Why Learn French?

In this lesson, you'll learn the reasons why you should start learning a new language, why you should learn French in particular, and how to get started.

Why learn a new language?

There are countless reasons, but perhaps the biggest one of all, is that it could actually change your life! Learning a new language unlocks new pathways that are off limits to you now.

There are certain things that you simply cannot do without having the technical or cultural skills that come from learning a new language.

Like working or living in another country! Knowing another language provides you with greater job opportunities. You have the freedom to move to another country halfway around the world and be able to earn a living, or even better yet, build a career from it – instead of just being stuck in one place.

Language allows you to visit or live in places that you may never even have considered going, simply because that wasn't a possibility for you. Knowing another language simply gives you more options to choose from.

And learning a new language also helps you to be more open-minded and see the world from a new perspective.

Language and culture go hand in hand. The world is a big place, and by broadening your understanding of other cultures, it allows you to be more empathetic and understanding of the many different ways that people live their lives. With language, you're able to see and experience more, which helps you to grow as a person.

Learning a new language also improves your memory. Several studies have consistently shown that those who study another language have improved memory as opposed to those who didn't learn another language. Learning another language also keeps your brain healthy by significantly delaying the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia. This difference can be as much as 4 to 5 more years of quality life!

And those are just some of the reasons you should learn another language. The list just goes on and on.

Why learn French?

A good portion of the world speaks French. In fact, over 200 million people speak French across 5 continents. French is spoken in many countries around the world, and it’s an official language in many countries like Belgium, the Seychelles, Canada, Cameroon… and many more!

Moreover, French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English, so the number of speakers is growing rapidly. It's currently the ninth most spoken language in the world.

And what about the fact that France is the sixth largest economy in the world? The aerospace industry in France is huge. There's a special cluster of aerospace engineering companies and research centers in France called the "Aerospace Valley."

And of course, French wines are a lucrative industry as well. Not to mention, perfumes and cosmetics.

Knowing French, then, opens up many career and business opportunities for you.

If you want to visit France, you must be warned that the majority of French citizens do not like or aren't able to speak English. Even in tourist places like Paris. If you make an effort to speak French and to learn their culture however, you will be much more warmly welcomed. Learning French will help you during your trip, even if you're a beginner. French people will treat you much more nicely!

Okay then, we've talked about why you should start learning a language, and why you should start learning French, but how should they get started?

How to get started

Well it's as simple as learning your first word in French and building up from there!

The good news though, is that you already know some French!

mirage, façade, encore, souvenir

These are all French words that you will easily recognize, because these words exist in English too. This is because both English and French are derived from Latin. In fact, roughly 30% of ALL English words used today, share their origins with French words!

Not only this, but there are also English loanwords used in French. Words such as, baby-sitter, bacon, weekend, and super are all English words that are used in French on a daily basis.

This means that you already know a very large portion of French vocabulary.

So learning French is much easier than you think.

Let's teach you something that you might not know, but is very useful.

Merci

It means, "thank you" in French.

It's one of the most basic phrases, and perhaps one of the most useful phrases for you to learn.

You can also add beaucoup to add greater emphasis.

Merci beaucoup.

“Thanks a lot”