintain both on global issues, such as the international financial crisis and fight against maritime piracy, and on
regional matters such as our cooperation with ASEAN and the situation in Burma.
It enabled us to strengthen our already very substantive bilateral relations in the political, economic and cultural
spheres. Indeed Singapore is our leading trading partner in South-East Asia and one of the foremost destinations
for French investments in Asia.


President Nathan Confers Top Military Award on French Armed Forces Chief of the
Defence Staff Posted: 26 Nov 2009, 1555 hours (Time is GMT +8 hours)

The Chief of the Defence Staff of the French Armed Forces (FAF), General (GEN) Jean-Louis
Georgelin, was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang
(Tentera) [or Distinguished Service Order (Military)], by President S R Nathan at the Istana this
afternoon.

The medal was awarded to GEN Georgelin for his significant contributions in strengthening the
excellent defence ties between the FAF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Under his
leadership, professional military exchanges and defence collaborations between the two forces
have grown in scope and depth. In particular, GEN Georgelin's support for the Republic of
Singapore Air Force's Advanced Jet Training detachment in Cazaux has enabled RSAF pilots to
hone their flying skills and benefit professionally from regular contact with their French GEN Georgelin calling on Mr Teo at the
counterparts. GEN Georgelin has also been instrumental in ensuring the smooth progress of the Istana before the investiture.
Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) Frigate Programme, providing invaluable training
opportunities for the RSN frigate crew. These professional and personal interactions have
enhanced the mutual understanding and rapport between the officers and men of the two
armed forces.

GEN Georgelin, who is in Singapore for a two-day visit from 25 to 26 November 2009, called on
Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General (LG) Desmond Kuek and Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at the Istana before the investiture. Guests at the
investiture included Mr Teo, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Ng Eng
Hen, LG Kuek, as well as other senior government officials and military officers from Singapore
and France.

GEN Georgelin calling on Mr Teo at
the Istana before the investiture.
Last updated on 26 Nov 2009
16

Launch of TiVi5MONDE PLUS, the first international French-speaking WEBTV
service for children (June 24, 2009)
www.tivi5mondeplus.com
Aimed at French-speaking youngsters aged between 3 and 12 years old, TiVi5MONDE PLUS is the first totally free entertainment
and educational service available outside French-speaking Europe, in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Arab world.
After its website specially created for mobile phones and its VOD platform devoted to the French-speaking cinema, TV5MONDE has
now added this new Children’s WEB TV service as part of its transition to global media.
This innovative service will provide both French-speaking families and Francophiles keen to introduce their children to French, with
access to high-quality children’s programmes in a safe environment with none of the inconvenience caused by time zone differences.
TiVi5MONDE PLUS: A wealth of high quality entertainment and educational programmes
Working closely with its partner broadcasters (FranceTélévisions, Radio-Canada, RTBF, Télé-Québec and TSR), TV5MONDE has
selected the very best French-speaking children’s programmes. The programme schedules for TiVi5MONDE PLUS include content
already broadcast and also a number of exclusive features never before shown on TV5MONDE. The programme line-up includes
four categories:

Cartoons: Cédric, Pat and Stan, Titeuf, Inami, Rantanplan, Kid Paddle, Sam Sam, Spirou Fantasio, Shuriken School,
Le manège enchanté and Raymond...
General entertainment (magazine programmes, game shows and fiction): Les p’tits amateurs, Neurones, Blabla,
Le broco show, Les aventures de Wambi and Déjà vu...

Educational programmes: Une minute au musée, Les petits citoyens and Merci professeur
The daily news: Les NiouzzVarious competitions and educational features are also organised around a number of these
programmes. Also designed to promote the French language to youngsters abroad, Children’s WEB TV will provide teachers with
educational activities to encourage the "learning and teaching of French through the use of cartoons".
To celebrate the launch of Children’s WEB TV, throughout the launch period TiVi5MONDE PLUS will be running "Kirikou et la
sorcière" one of the finest French language feature-length animated films, accessible for the first time via the Internet.
A WEB TV service carefully designed for easy and unaided navigation by youngsters, accessible in a secure area.
With the focus firmly on user-friendliness, TiVi5MONDE PLUS has been designed to facilitate navigation by children, who can explore
the exciting world of WEB TV unaided, and watch their favourite programmes in full-screen mode with a single click on their computer
desktop.
The range of available programmes is further added to on a daily basis. Programmes can be watched either "on demand" or live.
Thanks to the "Mon tivi5" option, children can also organise their own programme schedule.
17

Launch of the website, “Le Fil du bilingue”, at the Expolangues exhibition
(January 16, 2009)

Bilingual French education is growing rapidly around the world, now boasting nearly 1,500,000 students. There are about 3,200 bilingual
departments in 50 countries and every continent. This is a priority for France and for a growing number of partner countries, which formalize and
structure this type of education.

Le Fil du bilingue is the only website that offers instructional material designed specifically for bilingual French
education. It is the fruit of partnerships between the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and leading institutions
and associations: the Centre International d’Études Pédagogiques (CIEP), Institut National de l’Audiovisuel (INA) and the
Association pour le Développement de l’Enseignement Bilingue/plurilingue ( ADEB). It is a key tool for consolidating and
developing our network of bilingual departments.
It offers original contributions from specialists in bilingual education and FLE teaching, educational documents provided by INA,
La Documentation française and other partners, and calls for voluntary contributions from educators. It also takes over the
archives of the Billet du bilingue, published by the CIEP.
Le Fil du bilingue is intended for teachers in bilingual French departments, those establishing departments of French studies,
and teachers in the French cultural and academic network abroad. A forum for exchanging practical experience and teaching
materials, current affairs magazine, databank, this site is also a tool for distance learning.
Access is free, and online instructional materials (texts, images, lesson sequences, etc.) are free of copyright for
educational use. It may be difficult to access the Internet in some countries. Thus, the interface of Le Fil du bilingue is simple
and refers to files that are easy to download. The site can already be accessed at: http://lefildubilingue.org/.

18

Singapore-French nanotechnology laboratory opens in Singapore
(Nanowerk News) Just two months after the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) signed the Memorandum of Understanding in
Paris with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Thales Group of Companies to set up a joint research
laboratory, the three parties are meeting again in Singapore to inaugurate the CNRS-International-NTU-Thales Research Alliance
(CINTRA) Laboratory at NTU.

Located at the Research Techno Plaza, the CINTRA Laboratory aims to harness the latest in science and technology to develop
innovations in nanotechnologies for computing, sensing and communications applications.

Over the next two years, about 50 Singapore and French researchers will work on critical issues and challenges faced by existing
technologies in the microelectronic and photonic industries, promising innovations to meet future commercial as well as defence and
security needs.

Examples of such application-driven challenges include the development of enabling technologies such as an imaging chip to process
and display real-time multi-dimensional information, and a low-power signal processing chip capable of super high-speed performance
of a trillion bits (terabit) per second or more.

His Excellency Mr Olivier Caron, the Ambassador of France to Singapore, who was the guest-of-honour at the inauguration ceremony,
said: “The R&D and innovation landscapes have changed, and are no longer confined to simple projects that can be defined, funded
and conducted within single companies, universities or research institutions. It is no longer possible to progress in a major field of
scientific research without the cooperation and strong commitment of different actors coming from different regions of the world.”

“France and Singapore have long ago started this process of collaborative work and mutual aid, launching different research projects
and tightening the R&D relationships between both countries," said Mr Caron. “This current alliance is unlike most of the others – it
brings together a research centre, a university and a private company in the same location. Academia, fundamental research, applied
research, and technology transfer are considered in this union. This model should not only drive breakthroughs in innovation but
should also result in bringing these innovations to the market.”

NTU President Dr Su Guaning said: “NTU is acknowledged as a University that seeks to be relevant to the needs of industry,
innovating and pioneering new application areas while building on our staff‟s core competencies. We seek to be nimble, listening
closely to the research trends while responding to the needs of the industry.”
19

“We are indeed grateful to CNRS and Thales for the confidence that they have shown in NTU. Together with CNRS‟ strength in
research and Thales‟ experience in the global market, we shall make the CINTRA Laboratory an example of how upstream research
can turn into successful commercial products and applications in a most unexpected way,” said Dr Su.
Mr Jean-Jacques Gagnepain, Adviser to the CNRS President on International Affairs, said: “CNRS salutes the impressive commitment
that NTU has granted to our joint laboratory, the Unité Mixte Internationale CINTRA.”
“Within these superb, well-designed and ergonomic premises that we visited today, we feel all the more certain that the joint efforts of
our scientists will allow NTU, Thales and CNRS to produce far-reaching research results, concepts and inventions. It is our joint
ambition to lift the bottlenecks that currently block existing microelectronic and photonic research,” said Mr Gagnepain.
Mr Patrick Plante, Chief Executive Officer of Thales Technology Centre Singapore, said: “Thales reaffirms its strong commitment to the
Unité Mixte Internationale CINTRA and is proud to be one of the three pillars of this unique joint collaboration between academic,
research and industry partners outside of France.”
“Our long-standing relationship with the prestigious NTU of Singapore established since the creation of our joint research lab
Thales@NTU, as well as our long-valued partnership with the largest fundamental research organisation in Europe, CNRS, will be
significantly reinforced, and we trust that our complementarities will lead CINTRA to excellence in developing cutting-edge
technologies. In this research-friendly environment at NTU, CINTRA will fly the flag for French-Singapore advanced research on
nanotechnologies and nanophotonics,” said Mr Plante.
Source: NTU

French Alumni French Language Awards.
The French Alumni French Language Awards are given annually to Singaporean students who excel in the French language from the
various tertiary institutions and schools in Singapore. These awards aim to motivate students in their study of the French language and
encourage them to further their education in France.
The first awards were presented in 1992 to the best French language students from 4 institutions in Singapore, namely the European
Studies Program of the National University of Singapore, the French-Singapore Institute which is now part of the Nanyang Polytechnic,
Victoria Junior College and the Ministry of Education Language Centre (two awards).
In 1997, as more and more students were learning French in Singapore, the awards were extended to five more institutions: Nanyang
Technological University, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and the Alliance Française de Singapour.
In 2008, the awards were extended to 2 more schools: ACS (Independent) and NUS High School of Mathematics and Science. In
2009, SJI International was added to the list of award recipients.
20

High-Tech Access to the Olympic Games
May 2008
By Bruno Gimmig
At the twenty-ninth Olympic Games, each of the 12 million spectators expected in Beijing will carry a little bit of French technology in their pockets. The
contract to design the tickets for all the competitions was awarded to ASK, a business based in the south of France. The result, a mass of technology packed
into a ticket measuring 20 x 9 cm.
To open the doors of the Beijing National Stadium as if by magic, if you want to attend one of the sporting competitions scheduled between 8 and 24 August,
all you need is to have in your pocket the fruit of the application of some fifty patents such as inlay paper, silver ink printed antenna and flip chip die attach or
RFID (Radio-frequency Identification) labels.
But, mind you, we are not talking about computer components here, but the entrance tickets that each spectator has to carry with him or her to attend the
Beijing Olympic Games. Unlike traditional tickets, admission to this global event depends on technology designed and marketed by the French company ASK
and contained within a piece of paper.
This company, based in the south of France, has come up with an innovative solution to the question put by the Beijing Olympic Games Organising
Committee: “Who can supply 14 million tickets which are secure, impossible to counterfeit and which will allow proper regulation of the flow of people
expected at the Chinese Olympiad?”
In operation for a mere ten years or so, ASK has become the world leader in contactless smart cards, contactless paper tickets and RFID labels with over 70
million products in circulation worldwide. Originally a modest start-up, this French company now employs over 130 people and in 2006 generated a turnover
of 35 million euros, 70% of which was in exports.
For a global event on this scale, an international partnership seemed imperative. So, in order to produce this fully recyclable high-tech ticket in massive
numbers, ASK joined forces with Tong Fang, China’s third largest PC manufacturer, to create a joint venture dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of
contactless products. With state-of-the-art production equipment, the players involved in this partnership are able to deliver up to 200 million units of
contactless paper-based tickets, inlays and labels each year.
“All the Olympic tickets are made in China and the chip is cast in Chinese forges, but the technology behind its insert, together with its antenna printed in
a conductive silver ink, is ours,” explained Bruno Moreau, CEO and co-founder of ASK, to the Reuters press agency. These tickets made in France &
China, printed by the China Bank Note company, include counterfeit-proof security features. ASK’s partner is donating the whole RFID system of the
Olympic Games, which includes the RFID inlays, gate readers, software and service.
Apart from making the stadiums secure and offering improved anti-fraud features, these tickets should also actively help make life easier for spectators
because entry to the sites will be much more free-flowing. The cutting-edge RFID technology is an integral part of the security systems deployed
throughout the Olympic Games and is one of the innovations of this Olympiad.

Not merely a mechanism for large-scale events, the applications of this technology are many and they are growing all the time. These include, of
course, the access control markets, but also logistics and traceability as well as public transport, the military sector and the fight against counterfeiting.
Although this use of contactless technology for admission to the Olympic competitions may be a first, it is not ASK’s only venture into the world of the
Olympics, since the company had already successfully contributed to the 20th Winter Olympics, during which the public transport authorities of Turin
and other partners involved in this event called upon its expertise.
Now that ASK has a foothold in the immense Chinese market, the company’s directors fully intend to build up their presence there. In the medium
term, they are aiming for the “jackpot” of ticketing the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, which expects 70 million visitors. In a sector that is even more
competitive than an Olympic final, the French experts at Ask are well aware that, contrary to what Baron Pierre de Coubertin said, the important thing
is not just taking part...
21

S'pore wants to attract French firms in new sectors like digital media
23 Jan 2008

Singapore hopes to attract more French companies in new sectors such as digital media and video gaming, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim
Hng Kiang said.
ST Microelectronics is just one of the over 450 French companies based in Singapore. The total trade between Singapore and France registered a
little over S$16 billion last year. Top imports from France included electronic valves, aircraft components and alcoholic beverages.
Mr Lim, who is accompanying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on a three-day visit to France, said economic links between Singapore and France
are far and deep.

ITE joins French global culinary network
28 Mar 2008

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) is now a member of the French global culinary network called the Institut Paul Bocuse (IPB) Worldwide
Alliance.
The agreement was signed on Thursday, making ITE the only member from Southeast Asia joining other renowned hospitality and restaurant
management institutions worldwide.
ITE said it was selected for its training programmes for industry chefs in the region.

22

French is Better than... Spanish!

10 reasons why is better than

•French is (one of) the official language(s) in more than 40 countries
•French is spoken as a native language on 5 continents
•France is the world's number one tourist destination
•French is the one of the official languages of most international
organizations
•French is the 2nd most commonly studied foreign language in the world
(after English)
•The French alphabet has only 26 letters (Spanish has 30)
•There is only one French verb to be - être (Spanish has two)
•French spelling is more mysterious, hence more interesting
•The French R (pronounced in the back of the throat) is much cooler than
that silly rolled Spanish R
•None of that weird upside-down punctuation ¿ and ¡

23

Our Courses are linguistic oriented not marketing strategy
Like many commercial language companies, we are not promising super shortcuts
We are not putting together a selection of useful words, phrases or dialogues
Our students don’t only have to listen to natives deliver the lines and repeat what they say.
We are more concern to a strong sense of how the language works and build the habits,
skills and strategies to make efficient learning possible.
Agape School Language courses give you a real language learning
We make you internalize the language, and begin to use it as your own.
Our ultimate goal: after completing the courses, you can ideally acquire the special language
you need for business or other purposes.
We focus on the learner, the learning process, and on natural acquisition strategies
We have adapted other researchers results to our own creative works to make Agape
Language course a unique one.
Our courses are fun and engaging because they give rich experience in communication, it
does not spend more time than necessary on grammar rules, memorization. Instead, you
will find:-
•Music
•Stories
•Kinesthetic, visual, gesture and audio activities
•Pictographs
24

Our Philosophy
 Agape School courses cover grammar without emphasizing it. Our approach lets students
gradually soak up the language. We develop exercises designed to help students discover
the grammar for themselves. They learn grammar by listening to seeing the language, much
like small children do.
 Our students have to major objectives : Understanding and speaking and writing.
 It is important that they follow strictly our learning methods
 For teaching groups, we encourage creativity.
 Let students dramatize or act out their exercises as much as possible.
 We use games, role-plays, songs, poetry, or other ideas that get students immediately apply
what they have learned.
 We encourage high level of interaction among students.
 We give students some time to help each other, to talk to each other in the language and to
support each other in their learning.
 We allow students some personal learning time, letting absorb the courses in their own
particular way as students strengths vary greatly.
 The more fun students have, the more positive encouragement they receive from their
teacher, the better they will do.
 Children learn grammar by listening and speaking, not by consulting grammar books.

25

Jobs Using French (or other languages)

• Teacher
• Translator/Interpreter
• Editor/Proofreader
• Travel/Hospitality
• Foreign Service Officer
• International Organizations
• Other International Jobs

26

•Articles about "french jobs"
•Jobs Using French (or other language skills)
•There are many jobs available for people who speak French - learn about them!
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800.htm
•Jobs Using French - French Translator and Interpreter
•An introduction to the fields of translation and interpretation and working as a French translator or interpreter.
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800ti.htm
•Jobs Using French - Teacher
•Are you interested in teaching French? Here's some useful info.
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800t.htm
•Jobs Using French - International Organizations
•Put your language skills to good use - work with an international organization.
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800io.htm
•Jobs Using French - Foreign Service Officer
•An introduction to the Foreign Service.: script src http goverment pages united states foreign service foreign and commonwealth
office embassies and ...
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800fs.htm
•Jobs Using Language Skills - International Jobs
•Put your language skills to work by getting a job overseas.
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800o.htm
•French Employment, Careers, Jobs - French at Work
•Put your French skills to work. These links will help you find language-related jobs and information on working in francophone
countries.
•http://french.about.com/od/employment/French_Employment_Careers_Jobs_French_at_Work.htm
•Professions in French ~ French Vocabulary
•Learn how to talk about your profession in French. ... Quiz on professions Listening exercise · Writing job letters French résumés
Jobs using French ...
•http://french.about.com/library/begin/bl-professions.htm
•Jobs Using French - Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry
•If you want to use your French at work, consider the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry!
•http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa120800tr.htm
•Living and Working in France - French Visas and Work Permits
•France's membership in the European Union adds another twist to this: France gives first priority for jobs to French citizens, then to
EU citizens, ...
•http://french.about.com/library/bl-liveworkinfrance.htm
27

Multilingualvacancies.com http://www.multilingualvacancies.com/
International Language Communications - language recruitment agency http://www.ilc-ltd.com/
Linguist Direct - Language Recruitment Specialists http://www.linguistsdirect.com/
Bilingual People - specialists in multilingual recruitment http://www.bilingualpeople.com/
The Linguist - Jobs area http://www.linguistlist.org/jobs/index.html
Languages Work (British language advocacy site http://www.languageswork.org.uk/
Foreign Language Teaching Jobs in California http://www.clta.net/jobs/
ACTFL Job Central http://jobcentral.actfl.org
National Association of Independant Schools - Jobs (click "foreign languages")http://careers.nais.org/search/browse/
Chronicle [of Higher Education] Careers (type in language) http://chronicle.com/jobs/
Academoc360 - foreign languages http://www.academic360.com/faculty/listings.cfm?DiscID=103
Job Announcements for French Teachers http://www.frenchteachers.org/bboard/boulot.htm
Teaching Positions in French (Connecticut AATF) http://www.yale.edu/aatfct/jobs.html
Multilingualvacancies.com http://www.multilingualvacancies.com/
International Language Communications - language recruitment agency http://www.ilc-ltd.com/
Linguist Direct - Language Recruitment Specialists http://www.linguistsdirect.com/
Bilingual People - specialists in multilingual recruitment http://www.bilingualpeople.com/
The Linguist - Jobs area http://www.linguistlist.org/jobs/index.html
Languages Work (British language advocacy site http://www.languageswork.org.uk/
Foreign Language Teaching Jobs in California http://www.clta.net/jobs/
ACTFL Job Central http://jobcentral.actfl.org
National Association of Independant Schools - Jobs (click "foreign languages")http://careers.nais.org/search/browse/
Chronicle [of Higher Education] Careers (type in language) http://chronicle.com/jobs/
Academoc360 - foreign languages http://www.academic360.com/faculty/listings.cfm?DiscID=103
Job Announcements for French Teachers http://www.frenchteachers.org/bboard/boulot.htm
Teaching Positions in French (Connecticut AATF) http://www.yale.edu/aatfct/jobs.html
Career Opportunities for French Students http://www.union.edu/PUBLIC/MOLNDEPT/French/careers.html
NECTFL Provides Free Job Listings http://www.dickinson.edu/nectfl/jobopenings.html
28

Language Magazine's Job Shop http://www.languagemagazine.com/jobshop/jobshop.html
California Language Teaching Association Jobs Bulletin http://clta.net/jobs/
Language Teaching Positions in Colorado http://www.ccflt.org/positions.htm
Connecticut Council of Language Teachers Job Bank http://www.ctcolt.org/jobbank.htm
Florida Foreign Language Association – Wanted http://www.ffla.us/job/wanted.htm
Foreign Language Association of Georgia: Jobs - Employment – Careers http://www.flageorgia.org/links.htm#jobs
Kentucky World Language Association – Jobs http://www.kwla-online.org/MT/archives/jobs/index.html
The Foreign Language Association of Maine – Jobs http://www.umaine.edu/flame/jobs.htm
Massachusetts Foreign Language Association Job Bank http://mafla.org/jobpost.htm
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI - Job Opportunities http://www.flamnet.org/job_openings.html
Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers' Association – Jobs http://www.learnalanguage.org/oflta/jobs.htm
Confederation in Oregon for Language Teaching – Emplyment http://www.open.org/coflt/employment.htm
Foreign Language Teaching Positions in Tennessee http://www.tflta.org/jobs.htm
Vermont Language Teaching Association Job Openings http://www.vfla.org/openings.htm
Search FLTEACH archives ["job", "position", etc.] http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=flteach
Languages Work (British language advocacy site) http://www.languageswork.org.uk/
Language Teaching Jobs (Language Source Global Resources)
http://www.allwirelessmedia.com/links/languageteachingjobs.html
Academic Job Openings in Applied Linguistics http://aaaljobs.lang.uiuc.edu/
Best bets for teaching abroad http://www.cie.uci.edu/iop/teaching.html
Language Teaching Jobs (UK Jobs Network)http://www.ukjobsnet.co.uk/job-search/jobs/jci76/language-teaching-jobs.html
Search for a Federal Government Job http://www.fedworld.gov/jobs/jobsearch.html
Government Job Search - Education and Teaching jobs
http://www.federaljobsearch.com/education_teaching.asp?cid=0&tid=19588783
USAjobs (government) http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
Jobs in Language Professions http://www.hawaii.edu/eli/teachers/esljobs/Professions.html
INDEED - one search. all jobs http://www.indeed.com/
Monster.com http://www.monster.com
intelligent use of Google http://www.google.com/
29

ACADEMIC (MOELC SYSTEM) INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

JC 2 DALF C2

JC 1 DALF C1

Secondary 4 DELF B2

Secondary 3 DELF B1

Secondary 2 DELF A2

Secondary 1 DELF A1

Primary 1 – Primary 6 Preparation for MOE PSLE
(those who are not eligible for MOELC can sit for entry-test)

Students can choose to take eitherByMOELC student's Parent
DORIS, ASE or International Diploma or both
30

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