To the editor:
An open letter to the Portsmouth School Committee:
I have read with interest and also some alarm about recent communications surrounding the proposed phasing out of the study of French at Portsmouth High School.
Current evidence suggests that students who are fluent in French will be at a distinct advantage when they enter the workforce being able to communicate with 274 million French speakers worldwide. French is spoken on all continents and is the third most widely used language on the internet and the second most widely-used language in the European Union.
Portsmouth students who speak French will be able to take full advantage of the double majors being offered at The University of Rhode Island: French-engineering, French-pharmacy, French-fashion, French-business, French-economics and political science. It is estimated that 60 percent of French speakers worldwide are under the age of 30. Portsmouth students who speak French will be as well-prepared as their peers in other countries to survive in a world economy where the French-speaking countries account for 19 percent of world trade goods.
Rhode Island’s rich history in both manufacturing and agriculture has produced a significant population of both French-European and French-Canadian descent to whom the French language and culture has great importance. The United States and France are linked by a shared commitment to liberté, égalité and fraternité. The echo of footsteps from Rochambeau’s army lingers in Portsmouth and its surrounds. The return voyage in July 2015 to Newport of the replica of Lafayette’s frigate ship, The Hermione, was celebrated by thousands. Studying French will provide students with a deeper understanding of this history.
I support the goals of the Portsmouth High School Mission to “value the past, thrive in the present and prepare for the future.” Learning French and developing an understanding of French culture will enable Portsmouth High School students to meet those three goals and to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Mary-Gail Smith
South Kingstown
Ms. Smith is president of the Alliance Française of Newport, which is dedicated to the study of the French language and to promoting cultural exchange.