1. In Defense of French: Ten Reasons to Learn the
Language Part Two
This article was originally published on the Acclaro blog.
Category: "Spot" on Language, Culture
Let's continue exploring the numerous values of the language of love. We know there are many
Francophiles in the world. We understand that speaking French will help us network with them.
We know that it will enable us to speak cuisine and wine fluently. We saw that French is spoken
on virtually every continent and that French colonization planted the seeds so that it would
flourish across the globe. Why else should we study the language of Pierre-Auguste Renoir,
Christian Dior, Gerard Depardieu and Nicolas Sarkozy?
6. French is the language of philosophers, composers and artists. Descartes. De Bussy.
Monet. As a general rule, the richer your culture in the arts, the more discussion
material you will have in your tool box. If you market your services and products to
countries where the humanities are important (in Asia, the humanities are experiencing
a resurgence), art and culture become necessary conversation points. If you have not
the vaguest notion as to when the Renaissance occurred, or who Cézanne was, you may
find yourself in a predicament when the gaps in your culture hinder your ability to woo
the client, especially when catering to Europeans. Learning French naturally involves
studying culture and history – which will enable you to connect with culture buffs
without feeling ill-equipped.
7. Our neighbors to the North speak French. The Quebecois are often overlooked in the
Francophone world, but there are nearly 8 million inhabitants in this French-speaking
province of Canada. “Don‟t they speak English?”, you may ask. Well yes and no. Though
many in Montreal are bilingual and speak an English that is lightly seasoned with a
French accent, many outside of the major tourist destinations only speak French. And
the Quebecois are among the staunchest defenders of the French language, resisting
English linguistic invasions to the point of translating „hot dog‟ (“chien chaud”).
Proximity to this French-speaking market makes it a cost-effective business trip
destination. And French will always be an official language in Canada – and therefore an
important language for North American business.
8. French is important in politics. The French language is one of the UN‟s five official
languages, and France has one of the five permanent seats in the UN Security Council.
France is a major political and economic force - this ensures a promising future for the
language.
Page 1: In Defense of French: Ten Reasons to Learn the Language Part Two Copyright © Acclaro 2012

2. 9. French is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. According toLanguage
Learning Advisor Survey, which rates the public‟s perception of languages, it is second
only to Italian as the most beautiful spoken language and is the third most beautiful
written language, behind Arabic and Chinese. You may find that speaking French
transforms your very persona, giving you a touch of chic, of elegant sophistication that
will set you apart from your competitors.
10. Pourquoi pas?
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Page 2: In Defense of French: Ten Reasons to Learn the Language Part Two Copyright © Acclaro 2012