Choosing The Perfect Degree

Knowing a foreign language is always a useful skill. Being bilingual opens up job and educational opportunities that are closed to those who only know one language, and it also makes traveling easier and other cultures more accessible. Whether you want to expand your own language ability or you're a parent helping your child choose a foreign language to study, there are some great reasons to choose French as a second language.

French is Taught Everywhere

There is a short list of languages that are spoken all over the world, and French is sixth among them. French is also the second most widely taught language in the world, coming in after English. Schools in most countries offer French as a second language option.

That means that your French can come in handy when you're traveling or interacting with people from other countries, even if you're not traveling to a primarily French-speaking country or speaking with a person whose first language is French. French is a very common choice for a second language, so you may be able to connect with people using the French language when neither your first language or theirs is an option.

French is A Language of Culture

Are you interested in fashion? Art? Cooking? How about dance? French is widely considered the international language for these interests, and France itself is a hotspot for these cultural activities. Learning the language will give you a deeper understanding of these pursuits.

Learning French will also make French theater and literature much more accessible to you. There's nothing quite like studying Les Miserables in its original French!

French is A Building Block for Other Languages

Many English speakers take to the French language more easily than they ever thought possible. This may be because the two languages are more connected than you might realize — around 45% of English words have French origins. That makes French a great way for English-speakers to introduce themselves to the Romance languages, which include Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian as well as French.

Once you've mastered French, you'll find it easier to pick up other Romance languages, as they share similar roots and rules. If your goal is to become multi-lingual, then French is the perfect "gateway language" to help you get started on that path.

Because it's so widely spoken, there is no shortage of French teachers and French language learning programs. Choose the French instruction method that's right for you, and watch the world open up to you as you learn.