French has secured its status as a top international language.
First, the basics. The French language is spoken on five continents. It has official-language status in 29 countries, including Belgium, Haiti, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Monaco, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Canada, Mali and more. It’s one of six official languages of the UN.
French is a favorite among language learners.
After English, French is one of the most-learned languages worldwide. This means that there are a huge number of resources and communities available to the French learner. It also means that by learning French you’re opening the door to communicating not just with native French speakers, but other people like yourself who have studied French. This can especially come in handy when traveling. If you already speak English, and add French to your repertoire, you might be surprised how many people you can talk to, even in countries where neither English nor French is an official language.
The language of love and reason and also fun to learn
First and foremost, learning French is the pleasure of learning a beautiful, rich, melodious language that is often called the language of love. French is also an easy language to learn. There are many methods on the market that make learning French enjoyable for children and adults alike.
A language for the international job market
The ability to speak French and English is an advantage in 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.
The language of culture
French is the international language of cooking, fashion, theatre, the visual arts, dance and architecture. 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!
A language for travel
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 traveling to French-speaking parts of the world.
A language for higher education
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.
The other language of international relations
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.