If you want to learn French, there are a few facts about the French language that are useful to know. Whenever you feel your motivation fading and you need to remind yourself of all the reasons why you decided to learn this language, instead of giving up on learning French, remember these few things.
The French language is not that difficult: When you tell your friends that you want to learn French, some will try and discourage you by saying that French is one of the most difficult languages to learn. This is completely untrue, especially if you are a native English speaker. Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, Russian and a multitude of other languages that have a different alphabet are among the most difficult languages to learn for a native English speaker. In comparison to these, the French language is easy, even though the French use some accents and a few sounds that do not exist in English.
The French language is thought to have about 43,000 words, whereas it is thought that the English language contains more than 200,000 words. Less vocabulary to learn means more time available for learning French grammar and those conjugations. Joking aside, if you want to learn French, It is not the vocabulary that will give you the biggest problem.
There are currently 200 million French speakers around the world, spread over the 5 continents and 32 countries. If you thought it was just French and Canadian people who spoke French as their first language, you were wrong: the bulk of countries that use French as their official language are in Africa but a lot of other countries use French as a secondary language too.
Paris, the capital of France, is often referred to as the city of romance. If you are a man wooing a woman, being able to speak French is sure to impress her. The same goes for couples planning their honeymoon or a romantic holiday: being able to understand and speak the language will only add to the charm.
If you are looking for a good job or a work promotion, you may want to learn French, as it is a language skill that is quite popular at the moment with employers. Multinational corporations are keen on hiring fluent French speakers who can communicate with clients and suppliers that are located overseas and if you work in the tourism industry, it is a good idea to learn French.
There are many good reasons to learn the French language, as well as personal reasons you may find like having a French partner or relation. Wherever you live, there is almost always a French class available as well as excellent French courses you can sign up to that take some of the hard work and make learning French fun as well as giving you plenty of support during your studying. If you want to learn French but are still undecided on which language course to choose, select a French course that gives you feedback and support in your learning.
Sophie Le Cuiche is a French writer with a passion for foreign languages. Her blog, Learn French Simple, is dedicated to anyone looking for information about the French language and how to learn French. For more information on easy ways to learn French, go to Learn French Simple.
