10 reasons to learn French right now
Face it. No matter what your personal or professional goals are, no matter where your next travel destination is, what your favourite cuisine is, or what other languages you speak. We all want to learn French.
There is just something about that language.
So here are 10 reasons why you should learn French right now:
1.- Because of its rich history
The French language goes as far back as the Romans. The earlier versions of this fascinating language came to be when the Gauls, the locals to the territory of modern France, adopted Latin and created their own version of it, known as Gallo-Romance. From this “vulgarised” version of Latin came French.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that the French Academy was founded by Cardinal Richelieu. Its purpose was and still is to standardise the language and maintain its purity.
2.- It sounds sexy
This isn’t up for debate, it’s just simple facts. French is sexy. Or more accurately, French sounds sexy. And like any sound is the result of a myriad of factors. Its melody (its intonation), its breathiness (how much air is expelled when spoken), and of course its mouthiness (to properly pronounce French one must constantly pull a duck face which we humans seem to find attractive) combine into a language that can stop anyone on their tracks to have a little listen.
French is one of those languages where don’t care what you say, but how you say it. Even for the French themselves, the importance is the sound and grammatical correctness, not the content.
Want to up your score on the dating game? Peace of cake, learn French!
3.- If you learn French you can learn other amazing languages
Learning any language is a great way of working on your brain development. And the more languages we learn the easier it is to pick up another one. Since French is so closely related to languages such as Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese if you learn French it would only take you a small amount of practice to conquer any of these other popular romance languages.
4.- Because of the food
France has given one of the better cuisines in the world. And whilst one doesn’t need to learn French to be able to enjoy it there is a certain enjoyment in being able to correctly order a meal and perfectly pronounce every item. Give it a go. Next time you are at your local cafe make sure to order a chocolate croissant. You’ll realise the pleasure of the language in the mouth before you even taste the pastry.
5.- For the literature
What do a children’s book, a study of the hardships suffered in France in the time leading up to the revolution, and a philosophical examination of the capacity of horror by human nature all have in common? All of these books, The little prince by Antoine de Saint-exupéry, Les Miserable by Victor Hugo, and The stranger by Albert Camus were all written in French. And the list goes on and on. It is fair to say that a great deal of the most classic pieces of literature would not exist without the language.
Of course, anyone has access to these wonderful stories without needing to learn French. That is what translations are there for. But there’s just something fantastic about being able to read an author’s oeuvre in their own language. The poetry of the words along with their meaning reach you in a magical, creating a connection between you and the story that you can never achieve with a translation. If you care for French literature, then you need to learn French.
6.- For the fashion
Picture this. You are wrapped in a flawless coat from the latest collection by Chanel. Your scent, a classic fragrance by Dior, turns the heads of everyone it reaches, giving them a second chance to be amazed this time by the sight of your perfect face wrapped in a divine scarf by Hermés. You get to the end of the sidewalk, you raise your hand, and in flawless French, you ask for a taxi. You’ll impress everyone
You probably already know that France is house to some of the most important fashion houses in the history of modern Western fashion. And while learning French won’t really gain you access to them it can definitely help you feel closer to that elusive elegance of French culture in general.
7.- Higher education
La Sorbonne or the University of Paris is one of the most important and well-regarded universities in the world. Almost a thousand years old it has lost nothing since its founding. On the contraire, it has earned so much history and fame, and it has of course collected an impressive list of alumni, such as the very own Marie Curie herself.
8.- For its geographical currency
Besides English, French is the only other language that is spoken on all 5 continents as a native tongue. So if you want to communicate on a global scale French is a great choice. This language will open doors for locals in almost 29 countries.
9.- Because learning French is fun
French is not the easiest language to learn. It is also not the hardest, but for most people, it is definitely a challenge. It has so many rules, tenses, and conjugations it will definitely make you think. If you are a language nerd I very much recommend giving this one a go. Like with most things the harder the quest the bigger the reward, so just like with a hard mode video game you can spend hours of endless fun wrapping your head around this amazing brain puzzle.
10.- Because there is no time like the present
Are you serious about learning French? Are only considering it? Either way remember this: tomorrow is a great date it’s only an illusion. It doesn’t really exist. What I mean is that you may have very real plans to start at a later date, but whatever may be stopping you from starting to learn French now has just as many chances of becoming a bigger issue with time. So really, why not just start now? The faster you begin the faster you’ll be able to order that baguette at that café in Paris without help from a dictionary.
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