You can probably think of a lot of reasons why you don’t want to learn French. It’s difficult. It takes a long time. You don’t have the motivation and you’ll just give up after a month anyway.
But, let me stop you there. Have you really stopped to think about the reasons why you should learn French?
From opening up yourself to the world to improving your job prospects, the benefits of learning French are far and wide. And it doesn’t have to be difficult to get going either, with a huge number of online platforms available!
Still not convinced? Well, read on, s’il te plaît!
1. Experience more culture
It’s not surprising that learning a new language can open up your world to a whole new area of culture and experiences. And, when it comes to culture, the importance of French really huge.
Whether you want to listen to award-winning French rap or watch French movies that are famous across the world, your grasp of French will make these cultural experiences all the more understandable and rewarding.
And it’s not just culture from the country of France that you’ll gain access to. French African culture is especially on the up, and don’t forget the Caribbean either!
If you like more “traditional” culture (like literature, music, or fine art), you’ll also be in heaven with your French abilities. Some of the world’s most famous writers, poets, musicians, composers, artists and painters have hailed from the Francophone world, giving you a whole new world of authentic culture at your fingertips.
2. Connect with others
One of the most valuable results of learning French for me is the way I can connect with other people, many of whom I never would have been able to before.
Though lots of people today do speak English, this is not true for everyone. Speaking French to a certain level means that I can speak to nearly 100 million people across the globe, without a problem. I can learn about their cultures, their countries, and their lives.
I have made a large number of international friends, from France to Argentina, by being able to speak French. For these reasons alone, learning French (or any other language!) is truly something special.
3. Improve your critical thinking skills
On the whole, people who are bilingual have brains that work quicker and better. Learning a language can be a difficult process, and knowing two languages means that our brains have to constantly juggle different scenarios and environments. The effects on the brain are very positive!
This leads to better cognitive functions, better memory, and better focus. It’s widely proven that bilingual people can process information better, multitask better and empathize better.
It’s even proven that being bilingual can provide effective barriers against cognitive disorders such as dementia, helping to keep the brain active even as you age.
4. Travel
Sure, you don’t need to understand the language of a particular country to travel there. Besides, you’re not going to be able to learn every language!
But, if you can learn the language of the place you’re visiting, it sure makes your experience much more exciting and rewarding. You can speak to the local people, learn about their culture, ask questions when you need to, and have a more enriching experience.
And it’s not just France where you can put your French to use. There are a number of countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa that speak French as either a first or second language. It’s a very useful language to know and use.
5. Get a job
It’s no secret that knowing a second language can have very positive effects on your employability. And, French is one of the best languages to boost your career. In fact, it’s estimated that speaking French can increase your income by more than 15%.
France is the world’s 7th largest economy, worth $2.936 trillion. And the Francophonie, an organization of French-speaking countries, has a global network of strong global economies (including Canada, Belgium, Vietnam, and Egypt). This makes French great for business, cooperation, and community.
And it’s not just in business industries that French can help. Whether you want to work as a journalist, as a translator, as a pilot, in an NGO… The list of jobs where French can help is endless.
6. Open yourself up to learning other Romance languages
Learning French won’t just help you be able to speak French, but amazingly can help you speak other languages too. This is especially true for the Romance languages.
French, alongside a number of other European languages, developed from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. This means that languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and even Romanian all developed from the same place.
The benefit of the French language is that, once you know it, your ability to speak other Romance languages will be greatly increased. After all, there are many similarities and comparisons across grammar and vocabulary.
For example, while the French word for sun is soleil, in Italian it’s sole. And in Spanish and Portuguese, it’s sol. Easy right?!
7. It’s easy to get started
Another reason, among all these benefits of learning French, is that it doesn’t need to be hard. In fact, it’s so easy to get started.
The spread of the Internet and online language learning programs means that it’s easier than ever to learn French. From Babbel to Mondly to italki, there’s a great app out there for every different type of learner. Get the full list in our article on French learning apps!
And if you’re not an app type of person, there are so many other resources out there.
Maybe you love Netflix and can try watching some French shows like Family Business. Maybe you love podcasts and want to start listening to Coffee Break French. Or maybe you want to learn French through a language exchange.
The possibilities are endless! And it’s even possible to get fluent in just one year.
8. Increase understanding of your first language
And if being able to speak Romance languages with the help of French isn’t enough, it’s proven that a foreign language also increases understanding of your first language.
Whether it’s English, Mandarin, or Igbo, learning French will provide you with a much better comprehension of the language you originally speak. Learning another language from scratch helps you understand better how language works, allowing you to analyze your own and realize why certain structures work as they do.
Since starting to learn French, I understand English much better than I did before and also have a much larger vocabulary!
9. Quit your job and move abroad
If you hop on TikTok, you’ll find so many videos about the great opportunities you can find when moving abroad. Be it a better job, a better work-life balance, a better quality of life, or even just a prettier city.
France has all of this. With a strong economy, a variety of great jobs, lovely people, and wonderful nature, why wouldn’t you want to move there?
It’s filled with beautiful history, architecture, and landscapes, and has one of the best cuisines in the world. Learning French is the first step in the process of you being able to move to this stunning country.
And if France doesn’t take your fancy, what about Belgium? Switzerland? Quebec? Senegal? Even the Caribbean!
10. Show off to others
It’s true that when people find out you speak another language, a stream of “oh how cool!” or “wow” comes flooding out.
Given that almost half of the world only speaks one language, it is understandable that speaking a second language is impressive. It shows dedication, and gives you the quality of being just a little bit different.
And with all the hard work you’ll put into learning French, you best bet you’ll want to show off about it.
11. Find love
Ask anyone on Earth what the city of love is, and the likelihood is they’ll say Paris. With its dreamy lit-up streets, its beautiful architecture, and its culture-filled avenues, it really is the perfect place to fall in love.
The French are known to be charming (and maybe even a little flirtatious), so learning French could open you up to millions of potential partners who you wouldn’t otherwise be able to communicate with! Who knows, maybe your first grammar lesson will be the first step to finding your one true love!
12. Raise your kids bilingual
We’ve obviously seen that being bilingual can bring a whole bunch of advantages. So, if you want or have kids, why not pass those advantages onto them as well?
In fact, whenever I meet someone who’s bilingual from birth, I get very jealous, because it’s so much easier for them. It’s proven that kids learn languages much quicker than adults, as their brains are better suited to language learning when growing up with these languages in the home. Bilingual kids also do better at school.
One of the great advantages of learning French is that your current efforts will mean you’re able to raise your future kids speaking French, giving them a headstart in life before they’re even born.
13. Be the mysterious French reader on the train
Imagine yourself on your boring daily commute, when a similarly bored woman gets on in a hurry. She sits on the last seat available, dives into her bag, and takes out a book before opening it about halfway. You notice that this book is in French – and looks difficult!
We’ve all been in a scenario like this, impressed by the language abilities of strangers around us. They seem interesting, mysterious, and intelligent. And you probably want to know more about them and their story.
Well, now, that person can be you. All you have to do is begin your French journey. You could even read one of these French novels or storybooks on the train!
14. Get a promotion
The British Council estimates that French is the most in-demand language for economic purposes, other than English. In fact, 20% of world trade is done in French, as it is one of the few languages spoken on all five continents. This shows the real importance of French in today’s world.
I did say French will help you get a better job, but what if you don’t want to leave your current company? Chances are, if your company is international, it will complete some business in French. Why not take on more international responsibility and ask for a pay rise? Or even ask to be moved to an office abroad?
15. Access a whole new side of the internet and social media
It may feel that scrolling Twitter, TikTok or Instagram provides you with an infinite amount of content. But, in reality, the content you see is only a small part of social media’s capabilities. By learning French, there is a whole new world of information, memes, jokes, and videos that suddenly opens to you.
This also applies to the Internet, of course. You can now search, read, and watch in another language. And, if you can’t find something in English, you might just be able to find what you’re looking for in French.
16. Start a side hustle
Websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer all have a wide variety of freelance jobs for French-English translators and writers.
Another reason why to learn French is being able to apply to these jobs and slowly build up your portfolio, to a point where a side hustle of a few hours a week can generate you a significant sum of money, or maybe even begin a new career!
17. Read your favorite childhood books in their original language
Many of my (and millions of other people’s) favorite childhood books were in fact written in French, before being translated into English. The likes of The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) and The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin) were originally French.
Rereading these childhood books which helped me grow up, except this time in the original French, felt so rewarding. And it really is a blast from the past, provoking nostalgia and happy times.
Knowing that the me back then was learning English, and now understands Le Petit Prince in French too, is a wonderful feeling and shows the great progress from learning a new language.
So, now you have not just one, but 17 reasons why you should learn French. Bonne chance!