Why should you learn French?

After discussing with a couple of classes today I felt like maybe I needed to share why you should continue in your pursuit of French and why learning another language opens so many doors for you.

Of course you know so many reasons why language learning is important.

It opens so many jobs and opportunities for you.  It gives you the chance to travel.  It means you will be paid more at a given job; and even better, you will be given priority over someone who speaks only one language.

Culture...

Learning another language, any language, helps you embrace another culture.  It makes you more aware of how language works but also makes you conscious of the fact that cultures share many similarities and also have many differences.  It strengthens your desire to travel and see the world.  It helps you welcome people from other cultures into your own.  Many times, I have heard students speak with pride about their experiences speaking the language outside of the classroom, as they communicated with people in a different way.  And SO many countries in the world have French as a primary language.  Here is a list of countries in the world where French is spoken. French speaking increases your ability to communicate in so many ways.

Language learning opens your mind to a different way of thinking and puts you miles ahead of your peers.  It lets you experience movies and music, cinema and literature in its original form and gives you an appreciation for the beauty of language.

Work and life...

As a person in a bilingual country you must know that there are so many jobs available to people who speak French in so many different business fields.  In banking, tourism, fashion, journalism, government.... there are so many to name and the possibilities are endless.  You enlarge your field of possibilities to a greater degree when you speak or know another language.  It gives you options for travel within that field and of course, because you are in high demand as someone who is bilingual or trilingual, you have the chance to be paid a greater salary.

Learning and understanding

Language learning opens your mind.  It makes you understand words and structures and grammatical concepts to a greater degree.  I often find that students who learn French find greater understanding of the grammatical structures in English because they are able to make the connection in why and how language works.  Some studies have shown, in fact, that language learning and continued use of more than one language reduces the effects of aging on the brain and have also led to reduced onset of diseases like dementia and Alzheimers.  Additionally, students who study one language find greater ease in learning additional languages after that.  Many of the structures are shared among the romantic languages and even the simple process of learning a language becomes a second nature when you do it again and again.

For you...

I feel that I have to ask, why wouldn't you study another language?  After all of these opportunities that are presented, and the obvious advantages to language learning, it seems as though this is a great moment for you, that you have the possibility to change the course of your life through learning another language.  Many of your future plans will involve University or some sort of post secondary education and in many of those programs, a second language is one of those that you must consider.  Be it French, or Spanish, or German, Russian, whatever you choose, learning language provides you with a new way of seeing the world and a new way of thinking.  The increased salary is, of course, an obvious benefit, as is the travel and adventure that await you after your studies.  And for those who tell me they won't do those things, I have to say that you don't know that until you are there.  You may change your mind and have the desire to do all this... and then you will have that chance.

But it's too hard...

Of course, language learning can be hard.  It is impossible for language to immerse itself in your brain without some sort of effort on your part.  You may have to put yourself out there a little bit and take some risks.  You will not get better until you practice.  So much of learning the language is exposure to the language, listening to the radio, hearing the accent, practicing the verbs.  As much as we try to present these things in interesting ways ultimately it will always be up to you to accept the challenge.

I teach you French because I am passionate about second language learning and all of the advantages that come along with it.  I truly believe that learning a second language, whatever language that might be, makes you smarter, and stronger, and more able to face challenges that arise.  It presents you with opportunities that otherwise you may not experience. It strengthens your mind but also your soul.

So... it is up to you.  Prends le défi.  Tire des opportunités pour ton futur.  Sois conscient que toi, tu tiens devant toi une chance qui n'est pas offert à tout le monde.  Saisi cette chance.

Pour plus d'information, suivez ce lien: Why study French?