Is the French language worth learning?
French is an official language in 29 countries across multiple continents, most of which are members of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a community of 84 countries that share the official use or teaching of French. French, a Romance language of the Indo-European family finds its roots in the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. It evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French. French is also one of six official languages used in the United Nations. It is spoken as a first language (in descending order of the number of speakers) in France; Canada (provinces of Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick as well as other Francophone regions); Belgium (Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region); western Switzerland (Romandy—all or part of the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud, Valais); Monaco; parts of Luxembourg; parts of the United States (the states of Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont); northwestern Italy (autonomous region of Aosta Valley); and various communities elsewhere. French is the second most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union. Of Europeans who speak other languages natively, approximately one-fifth are able to speak French as a second language. French is the second most taught foreign language in the EU. All institutions of the EU use French as a working language along with English and German; in certain institutions, French is the sole working language (e.g. at the Court of Justice of the European Union). French is also the 18th most natively spoken language in the world, the 6th most spoken language by a total number of speakers and the second or third most studied language worldwide (with about 120 million current learners).
Lets now discuss whether French is worthwhile to be learnt
Influential language
French is recognized as a global language by the United Nations and is a very influential language being a language of culture, including art, cuisine, dance, and fashion. Learning French will develop your creative and critical skills.A knowledge of French offers access to great works of literature in the original French, as well as films and songs. French is the language of Victor Hugo, Molière, Léopold Sendar Senghor, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alain Delon and Zinedine Zidane!
Opens up job markets for you
The ability to speak French and English is an advantage on the international job market. A knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world. As one of the world’s largest economies and a leading destination for foreign investment, France is a key economic partner.
Opportunities for higher studies
Speaking French opens up opportunities to study at renowned French universities and business schools, ranked among the top higher education institutions in Europe and the world. Study – France has some of the best universities in Europe which makes it an attractive country for further studies. But basic knowledge of French is required for enrollment in most public universities. In humanities and social sciences, many important writings have come from France. France has won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country in the world (12) and is one of the top producers of films just like India.
Work
Learn French with Inlingua and there are possibilities to work in the following fields: international business, hospitality industry, international agencies, tourism and diplomatic service. France has Europe’s most investor abroad amount. A new foreign language like French will definitely increase your job opportunities and salary potential.
French is an international language
French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. French is the language of the three cities where the EU institutions are headquartered: Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.
Tourism
France is one of the world’s major foreign tourist destinations with almost 100 million tourists visiting every year to see the world-renowned landmarks such as the Eifel Tower, Lovre Museum, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Palace of Versailles and famous sports stadiums. France is the world’s top tourist destination and attracts more than 87 million visitors a year. The ability to speak even a little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France and offers insights into France’s culture and way of life. French also comes in handy when travelling to French-speaking parts of the world.
Finally,
Learning French gives you access to over 300 million French speakers in over 50 countries around the world. France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes, which run French-language courses for close to a million learners. In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business, after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese. French has a long history as an international language of literature and scientific standards and is a primary or second language of many international organisations including the United Nations, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, and the fifth most widely spoken language in the world. French is also the only language, alongside English, that is taught in every country in the world.
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