Bonjour Steemit! Have you guys been meaning to learn a second language? In this series, I will be introducing a few different languages, why you should learn them, and the tools you can use to speed up your learning. Today's article will be about French!
Why Should You Learn French?
1. Learning French will allow you to communicate with over 272 million people around the world!
French is one of the top 10 most spoken languages in the world. It'll unlock an exciting world of fashion, cuisine, film, theatre, music, plays, literature, and so much more. Being able to speak French means you'll also be able to travel around 29 countries that use it as it's official language. Ever wanted to go to the gorgeous island of New Caladonia? Or go skiing in Mt. Tremblant in Quebec, Canada? Whatever your desire, learning french will allow you to travel to exciting destintations and never worry about getting lost!
Isn't this lovely? New Caledonia on the left and Mt. Tremblant on the right.
2. Want to Learn Italian? Portuguese? Spanish? Romanian? Learning French will make it easier to Learn these languages!
Because these languages share similar characteristics (like grammar and sometimes even words), learning French will make it leagues easier to understand, learn, and speak these languages than if you only spoke English. This is because all 4 of these languages originated from one language; Latin. This means that although they may sound and look different, they still have their similarities. I like to think of them as brothers (or sisters haha).
3. French is an Important Business and Political Language
What do the EU, FIFA, WHO, UN, Interpol, IOC and other international organizations have in common? One of their official languages is French! Knowing French is an important business and political tool in many places around the world. Adding French to your list of skills can make you more desirable to employers and allow you to represent your company (or sometimes your school or country) on the international stage.
4. French Isn't That Hard For English Speakers
Did you know English and French have a lot of words in common? Here is just a small list of words that we share:
- Information
- Table
- Picnic
- Communication
- Restaurant
- Depot
- Fiance(e)
- Genre
- Boutique
- Comfortable
... and so much more! It's estimated that over 25% of words found in French can also be found in English. So, with a 1/4 of the words already in your head, why not take the leap and learn the rest!
Is this enough to convince you take the leap into learning French? My next article will be all about the resources you can use to help you learn this wonderful language! Au revoir mes amis! (That means goodbye my friends. See you're learning already!)