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Belaid, Kate, World Language - French
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10 good reasons to learn French: :D
1. A world language
More than 300 million people speak French on the five continents. The OIF, an international organisation of French-speaking countries, comprises 88 member States and governments. 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. France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes, which run French-language courses for close on a million learners.
2. 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.
3. A language for learning other languages
French is a good base for learning other languages, especially Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as English, since a significant percentage of English vocabulary is derived from French.
4. A language for the international job market
The ability to speak French and English is an advantage in the international job market. 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.
- Business in Canada: Canada is currently our second largest trading partner:https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/canada Most native French speakers in Canada live in Quebec, where French is the majority official language. About 80% of Quebec's population are native francophones, and 95% of the population speak French as their first or second language.
- French is one of the five official languages of the United Nations: French claims the spot of the 3rd most important global business language, after English and Chinese (Bloomberg), and the 2nd business language of the European zone after English (but still ahead of German, Russian, Italian and Spanish).
5. 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!
- In the new study from US News & World Report, France was recently ranked the world’s top cultural trendsetter: "It is difficult to overstate the influence France has on the world, both in the past and today," reads the report."France is one of the world’s oldest countries, and its reach extends around the globe through science, politics, economics and perhaps above all, culture," it adds. (click to read article)
6. 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.
French, along with English, is the official working language of:
- the United Nations, UNESCO, NATO
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- the International Labor Bureau
- the International Olympic Committee
- the 31-member Council of Europe
- the European Community
- the Universal Postal Union
- the International Red Cross
- Union of International Associations (UIA).
- French is the first and second language of several African nations who, by 2050, will make French the most commonly spoken language: