Why Speak French?

"The most precise image of the French spirit is the French language itself"
Désiré Nisard, Histoire de la littérature française, livre I, chap. 1

1.  French is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world
French is an official language in 29 countries and is understood in 55 countries and by over 200 million people.  It is an official language of all United Nations agencies, NATO, UNESCO, the European Union, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and a large number of other important international organizations.

2.  French is ranked as the second most influential language in the world
Why?  For a combination of factors including:
a)    the sheer number of French speakers
b)    the number of major fields using the language internationally
c)    the economic power of the countries and organizations using the language
d)    the prestige in which French is widely held, socially
Together, these factors guarantee French its solid status as an enormously influential language.

3.  French is one of the greatest languages of culture and romance
French is a major lingua franca of culture.  Understanding French therefore opens the door to a wider appreciation of art, music, dance, fashion, food, architecture and literature.  France has produced many of the world’s greatest philosophers, won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country, is one of the top producers of international films and its array of museums are famed world-wide, with the Louvre being one of the oldest, best-known and most widely-visited museums in history.

4.  Speaking French will expand your further international study and career opportunities
When deciding on which foreign language to study at school, many parents/students choose French because, apart from English, this is the only language spoken widely on five continents.  Since an understanding of a language brings with it an understanding of its culture, speaking French will therefore give you the greatest number of choices later on in your studies at the same time as improving the interpersonal skills you’ll be able to bring to your international career. 

5.  French speakers have access to a range of good job opportunities
France plays a leading role in many industries, including: automobiles, trains, economic development, high energy physics, medical genetics, electronics equipment, aerospace, satellites and more…

6.  Understanding French improves your understanding of English
As strange as that may sound, it’s true!  You learn a lot about your own language when you study another and as over 50,000 English words have their origin in French, it will help improve your knowledge and understanding of English vocabulary.