Why Learn French?
Even if you are a complete beginner, you are probably already familiar with a good range of French words such as bonjour, au revoir, baguette, croissant and expressions such as c'est la vie, carte blanche, déjà vu, or je ne sais quoi!
Moreover, as French and English share a common source in Latin, many words are similar in both languages.
Despite the efforts of the Académie Française, an association of scholars and writers founded by Richelieu in the seventeenth century with the aim of preserving the purity of the French language, French has borrowed many English words over the years. Le sandwich, le tee-shirt, le week-end, and, more recently, le web and on-line are but a few examples. Beware! The meanings of some of these words have evolved in mysterious ways. Un parking is a car park and un smoking is a tuxedo...
- French is the only language other than English spoken on five continents.
- Fourty-four countries speak French either as an official language or as a primary language.
- French as a foreign language is the second most frequently taught language in the world (after English of course!).
- While other language will be useful for some jobs or for some regions, French is the only foreign language that can be useful throughout the world.
- French and English are the only 2 global languages for business.
- French along with English is the official working language of the United Nations, Unesco, Nato, The European Community, The International Red Cross and many more international organisations.
- French is the language of diplomacy, fashion, cuisine and many high-tech industries. It is also the language of culture since it opens doors to art, music and cinema.
