Learning French abroad is not only the perfect opportunity to spread your pour le monde charm. French is one of the most important languages in the areas of communications and international relations throughout the world – for the United Nations, UNESCO, the Olympic Committee and FIFA, among many other institutions, French is central – and it is also the second language with more students after English.
1. Being able to communicate without problem with people whose native language is French
Being the official language of 32 nations and governments, French is one of the languages that, along with English, is taught in every country in the world. Knowing how to speak French means having the opportunity to communicate without any problem with the more than 200 million people on five continents whose native language is French, and to practice your français with almost 10 million people in Canada and nearly 12 million in the United States. Joined learning French skype. In the digital area, French is among the five most used languages on web pages.
2. Improve your skills and academic results
Learning French is also an opportunity to improve your English. You may be wondering, how? Well, you should know that a good part of the English vocabulary originates from French, and not directly from Latin. In addition to facilitating the understanding of various technical terms of justice, politics, engineering, arts and cuisine, studying French also stimulates memory and brain functions, helping to develop mental agility and creative and critical thinking through Cartesian logic.
3. It is easier to be fluent in French than in other languages
French is one of the languages that requires the fewest hours of study to reach a high level, according to the Institute for the Defense of the Language: for an adult student, only approximately 720 hours of study are necessary to acquire an advanced level while to acquire a basic level of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese or Korean, at least 1000 hours of study are needed. Additionally, for people who speak Spanish, as well as for those whose native language is Portuguese or Italian, French is an easy language to learn because it shares the same Latin roots.
4. More and better options for higher education studies
Yes, knowing French makes it easier to learn other languages, but that is not its only advantage: this language is also a door to complement or continue your professional studies in a country whose official language is French, which is what many students of this language end up doing.
5. More possibilities to connect with cutting-edge science and technology
Video games, high-speed trains, research against AIDS, and advances in reconstructive surgery are developed mainly in French-speaking countries. Countries whose native language is French have been at the forefront of technology, science, medicine, and even business. What important publication, written in French, has not been translated into English or Spanish? And this is another reason to learn French: to have access to good literary content and the works of the most important French-speaking researchers.
6. Career opportunities
Check out the number of areas in which, today, there is a constant search for people who speak French: banking and finance, international market analysis, diplomacy, hotel management, international exchanges, journalism and media, aviation, national security , education, translation and interpretation, tourism, and law. Given that speaking English is something that is becoming more and more common in society, knowing French is an extra benefit on your resume when applying for a job. It is not necessary to think of all the opportunities you could have in multinational companies of French origin: L’Oreal, BIC, Peugeot, Chanel, Lacoste, Michelin.
7. Enjoy recreational activities and specific hobbies
French cinema – the second largest in productions in the world – or Canadian cinema, have been recognized worldwide and their films are increasingly shown throughout the world. If you have been to or seen the Olympics, you may have noticed that the results of the competitions are always announced in French. This is because French is the official language of the event, so if you are a sports lover, knowing French will be an advantage when accompanying your favorite athletes in competitions: the cyclists in the Tour de France, the tennis players during Roland Garros, or even the Canadian teams during their baseball and hockey games.
