Many people struggle with French, while others say it’s one of the easiest languages to learn. Why is that? Who is right and who is wrong? Realistically and objectively speaking, is French hard to learn? Which factors come into play?

French is one of the most popular languages worldwide, but despite that, some people are in a love-hate relationship with it. If this is your case or if you’d simply like to know what learning French is like before diving in, then you’ve come to the right place! The truth might surprise you. Allons-y!

Is French Hard to Learn?

You can ask people all over the world the same question, and you will get different answers depending on whom you ask. Spanish speakers will tell you it’s easy, while Chinese speakers will probably tell you otherwise. But why is that? Well, the key factor here is their native language.

It’s true that those who speak Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) natively have an advantage over, let’s say, Chinese or Russian speakers when it comes to learning French. Romance languages share similar vocabulary and grammar rules making French easier to learn.

It’s a different story when non-Romance language speakers try to learn French. Their languages don’t resemble French, so it’s logical that it’s harder for them to learn it.

In the case of English speakers, French is classified by linguists as a Category I language to learn, meaning it’s easy, even though some people don’t agree with that.

How Long Does It Take to Learn French?

Again, the answer here will vary, but for the sake of simplicity, we will focus on English speakers learning French. According to the U.S. FSI (Foreign Service Institute), it takes English speakers between 24 and 30 weeks to learn French, provided they study between 600 and 750 hours. That means the minimum time is around 25 hours per week. Does that sound like a lot?

The difficulty level of French is the same as that of Danish, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, and Swedish. If you would like to see the full FSI list, you can check out this link.

As you can see, it largely depends on how much time you dedicate to studying French. Realistically speaking, it takes the average English speaker between six months and one year.

What Is Hard About French?

There’s this joke about French that says it’s hard because half of the letters of every word are not pronounced. Even though French is classified as an easy language for English speakers, there are several things they struggle with when learning it. Some of them include:

• Pronunciation.
• Spelling.
• Gender and number agreement.
• False friends.
• COD/COI.
• Verb conjugations.
• Passé composé.

Let’s explain each one of them in more detail.

Pronunciation

For starters, French, unlike English, is a nasal language. Those an/en/in/un sounds don’t exist in English. I would say these sounds are probably the hardest to master.

But that’s not all. H is silent. English speakers tend to pronounce it, but in French, we don’t pronounce it.

The sound of French U doesn’t exist in English. English speakers sometimes forget this and try to pronounce it the way they do in English.

Probably, the most peculiar French sound is that of R. To make this sound, you have to gargle. The problem comes when you want to speak at a faster speed.

Last but not least, pronunciation varies between European French and Canadian French. European French is more standardized, but Canadian French is a different story. Sounds complicated?

Spelling

French has several accent marks that you have to memorize. They are listed below:

• ç, la cédille
• é, l’accent aigu
• â/ê/î/ô/û, l’accent circonflexe
• à/è/ì/ò/ù, l’accent grave
• ë/ï/ü, l’accent tréma

Do they matter? Yes, they do! Not only do they matter in writing but in spoken French, too. They will determine the way you have to pronounce a word.

Gender and Number Agreement

In French, everything is either masculine or feminine. For example, a man is heureux (happy), but a woman is heureuse (happy). Countries, days of the week, and even things have genders. You have to understand this because spelling varies depending on the gender of the word.

English has the article the, but French has le, la, l’, and les. You have to know the gender of a noun to decide which article you will use before it.

Nouns also have to agree in number. For example, in English, we say the green car/the green cars, but in French, we say la voiture verte/les voitures vertes. Unlike English, French adjectives can be singular or plural.

Gender/number agreement also applies to verbs. Thus, a man would write Je suis allé (I went), but a woman would write Je suis allée. The pronunciation is the same, but the spelling is not.

False Friends

It is estimated that about 45% of all English words have a French origin. Even though they share a lot of vocabulary, some words can mean different things in each language. These are known as false friends or false cognates.

For example, assister means “to attend”, not “to assist/help”; attendre means “to wait”, not to attend; blesser means “to hurt”, not to bless. The list of false friends goes on and on. You have to be careful with those.

COD and COI

Direct and indirect objects, simply known as COD and COI, are some of the hardest things to learn in French. You have to consider genders, numbers, and tenses when using them. Not only that, but their position in a sentence also varies.

For example, I showed it to him would translate as Je le lui ai montré or Je la lui ai montré depending on whether the thing you showed is masculine or feminine.

Mastering COD and COI takes a lot of practice.

Verb Conjugations

Each grammatical person (I, you, he, etc.) has a different verb conjugation. You have to memorize the endings for each one of them. For example, in English, the conjugations of to eat in the present tense are eat and eats. However, in French, we conjugate manger as je mange (I eat), tu manges (you eat, singular), vous mangez (you eat, plural), il/elle mange (he/she eats), nous mangeons (we eat), and ils/elles mangent (they eat).

The same concept applies to conjugations for past, future, and other tenses. You have to memorize the endings for each grammatical person.

To further complicate things, there are approximately 350 irregular French verbs. These verbs don’t follow the same conjugation patterns that regular verbs do.

Passé Composé

Talking about the past in French is not easy. For some verbs, we use the auxiliary verb avoir, while for others we use être. And don’t forget (again!) about the gender/number agreement!

Generally speaking, we use the auxiliary être with verbs of movement. However, some verbs can use either one depending on the context. For example, sortir can either mean “to go out” or “to take out”. Thus you can say Je suis sorti ( I went out), but you can’t say Je suis sorti la poubelle (I took out the trash). In this case, the correct form is J’ai sorti la poubelle.

Overcome the Difficulties

Now that we discussed some of the most common things English speakers struggle with, you must be asking yourself what you can do to overcome the difficulties of learning French. Here are a few tips that will help you:

• Expose yourself to the language as much as possible. Watch videos, listen to podcasts, read books. Make French part of your everyday life. In no time, it will become second nature.
• Practice is key. If you are serious about learning French, you have to practice as much as possible. It doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make. There is no turnaround to that.
• Find a motivation. Why do you want to learn French? Would you like to date a French guy/girl? Would you like to visit France or even move there? If you aren’t motivated, you won’t go far.
• Make a plan. You will be more successful if you have a goal and a plan to reach that goal. A teacher can help you do that.
• Don’t give up. Learning is a journey. Enjoy every single part of it.

Final Thoughts

So, is French hard to learn? The answer to this question is subjective and will depend on each person’s background.

Even though English and French share a lot of things, some things about French are hard for English speakers. However, through practice and a detailed plan, you can make it happen.

French may not be as hard as Chinese or Russian, but it can be challenging for English speakers. Don’t let others tell you it’s not hard. We all speak from experience.

If you struggle with French, there are several things you can do. It may be hard but not impossible to learn.

What do you think? Is French hard for you? Let me know in the comments below. Au revoir, les amis!

Let's Learn French!

Are you ready to take your French to the next level? I'm glad you are! Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate/advanced learner, I can recommend a few options for you.
For starters, if you're someone who likes to study on his own, I recommend the following programs:
Busuu
Mondly
Rocket Languages

However, if you would like to hire a teacher/tutor, I recommend you try the following:
italki
Lingoda
Preply

Feel free to check my site to learn about more resources. Don't forget to check back often to learn more about the French language and culture. Salut!

France is unquestionably one of the most popular countries around the world due to its cultural heritage, its economy, and its respect for human rights. That’s why many people have sought to move there. However, immigration in France has been a sensitive topic as of late. Many events over the last decades have led to questioning if it should still welcome immigrants, and if so, under what conditions.

Immigration has been an important part of France’s identity since the 19th century, but it has brought tough challenges with it in recent years. It is not the same as what it used to be many years ago. The advances in technology, the war on terrorism, and several other factors have shaped up the opinion that French people had about immigration.

Today, we’ll learn where immigrants to France come from as well as what people think about it and what challenges the government and society deal with as a consequence. C’est parti!

Some Key Figures

According to the site statista.com, approximately 46,000 people migrated to France in 2020 alone. The average number of immigrants between 2008 and 2019 was between 30,000 and 50,000 people per year, with a high bump in 2012 and 2013. In those years, France received 72,000 and 100,000 immigrants respectively.

A 2014 census carried out by the French national institute of statistics (INSEE) counted nearly 6 million immigrants, accounting for 9.1% of the total population. A 2016 estimate made by Eurostat, a department of the European Union, increased those figures to nearly 8 million or 11.8% of the total population.

40% of immigrants live in Île-de-France (Greater Paris). Other cities with a significant number of immigrants are Lyon and Marseille.

Where Do Immigrants Come From?

Most immigrants come either from other European countries or North Africa. Below is a breakdown per country of origin as of 2014:

French law prohibits censuses from including information regarding race or religion, but it is estimated that Muslims comprise nearly 9% of the total population according to a 2017 survey. In fact, France has one of the largest Muslim populations in the western world due to the migration of people from North Africa and the Middle East, where Islam is the predominant religion. Islam is the second-most widely professed religion in France behind Christianity.

Why Do Immigrants Come to France?

France is one of the countries with the highest number of immigrants not only in Europe but also all over the world. According to United Nations data, there are nearly 8 million immigrants in France, accounting for 12.3% of the total population. But why do immigrants come to France?

Short answer: to seek a better life. The long answer is more complicated and requires a full article of its own. Many people leave their countries of origin to flee poverty, persecution, or war.

The average income in countries like Morocco or Algeria is between $3,000 and $4,000 annually, creating extreme poverty conditions for millions of Africans who choose to immigrate to rich European countries.

Other people immigrate to France by seeking asylum. Most immigrants under this category come from Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Illegal immigration is the last recourse for many and has been a major problem for the French government.

Controversies

One of the major problems with immigration is social integration. This does not pose a problem when it comes to immigrants from other European countries, but it’s a different scenario when we talk about immigrants from North Africa or the Middle East. France is a free country where law and religion are separated, but that is not the case in many Muslim countries. This has inevitably led to lots of incidents where culture and religion have played a major role. When someone immigrates to another country, there will always be some kind of cultural shock, but in the case of Muslim immigrants, it seems to be greater.

Even the simplest of things can make a difference. Take the case of the Algerian woman who refused to shake hands with a French official on religious grounds in 2018. French officials considered she was not ready for integration into French society and denied her naturalization application.

Clothing has been another major issue in France since the 80s. In Muslim culture, it’s normal for a woman to wear a hijab out in public as a sign of modesty. There has always been some controversy as to whether women should wear this article of clothing at school or work. Something similar happened with the burqa, another type of face covering. This was even the motive for lawsuits. Eventually, the French government banned these items in 2011, becoming the first country in Europe to do so.

Probably, the most sensitive topic is the use of Muhammad’s image in mainstream media. Muhammad is sacred to Muslims, and it’s forbidden by law in those countries to make caricatures depicting his image. That is not the case in a secular country like France. For instance, Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, has published caricatures of Muhammad more than once angering Muslims. The French claim their right to freedom of expression, while Muslims consider it insulting and blasphemous. This has resulted in bombings and other incidents as retaliation.

It’s definitely not easy for Muslims to preserve their identity while living in a country like France. Abiding by the law and by their religion at the same time can be sometimes contradictory.

Public Opinion

There are mixed opinions about immigrants. France was historically one of the most welcoming countries toward them, but that is slowly starting to change. Public sentiment seems to shift unfavorably every time there is a terrorist attack or an incident involving immigrants.

Some people refer to the 2005 riots (a three-week period of riots involving youth of African or Arab descent) or the Charlie Hebdo bombings as reasons to impose stricter controls on immigration.

The most recent event that sparked controversy around the topic once more was the murder of Samuel Paty, a college professor, who had shown a caricature of Muhammad during one of his lectures. He was beheaded soon after by a zealous Muslim. Many French people feel that immigrants are not integrating well into society but rather seek to impose their ideas and culture, including religion. Even President Macron referred to this separatism during one of his recent speeches.

In 2016, a survey showed that the majority of French people believed there were already too many immigrants in their country. A significant portion of respondents cited fears of terrorist attacks as a reason to stop immigration. Some went as far as suggesting the closure of French borders.

Besides religion and terrorist attacks, many people are concerned about the economic burden set upon France. Some feel they abuse the French welfare system. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the situation, putting a strain on France’s economy and the healthcare system.

Response from the French Government

France is a member of the Schengen Area. Countries in this area abolished passport and immigration control at their common borders, meaning citizens from those countries can travel freely in that area.

However, it’s another ballgame when it comes to immigrants from non-European countries. In 2018, the French government approved a controversial bill that tightened the rules for those seeking asylum. The highlights of the bill are:

• Shorter application deadlines.
• Doubling detention time of illegal immigrants.
• A one-year prison sentence for those entering illegally.

In November 2019, Edouard Philippe, France’s Prime Minister, presented a list of 20 measures to take back control of immigration. Some measures included establishing quotas for economic migrants and restrictions on access to healthcare.

Earlier this month, President Macron vowed to fight against “Islamist Separatism” in efforts to better integrate Muslim immigrants into French society. His measures include cracking down on illegal religious schools and requiring mosques to provide transparent financial information.

Conclusion

Immigration in France has always been a controversial topic, especially in the last few years. Some people believe immigrants help strengthen and enrich a country both culturally and financially, while others claim they’re just a burden for the country.

It has become a sensitive topic as of late due to many incidents involving Muslims or other immigrants. This has made them look bad in the public eye.

People immigrate from various parts of the world due to poverty or war, but unfortunately, they don’t always find what they’re looking for when they migrate.

They say we should never generalize. Immigration is indeed a hot topic with lots of advocates and opponents. What do you think? Are you in favor of or against immigration? Why? Let me know in the comments below. Au revoir, les amis!

Let's Learn French!

Are you ready to take your French to the next level? I'm glad you are! Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate/advanced learner, I can recommend a few options for you.
For starters, if you're someone who likes to study on his own, I recommend the following programs:
Busuu
Mondly
Rocket Languages

However, if you would like to hire a teacher/tutor, I recommend you try the following:
italki
Lingoda
Preply

Feel free to check my site to learn about more resources. Don't forget to check back often to learn more about the French language and culture. Salut!

If you are interested in learning another language, you may have come across tandem language learning. Also known as language exchanges, tandem language learning has a simple idea: uniting two or more people interested in learning each other’s language. In our case, since our goal is to learn French, we have to look for native French speakers and we will help them learn our native language in return. It’s that simple. Or is it?

Although the idea behind tandems is good, there are several catches to consider. Does that mean we should avoid them? Not necessarily. I have heard mixed opinions about them. You can ask as many people as you want, and they will all tell you different things about them. Each one of them talks based on his experiences.

Are tandems effective? What should we be aware of? What resources are there? What should we consider when looking for a language partner? Let’s answer these and other questions about the subject.

Are Tandems Even a Thing?

Tandems are not new. In fact, they have been around for years, but they were limited to face-to-face meetings, phone conversations, or correspondence. However, nowadays, thanks to the advances in technology, we have a myriad of resources to choose from. There are countless sites and apps where you just have to create an account and look for partners that match your preferences.

Tandems are one of the most used tools by language learners. When used in combination with private lessons and other learning resources, they’re even more powerful. Remember we should not limit ourselves to just one tool when there are so many out there.

If we know where to look and use tandems wisely, we put ourselves on the way to success.

Where to Look

As mentioned earlier, there are many resources to choose from. Some of the most used are:

• HelloTalk
• Tandem
• Conversationexchange.com
• italki

The first two are mobile apps available for iOS and Android, while conversationexchange.com is a website. Italki, on the other hand, has both a website and a mobile app. Whatever method you choose, you have to create an account, set up your preferences, and start contacting people.

I have used them with varying results, but there are many more you could consider. You can also try sites like mylanguageexchange.com, interpals.net, easylanguageexchange.com, or The Mixxer. Some of them are more social than others, but you might get lucky and find a regular partner.

Additionally, you can try Facebook. There are at least a couple of groups like Tandem Language Exchange and Language Exchange that are worth a shot.

Benefits of Tandems

If you’re still not sure about tandems, think about the following:

• They’re free.
• You will get to practice with a native speaker of your native language who can correct your mistakes and teach you new things.
• You will improve your listening skills.
• You can learn about another culture.
• It’s a great way to practice immersion if you don’t live abroad.
• It’s a fun way of learning.
• You can make new friends and even visit them someday.

Drawbacks of Tandems

Unfortunately, not everything is perfect. Tandems are a double-edged sword. Below are some drawbacks you should seriously consider:

• Some people are not serious about learning. All they care about is flirting with the opposite sex.
• Time differences do matter. If your partners live on the other side of the world, deciding on a day and time is not as easy.
• It can be hard to find people who match your preferences.
• Since tandems are informal and that provides more flexibility as compared to private lessons, that can be counterproductive. Not all depends on you. For instance, your partner may forget about your session, or he may take too long to answer your messages especially if you’re in different time zones.
• If you’re not at the same or similar speaking level, you or your partner may get bored/frustrated and the exchange would not be equitable.

A Few Recommendations

There are some steps you can take to ensure you benefit from tandems. Below are some recommendations:

• Take time to set up your profile as specifically as possible. Introduce yourself in detail, indicate your learning goals, your interests/hobbies, your communication preferences, your availability, and include a photo if possible. The more info you include, the more chances you have of someone contacting you or replying to your messages.
• Be flexible. You may have established your partner preferences but at times, adjusting those preferences will be unavoidable. For instance, you might have to expand the age range of your partners or accept requests from both genders.
• Be straightforward from the beginning. No need to be rude, though. This will save you a lot of trouble later on.
• Let your partner know if you want to be corrected every single time you make a mistake, if you want him/her to wait until you’re done, etc.
• Be responsible and considerate to your partner. If for some reason you can’t make it to your session, let him know in advance. We understand things happen, but letting others know about it is greatly appreciated. Don’t stand him up just like that.
• Be patient. Some people will tell you they’re busy, while others won’t even reply to your messages. I’ve had to message a LOT of people until I found a few I could speak with.
• Tandems are NOT meant for dating. Many sites have rules addressing that issue, but it seems many users don’t care. If you’re interested in dating a foreigner, there are sites for that. This is not Tinder. Please don’t be that guy.

Conclusion

I hope you understand a little more about tandem language learning now. As you can see, there are many benefits and drawbacks to consider. I recommend you try at least a couple of sites/apps and then decide if they’re something that you should continue using. If we don’t try something, we will never know if it’s going to work. The same principle applies to tandems.

Are tandems effective? Yes, as long as they’re used correctly. Some people have been lucky, while others have had horrible experiences. Don’t let this deter you from trying.

Tandems, when used effectively in combination with other tools, are a great way to practice and learn another language. They don’t substitute formal lessons/tutoring by any means but are rather a complement.

What about you? Have you ever engaged in tandems? How did they go? Would you try them again? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments section below. Au revoir, les amis!

My learning experience with French has been incredible. To be honest, when somebody asked me if I would like to learn another language besides English, I would always answer no. After all, Spanish (my native language) and English are some of the most spoken languages around the world. Why should I even bother with a third language?

Boy, was I wrong! The truth is, French has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. If I had known about it, I would’ve started my learning journey many years ago. However, like Robbie Williams once said, “There’s no point regretting things.”

My journey started almost by accident. You could say it was just a caprice, something unnecessary. Maybe it was, who knows. Let me share my story with you.

A Wedding

It all started with a wedding. No, I didn’t get married. It was a cousin of mine who did. He worked at the moment for an international oil company. During an overseas training program, he met a Canadian girl. She happened to be from Montreal, the city with most French speakers after Paris.

They both fell in love and started a relationship. It wasn’t long before they announced they would get married in Montreal. My cousin and I have always been close so I felt obligated to attend his wedding, not to mention I was excited about traveling to Canada for the first time.

On top of that, this was the perfect opportunity to pick up a new language. Even though most people in Montreal speak both French and English, I wanted to communicate with the locals in their native language (French). It was a challenge. The wedding was set to take place in August and it was already January. Time was of the essence.

Studying Books

Being a nerd, the first thing I thought of was getting a book. I searched on Amazon for the French books with the best ratings and bought one. It was Easy French Step-by-Step. I remember it perfectly.

The book came with a list of verbs along with their conjugations and some grammar rules. It also included vocabulary, survival phrases, and several examples.

I studied the book and guide, and although I learned a lot of things, I felt I needed something more.

YouTube

I started watching lots of French videos on YouTube. I discovered several channels that would become my favorite like French with Vincent, French with Alexa, Français avec Pierre, Français Authentique, Easy French, among others.

This helped me a lot. I learned an enormous amount of vocabulary, but most importantly, I started to tune my ear to spoken French, which is key to learning the language.

I still use YouTube to learn. It’s one of my favorite learning resources.

Online Classes

I was learning through books, blog posts, and YouTube, but it was time to step it up. It was time to start taking lessons. However, my job at the time was very demanding, and I had a lot of financial obligations to meet. So, I couldn’t spend too much money.

Looking for a teacher is not an easy task. It requires extensive research if you’re serious about it. There are so many options on the market that it becomes overwhelming.

It turned out that Vincent, the creator of Learn French with Vincent, happens to give private lessons via Skype. I contacted him and set up a time. I enjoyed his lessons immensely, but due to our mutual obligations, it wasn’t possible to continue.

Doing some research, I determined that the two best platforms for me were Verbling and italki. In the end, I opted for Verbling and used it for a long time.

Conversation Clubs

My learning experience improved after I started taking private lessons with a teacher. I learned a lot of vocabulary, expressions, grammar, improved my pronunciation and started talking to real French people. They were able to understand me! That felt great. Once you overcome the initial fear of speaking, it becomes easier.

However, there was still one problem. I needed to practice more. Practice makes perfect, we all have heard it.

As I mentioned earlier, my time was severely limited. But at the same time, I wanted to improve my French. To say that you truly master a language you have to be able to write it, read it, speak it, and understand it. That’s where many French students struggle. They may be able to write, speak, and write, but when it comes to understanding spoken French, they realize they still have a long way to go.

That’s how I found out about Meetup. This app changed my life. I joined a polyglot group and started attending regularly. On one of those events, I met a Congolese girl and we became good friends. She invited me to another conversation group that focused on the French language. I was hesitant at first, but I decided to go.

In the beginning, I just listened. Most members were either native or advanced French speakers. I felt intimidated but eventually overcame my fears and just started speaking. My fellow members would gently correct my mistakes. It has been one of the most gratifying experiences during my language learning journey.

Language Exchanges

The problem with meetups was they were always in person. I didn’t have set hours at work, so it was sometimes impossible to attend. Also, the meeting location was too far from my office. If I could learn from home, I would have more flexibility.

That’s when I found out about online language exchanges. I discovered many people wanted to learn Spanish and were willing to help with French in return. I decided to give it a try. What did I have to lose?

I used the Tandem app with mixed results. However, the one that helped me most was conversationexchange.com. There I found French, Swiss, Belgian, and Canadian partners. We exchanged contact information and had weekly sessions via Skype. It was quite an experience! Not only did I get to practice my French, but I also learned a lot about other cultures!

The major problem with online language exchanges is the time difference. Most of my partners live on the other side of the world. They are 7 hours or more ahead of me, so planning sessions is not that easy, but it’s worth it.

Fun but Not Easy

The journey has been long and enjoyable but not easy. It’s been over 3 years since I started, but I learn something new every day and fall in love with the French language and culture each time.

Learning any language requires discipline and even sacrifices. For instance, you might have to get up earlier than usual to take a class, sacrifice your social life, drive long distances to meet with someone, learn to manage your time, invest in your learning, etc. They say nothing is free in life. There is some truth in that.

You also have to be constant and persistent. When I went to Montreal, a lot of people switched to English when I spoke to them in French. They could tell French was not my native language. I don’t know if they didn’t understand me at first. It was discouraging, but I didn’t give up. I continued speaking in French until people replied in French too.

Some things won’t make any sense. You might feel frustrated at times. You may feel you’re not moving forward, but it’s all part of the process.

I still have a lot to learn. Each day provides a new learning opportunity. Keep that in mind.

Conclusion

There are many reasons to learn French. It may be due to work, school, or personal reasons like my case. Whatever the reason be, you will face a lot of obstacles: time, money, fear, and life in general. Learning a new language requires discipline and a change of mindset.

The most important thing is enjoying the journey. Make the most out of it. The journey can be long and hard, but if we learn to enjoy the process, it will be more bearable. It can take months or even years to master a language. Don’t give up!

What has your learning experience with languages been? What strategies have you followed? Why did you decide to learn a new language? How long have you studied? What would you recommend to newbies? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Au revoir, les amis!

Why should I learn French? I asked myself this question a few years ago. After all, speaking English has a lot of advantages, and it seems it’s the only language we need to learn besides our native language.

Have you ever been interested in learning French? Chances are you have, but then you may have decided it was not worth it. I remember my friends would tell me it was useless. “Why do you want to speak French?,” they would ask.

If you have ever faced this dilemma, look no further. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should start learning French. Are you ready?

One of the Most Spoken Languages in the World

Did you know that French is on the top ten languages list worldwide? Around 300 million people speak it either as a first or second language.

French is an official language in 29 countries. Besides France, it’s also spoken in Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Canada, Haiti, large portions of Africa, and a few parts in Asia and Oceania.

Other interesting facts about French:

• The sixth most widely spoken language in the world.
• One of the official languages of the European Union.
• The third most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe.
• The second most studied language in the world.

French Movies Are Great!

This is one of the reasons many of us started studying French in the first place. As a matter of fact, the history of cinema started in France.

France has one of the most important film industries in the world and is the world’s second-largest exporter of films, just behind Hollywood. 

Besides producing a large number of movies every year, most French movies are of great quality. Their sense of humor is highly sophisticated and they master drama as few filmmakers do.

The impact of France on the film industry is enormous, therefore, French has also played an important role. Plus, wouldn’t it be amazing if you could watch those films without reading the subtitles?

The Language of Culture

Not only does French play an important role in the cinema industry but other cultural areas as well. The influence of French on culture goes back to the times of Charlemagne. Especially since the Middle Ages, France has been a major contributor to universal culture.

The cultural heritage of humanity includes French works in literature, theater, painting, poetry, philosophy, and music, among others. 

Have you ever read The Little Prince, Les Misérables, or The Three Musketeers? Well, all of them were originally written in French and were later translated to other languages due to their popularity.

Did you also know that famous songs like “My Way” and “La Vie en rose” were composed by French authors? They became instant hits and we can still listen to new versions of them.

The Language of Love

French has long been considered the “language of love”. There are many theories about it, but the truth is, French people are known for being passionate and romantic.

Speaking strictly about the language, French is beautiful, melodious, and pleasing to the ear. It’s what linguists know as euphonic.

Simply put, many people love how it sounds and prefer it over other harsh-sounding languages like German. This, of course, is subjective and depends on whom you ask.

However, we can’t deny that French and romanticism have a strong bond, and this can be seen in their movies, literature, and general culture. Oh, l’amour!

It Can Help You Advance in Your Career

For starters, French is very useful if you study a major in art, tourism, gastronomy, fashion, architecture, or diplomacy. In fact, in some cases, it may even be a requirement to graduate.

I remember when I was deciding what major I wanted, there were several of them that required a third language (English being the second). A friend of mine that studied opera also had to pick another language, and French was one of the most viable options. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

French can open many doors for you. Consider this: If you ever wanted to work for a French company (that company is not in France but overseas) and you applied, you might have more chances of getting the job over those who don’t speak French. I hadn’t realized this, but my French teacher opened my eyes in this regard.

It Helps You Immerse Yourself in French Culture

There is no better way to immerse yourself in another culture than by learning its language. In this case, if you’re interested in the French culture, it would really help to learn the language. 

Many people agree that culture and language go hand in hand. This becomes more noticeable when you travel or move to another country where they speak a different language from yours. 

When you learn the language, you’re able to understand more aspects of the culture. It also allows you to better connect with French speakers. Simply put, no cultural immersion is complete without learning the language.

It Helps When Traveling

You speak English. Fine. A lot of people all over the world do, too. However, if you happen to visit a French-speaking country, you might be better off if you spoke French.

Although most young French people now speak English, it was not so 30 years ago. It was really hard to get by if you didn’t speak some French.

It seems the opposite happens now. People complain they ask something in French but receive an answer in English. It can be frustrating, but don’t despair! Those people you ask may want to help you or are looking to practice their English. Don’t take it personally.

It’s Fun to Learn

French is one of the most fun languages to learn. There are lots of resources to learn it: movies, songs, podcasts, books, videos, etc. Since the competition between French teachers is stiff, they strive to come up with good ideas to make their classes more enjoyable and attractive for their students.

As you progress over time, you can meet French speakers and exchange your languages. I’ve been doing that for some time, and it’s a lot of fun! I’ve learned a lot from my friends over the last few years.

To Sum It Up

There are many reasons to learn French. Summarizing:

• It’s one of the most spoken languages in the world.
• Their movies are awesome.
• It’s the language of culture.
• It’s the language of love.
• Some careers require it.
• If living in a French-speaking country, no cultural immersion is complete without it.
• It comes in handy when traveling.
• It’s fun!

You may relate to one of the reasons mentioned above or you could come up with your own. 

It’s never too late to learn a language. It may be a little harder when you’re not a kid, but it’s not impossible, either.

You can start doing it as a hobby, and it could eventually lead you somewhere else. Who knows?

So, should you learn French? I’d simply answer, “Why not?”

Thanks for reading. Please share if you liked this. Au revoir!

Let's Learn French!

Are you ready to take your French to the next level? I'm glad you are! Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate/advanced learner, I can recommend a few options for you.
For starters, if you're someone who likes to study on his own, I recommend the following programs:
Busuu
Mondly
Rocket Languages

However, if you would like to hire a teacher/tutor, I recommend you try the following:
italki
Lingoda
Preply

Feel free to check my site to learn about more resources. Don't forget to check back often to learn more about the French language and culture. Salut!