French Speaking Countries in Europe

French Speaking Countries in Europe

by Samantha Engel

​France

• ​Capital

  Paris

  Population

  68.29 million

  Area

  248,573 square miles

  Currency

  Euro

Fill in the Blanks

What is the capital of France?

Multiple Choice

What is France's approximate population?

• 68,000

• 68 million

• 6 million

​Size

• ​France is the largest nation in western Europe.

• It is a bit smaller than the state of Texas.

• ​France’s climate is generally moderate:

  • The south has mild winters and hot summers.

  • The north and west are rainy and have mild winters.

Multiple Choice

France is the largest country in Western Europe.

• True

• False

Fill in the Blanks

France is slightly smaller than which U.S. state?

Multiple Choice

Winter in France is typically...

• Very harsh and cold

• mild

• extremely hot

​French Population

• ​Most French residents live in cities rather than in the countryside.

• ​Paris is the capital and largest city, with nearly 11 million inhabitants.

• ​Lyon, Marseille, and Lille are the next largest cities, with over one million people living in each.

Multiple Choice

Most French people live in...

• Cities

• The country

Fill in the Blanks

The largest city in France is...

Multiple Choice

How many people live in Paris?

• 1 million

• 5 million

• 11 million

• 32 million

​French Language

• Almost everyone in France speaks French and the French are very proud of their language.

• ​There is even an organization, the Académie française, whose purpose is to protect the French language.

• ​It is an important international language, meaning that it is used as a common language between people who speak different languages at the United Nations or at international meetings and conferences.

• ​French is also the official language of the Olympic Games, along with English.

Multiple Choice

What is the official language of France?

• Ranch

• French

• Crunch

• English

Multiple Choice

Why is French considered such an important language?

• It is used at international meetings

• It just is, okay?!

• French is the original language that all other languages stemmed from

• Baguettes. That's why.

Multiple Choice

French and English are the official languages used at what event?

• Tour de France

• The Olympics

• The United Nations summit

​Sports

• ​Soccer is the most popular sport in France.

• ​France hosted and won the 1998 World Cup, which is the world’s most popular sporting event.

• ​Rugby is another favorite sport.

• ​France also hosts the Tour de France, a cycling competition, every year.

Fill in the Blanks

What is the most popular sport in France?

Multiple Choice

What year did France win the World Cup?

• 2000

• 1990

• 1998

Multiple Choice

What popular cycling event does France host every year?

• The Tour de Cycling

• The Tour de Ranch

• The Tour de France

​French Schools

• All French kids must go to school from ages 3 to 15.

• They attend elementary school from ages 6 to 10.

• Most go to elementary school six days a week.

• They do not have school on Wednesday afternoons, but they have classes on Saturday mornings.

• Wednesday afternoons are generally reserved for sports, music, or other activities.

Multiple Choice

What age do French children start school?

• 3
• 6

• 4

• 5

Multiple Choice

How many days a week do French children go to school?

• 4

• 5

• 6

Multiple Choice

Why are Wednesdays usually half-days?

• They get to go home and have a break

• Wednesdays are full days, not half days

• This time is reserved for sports, music, and other activities

​French Schools

• ​Secondary education, lasting from ages 11 to 17, begins with collège (similar to middle school).

• After attending collège, students can attend either a general lycée (high school) where they prepare for university or a trade school where they learn a specific job.

• Some trade schools let students go to school for half the month and go to an apprenticeship (where they learn from professionals about their job) for the other half of the month.

• At age 18, students wanting to go to a university must pass a very difficult exam called the baccalauréat, or bac. If they don’t pass the test, they have to repeat the last year of school before taking the exam a second time.

Multiple Choice

What ages do students attend secondary school?

• 11-17

• 12-15

• 10-16

Multiple Select

What are two choices you can do after graduating high school in France?

(select two)

• College/University

• You must join the military

• Trade school

Multiple Choice

What happens if you don't pass your final exam?

• You are kicked out of the school.

• Nothing- you just have to take the exam a 2nd time or until you pass.

• You must repeat your final year of school before taking the exam again.

​French Government

• ​France is a semi-presidential republic (government whose leaders are elected).

• France’s president is elected by the people for a term of five years.

• The president selects a prime minister from the political party with the most members in the National Assembly.

Multiple Choice

France is a...

• Monarchy

• Dictatorship

• Republic

Multiple Choice

The president serves a term of ____ years.

• 2

• 3

• 5

​Switzerland

• Capital

  Bern

  Population

  8.8 million

  Area

  15,937 square miles

  Currency

  Swiss Franc​​

Multiple Choice

What is the capital of Switzerland?

• Berlin

• Bern

• Vienna

• Munich

Multiple Choice

What type of currency does Switzerland use?

• Euro

• Dollar

• Swiss Franc

Switzerland​

• ​​Switzerland is about twice the size of the state of New Jersey.

• The nation is sometimes called the "roof of Europe" because of its towering Alps, which cover more than half of the country, running east to west.

Multiple Choice

What nickname does Switzerland have?

• The Land of Music

• The Roof of Europe

• The Rocky Place

Multiple Choice

Why is Switzerland referred to as "the Roof of Europe?"

• It is always cloudy there.

• The houses have very large roofs.

• More than half of the country
  is covered by the Alps

​Population

• ​​Switzerland has a variety of ethnic groups.

• People of German ancestry live mainly in the east and center of the country.

• People of French ancestry live in the west.

• In parts of the south, most people are of Italian descent.

• A small part of the population is Romansch, descendants of an ancient people who lived in the area. To this day, they still speak a Latin dialect (way of pronouncing or speaking).

Multiple Choice

Most of Switzerland speaks German, French, or Italian. What is the forth language that a small group of people still speak there?

• Romansch

• Greek

• Polish

​Popular Sports

• ​​Hiking, skiing (both cross-country and downhill), mountain climbing, and other such activities are popular in Switzerland.

• Many people also like to play soccer and go cycling.

• Ice hockey is popular in the winter.

​Hornussen

• ​​Hornussen is a sport that was invented in Switzerland.

• ​In this game, players hit a hornuss (a small rubber puck) into a field and the opposing team uses large wooden paddles, called schindels, to keep the puck from hitting the ground.

Multiple Choice

What sport was invented in Switzerland?

• Skiing

• Hockey

• Basketball

• Hornussen

​Schools in Switzerland

• ​​Children usually start school around the age of 5 and have to stay in school for 11 years.

• ​ Schools in Switzerland are structured similarly to schools in the U.S.: students attend elementary school, middle school, and high school.

Multiple Choice

How many years do children in Switzerland need to stay in school?

• 11

• 12

• 13

Multiple Choice

Swiss schools have a similar structure to American schools.

• True

• False

​Switzerland's Government

• ​​The Swiss government has three main levels:

• ​1. The federal government, which makes federal laws.

• ​2. The 26 cantons (similar to states) that make their own laws, mostly about education, law enforcement, and welfare.

• ​3. City/Town governments that create and enforce local laws

Multiple Choice

How many levels of the government are there in Switzerland?

• 3
• 10

• 5

Multiple Choice

How many cantons (states) are there?

• 14

• 26

• 7

​Belgium

• ​Capital

  Brussels

  Population

  11.79 million

  Area

  11,787 square miles (30,528 square kilometers)

  Currency

  Euro

Multiple Choice

What is the capital of Belgium?

• Brussels

• Berlin

• Bern

• Brunhilde

​Belgium

• ​Belgium is about the same size as Maryland.

• ​Belgium is almost completely landlocked other than a 41-mile coastline along the North Sea.

• ​Belgium is divided into three major political, linguistic, and geographical regions: Vlaanderen (Flanders) in the north and Wallonie (Wallonia) in the south, joined in the center of the country by the capital city of Brussel (Brussels), which is considered a separate region within Flanders.

Fill in the Blanks

What U.S. state is Belgium around the same size as?

Multiple Choice

How long is the coastline in Belgium?

• 4 miles

• 86 miles

• 41 miles

• Belgium is 100% landlocked

Multiple Select

Select the THREE regions of Belgium

• Flanders

• Brussels

• Jurgen-Durgen

• Wallonia

​Languages

• ​Belgium has three official languages:
  French, Dutch (Flemish), and German.

• ​Flemish is a unique Dutch dialect (way of speaking or pronouncing) and is spoken by the majority of the population, mainly in the northern region of Flanders.

• French is spoken by around 40 percent of the population, mainly in the southern region of Wallonia, though the majority of the population of Brussels speaks it as well.

• ​​Government officials are required to be fluent in both French and Flemish.

Multiple Choice

Which language is NOT an official language in Belgium?

• Italian

• French

• Flemish

• German

Multiple Choice

What percent of the population speaks French?

• 25%

• 40%

• 45%

• 80%

Multiple Select

What two languages are government officials required to be fluent in? (pick 2)

• French

• German

• Polish

• Flemish