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At the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president, Ban Ki-moon met with Jacques Chirac for a session that was conducted entirely in French. AP ran an article titled “Chirac Tests Ban's French During Lunch” in which it said Ban’s “French is still awkward and heavily accented,” but added, “After Friday's lunch, conducted entirely in French, Chirac praised Ban for his command of the language.”

In an interview broadcast all over the country on France 2 TV Ban said -- in French -- that he was grateful for the support of France and French-speaking nations through the UN election process. He answered the rest of the interviewer’s questions in English.

Ban has poured a lot into his attempts to gain command of the French language not only due to the fact that it is a working language of the UN along with English, but also because of the status France holds in the international community. The French government clings to the notion of French as an international language and has poured vast funds into promoting it as such against the tide, positing speaking ability as a standard by which to judge candidates for the position of UN secretary-general. Wrapping up his two-day visit, Ban told Korean correspondents, “Since last November, I have been learning French; I took private classes on Saturdays and Sundays when I didn’t have to leave Korea for work.”

(englishnews@chosun.com )