speakers of french and italian span five continents. french is spoken by over 220 million people. italian is spoken by over 65 million people. by 2050, it is estimated that there will be over 750 million french speakers, 80% of whom will live in africa, becoming the world’s most spoken language. french and italian are the international languages of cooking, fashion, theater, the visual arts, dance and architecture. thousands of us companies do business with italy and the francophone world. in an increasingly mobile and interconnected planet, the study of language, literature and culture has never been more crucial for students’ success. it provides students with a competitive edge in an increasingly internationalized workplace; for example, four out of five new jobs in the us are created as a result of foreign trade. above all, learning a second language enables a greater understanding of other cultures.