Learn French as additional foreign language: Goa CM

Panaji, Sep 7 (UNI) Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane today exhorted the Goans, particularly students, to learn French as an additional language because it has the potential to offer opportunities to them.

Mr Rane made this observation while addressing the first international conference and 33rd national Congress of India Association of Teachers of French Embassy (IATF) in India and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at the Cidade de Goa here.

''Goa is an important global destination. Hence, knowledge of French can be an added advantage to our people to deal with the foreigners. Last year, about 3.27 lakh foreign tourists had visited the state. Out of them, 12,574 tourists were from France. Their number is likely to increase in the years to come,'' he said.

He said English has come to stay in India because it is the global language. However, the monopoly of English is being challenged by French, with more and more people across the world wanting to acquire the knowledge of this language. Even in India, the French is the largest foreign language learnt after English.

The Chief Minister said apart from tourism, the globalisation and outsourcing have thrown up tremendous challenges and opportunities for the people. The emergence of the European Community (EC) has created vast advantages for prosperity.

Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Affairs Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro said the relations between India and France are excellent. The Indo- French cooperation is an important channel of ideas and exchanges in Arts and Humanities, Science and Technology. In Pondichery, the French cultural presence is most visible in India. It is noticeable in the buildings, street signs and schools. Pandit Nehru wanted Pondichery to be ''an open window on the French culture''.

French is the only language spoken in all the five continents apart from English, he added.

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