Jean Harzic, former CEO of Alliance Francaise in Paris, speaks about the French language and cultural diversity. Learning a dozen languages, or even five or six, is beyond the reach of most of us. But if English and information technology are two tools that have become indispensable, learning a major language of communication and culture, whether it's French, Spanish, Portuguese, or German, helps to avoid a dangerous standardization: one language, one way of thinking.