5 Reasons Why You Should Learn French
Hi there!
Did you ever wonder why you should learn « the language of Molière »?
Well, I have the answer! Here are five reasons why you should learn French. The third one may surprise you ;)
French is Widely Spoken
Did you know that France has 13 overseas territories? To only name a few: Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean, Guyana in South America, right next to Brazil; Reunion in the Indian Ocean, close to Madagascar and Martinique in the Caribbean.
In addition, French is not only spoken in France but in many other countries around the globe. Indeed, there are 29 countries in the world which have French as their official language, including Belgium in Europe; Congo in Africa and Canada in North America. On top of that, there are about 25 countries, including Mauricius, Tunisia and Morocco, where French is very commonly used, even though it is not considered as these countries’ official language.
Therefore, French, alongside with English, is the only language spoken in all five continents, and more than 230 million people in the world speak French!
French is a Language for Culture
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Arts, gastronomy, fashion, architecture, cinema, literature: French is often considered as the language of culture.
Learning French will give you access to literacy masterpieces in their original version, written by French authors such as Marcel Proust and Victor Hugo or French poets such as Jacques Prévert and Charles Baudelaire. It will also enable you to understand very famous French songs such as La Vie en Rose from Edith Piaf or, more modern, Alors on Danse from Belgian singer Stromae. If you don’t know him, I highly encourage you to listen to his albums ;)
Last but not least, France and Belgium are countries filled with history. Learning French will give you access to the work of the philosophers of the 18th century - the Age of Enlightenment. For science and philosophy aficionados, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot and d’Alembert are must-reads.
French is Good For Career Opportunities
Did you know that speaking French is a great advantage on the international job market?
Indeed, France is a world leader in many areas, including aerospace and services and Belgium is famous for its logistics, food business and pharmacy industry. French and Belgian companies have subsidiaries in many countries, which means many job opportunities for French speakers!
Non-English speakers most likely learn English as a first language and English-speakers tend to learn Spanish. Even though French is widely taught, the number of people who attain a business level is not too high and this skill is becoming more and more requested. Therefore, learning French will make you stand out on the job market!
Finally, French is spoken in 31 African countries, and Francophone Africa is a popular place to do business! Indeed, North Africa, including Morocco where French is the language of business and diplomacy, is the African region which is the most likely to industrialize itself, as it is well supplied in electricity. In addition, other African markets such as Senegal and South Africa are also growing. If working in one of these regions triggers your interest, learning French would be a great advantage!
French a Language to Learn Other Languages
Did you know that more than 40% of the English language comes from French? This means that, as you are learning French, you are also improving your English, killing two birds with one stone!
French, alongside with Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian is a Latin language - also called Romane languages. These five languages all come from Popular Latin language, also known as Vulgar Latin, Latin, and both their grammar and vocabulary are very similar. Indeed, here is how we say « Good night » in respectively French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian: « Bonne nuit », « Buenas noches », « Buonna notte », « Boa noite » and « Noapte bună ». These are very similar right?
Learning French will give you a significant advantage for learning any of these four Latin languages.
French is the Language of Love
Last but not least, French is the language of love! Its melodic rhythm and the way French passion and romanticism have shaped the country’s image, through novels and movies among other things, making it the language of love and romance.
For many people, France and Paris mean romance: romantic walks, romantic dinners and romantic kisses under the Eiffel Tower, what a dream! Likewise, the French language is often considered the language of love. Wouldn’t it be romantic to be able to express your love to your other half in French? What a good reason to learn French!
France is often designated as the sexiest language in the world, followed by Italian and Spanish. Indeed, many non-French speakers explain they want to learn French because they find it beautiful. On top of that, French accent is also considered as the sexiest accent. French is definitely the language of love!
Which one of these five reasons make you more willing to learn French? Let me know in the Living Abroad forum. It is even better if you can let me know in French hehe ;)
I’ll leave you with a bonus reason: French is a very valued and liked language. A non-native French speaker which is able to speak French, will most certainly make a great impression!
So, are you ready to jump in?
Lilas Foch - French Community Manager