6 reasons to study French
GLOBALISATION forces people to communicate and cooperate more for political, academic, economic, and cultural reasons. It is therefore becoming increasingly valuable for people to speak or study at least one language other than their mother tongue.
Here are six reasons you should choose French:
1.Except for English, French is the only language spoken on all five continents (using the Africa, America, Antarctica, Eurasia, and Australia model).
French is an official language in 29 countries across these continents, with more than 200 million people speaking it. Among the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie — a community of 84 countries or regions where a significant proportion of the population is francophone (French speaking), or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture — French is a common or trade language. Added to that, French is the most widely learned foreign language in the world, after English, the fourth most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe, and the ninth most widely spoken language in the world.
2.French is the language of international relations French is both a working language and one of the official languages of several intergovernmental organisations including the UN, UNESCO, NATO, the European Union, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and the International Seabed Authority. French is also the language of several international legal bodies. Fluency in French is, therefore, essential for anyone considering a career in international organisations.
3.French is an asset to one’s professional career France is the fifth-largest economic power in the world and attracts entrepreneurs, researchers and the best foreign students. The ability to speak the language, therefore, is an asset to finding a job with many French and French international companies, in various sectors (banking, distribution, automotive, luxury, aeronautics, etc).
4.The door to discovering very diverse cultures French is often considered as the language of culture. All French classes are accompanied by a cultural journey into the world of fashion, gastronomy, arts, architecture and science. Learning French also means having access to the original texts of great French writers like Victor Hugo, Albert Camus, Jean-paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, George Sand and Émile Zola.
5.It offers an advantage to studying in France Speaking French allows you to pursue studies in famous universities in France like La Sorbonne, University Pierre and Marie Curie, or in other higher education establishments, often with very advantageous financial conditions. (More information can be found on the Campus France website).
6.A reason to visit Paris, France and many Francophone countries France is the most visited country in the world, with more than 70 million tourists a year. Having notions of French makes it so much more pleasant to visit Paris and all the regions of France and to understand the culture. French is also useful when visiting Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Monaco, Seychelles and the host of others in the Francophonie.