1 Reasons to choose French

There are endless reasons why people decide to start learning French. Here are just some possibilities.

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Figure _unit2.1.1 Figure 2 Possible reasons to learn French

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This image contains various coloured hexagons, each containing a possible reason for learning French. They are as follows: To prepare for business trips to Yaounde in Cameroon; Because my boyfriend is French; I’m a foody and want to travel to France to explore its gastronomy; I’ve accepted a new job based in Quebec; I’m training as a mountain guide and I want to move to the Alps; It’s the only language taught in my school; I love the sound of the language; My dream is to visit Tahiti one day; My mother is a French speaker from Haiti, I wish she had taught me her language; I want to work for the UN in Geneva; I live in the South of England and France is cheap and easy to travel to; I’m doing a PhD in History and want to research primary sources about the Huguenots; I speak Romanian so French will be easy to pick up for me; My best friend has moved to France and I intend to visit often; I have elderly French-speaking relatives in Morocco who I want to care for; I want to become a translator or interpreter from French to English; I’m from New Orleans and want to find out more about Cajun and Creole cultures; I have a passion for French-language cinema; I would like to teach English in France; I really enjoyed watching a French TV series on Netflix.

Figure 2 Possible reasons to learn French

So, what is your motivation for learning French? Can you relate to any of the reasons above? Perhaps you have multiple reasons. Consider how they fit into these broader categories:

Travel: French is spoken on all five continents. You will be spoiled for choice about where to go for practice!

Communication: Learning a new language gives you opportunities to meet new people. You will also develop your communication skills in general, for example in your first language.

Career opportunities: France is the fifth biggest world economy. The ability to speak French is an asset if you want to work in France, or one of the many other countries where French is spoken. By learning a new language you will also develop applicable skills that are highly desirable to employers, for example resilience and problem-solving.

Becoming a polyglot: You might find one language is just not enough! Learning French will aid you with other Romance languages, such as Italian or Spanish. You will develop good language-learning skills to carry over to other languages too.

Culture: Learning French will give you access to the great works of literature, films, theatre and music from around the French-speaking world. This includes the works of Molière, Victor Hugo, Jean-Paul Sartre, Aimé Césaire, Amin Maalouf, Jacques Brel, Félix Leclerc, Youssou N’dour, Céline Dion, Stromae, to name just a few prominent French-speakers of the past and present who can transport you to different worlds through their writing or music. Language learners also develop broader intercultural communication skills, giving them greater ability to interact with people from diverse cultures, whether they speak the same language or not.

Fun: There is something for everyone in language learning. You might enjoy the nitty gritty of grammar, or the performance aspect of speaking a new language, or just the challenge of learning something new. In any case, make sure you enjoy learning and practising.