How to get a passion to learn the French language?
French is a language that has many many many reasons to be loved. French was the lingua franca of the world until the Second World War. France has been regarded as a “centre of high culture.” France – a land having a rich history of Uprisings and Revolutions, Architecture, Scriptures, Sculptures, Paintings, Fashion, Films, Cuisines, and more, is internationally recognized for its Fashion, Cuisine, Art, and cinema and has played a significant role in shape world Art, Culture and Science. French is a language that offers you innumerable benefits, advantages, and reasons to choose from. Be it any stream, any field, French is always ahead when it comes to providing lucrative future smart options to people.
Today I share with you, an exhaustive list of reasons that could compel you to study French. To be able to remain passionate about whatever you choose in life you need to have a compelling reason to do it. Because the reason is not strong enough then you will not be able to overcome the challenges that you will encounter in your path of learning. This reason should be subjective and not objective in nature so that it is future-forward. for example if someone wishes to learn Chinese because China is going to be a superpower it’s a rather short-sighted decision however if somebody was to learn Mandarin because they loved the Kanji script it is an adequate reason to remain passionate and keep yourself motivated even when you get pushed back due to lack of interest or multiple failures.
Language learning is a personal journey. It requires commitment and attachment. I have sketched out here what attracts me to the French language. It is up to each learner to find his or her own path to fluency in the language of their choice, which means searching for things that attract them and then pursuing them with passion.
If the learner doesn’t cultivate a passion or connection with French, an interest in some aspect of their culture, or some other personal emotional, sentimental, or intellectual connection, it will be a long unsuccessful journey with many failures and lots of frustration.
Following is a list of my reasons. And I strongly believe that at least one of them is likely to click with your mindset or your choices in life!
Students can develop a passion for this French, by reminding themselves of the many benefits life holds for them in future!
French for students
French is thought to be an analytical language. In comparison to English, French is less prone to compounding words which is a rather germanic tendency, and thus relies on specific vocabulary, and suggested elements. It is also a language that can work with very long sentences containing multiple articulations. The tendency to imply might explain why the French is less straightforward and open than anglo-Saxons. Relying more on the recognition of a common code, and ability to decipher implications that are not technically part of the semantics of individual words. Learning French gives you a head start for learning the other romance languages(Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) as well as English. Roughly 60% of English words are either of French origin or Latin origin words that also exist in French. You already have a large latent vocabulary in French.
Nowadays the Internet is full of a wide range of compelling French content, and online dictionaries make them easier to understand. If you are starting out in French, however, texts of history, literature and current events, as attractive as they might be, may seem out of reach, even with the help of online dictionaries and other resources. It is first necessary to get familiar with some of the basic vocabulary and structural patterns of French. The basic idea is to keep yourself surrounded with compelling content so you do not lose interest and can continue with perseverance, renewed interest and a will to succeed.
French a language for higher education
Speaking French opens up opportunities to study at renowned French universities and business schools, ranked among the top higher education institutions in Europe and the world.
Studenty can find innumerous resources online such as podcasts, radio and TV programs to learn French the French native way or they can look up specifically designed content for learners, ebooks on LingQ.
If these do not provoke you to propel your learning for French, nothing ever will! A great handsomely paying international career?? I'd say jump right into it!
Global Language
There are over 300 million speakers of French in the world today, in the five continents. Some people have predicted that there could be as many as 700 million French speakers by 2050. The OIF, an international organisation of French-speaking countries, comprises 88 member states and governments. French is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world and there are, in fact, 29 countries where French is the official language including France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, North Africa and West Africa. That puts French amongst the top four languages which enjoy official status around the world. French is spoken in 51 different countries, including those as far from France as Madagascar and the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu. France operates the biggest international network of cultural institutes, which run French-language courses for close on a million learners as a result is the second most widely learned foreign language after English.
High end comfortable international career
The economy of France is highly developed, diverse and free-market-oriented. It is the world’s seventh-largest economy, by 2020 nominal figures, and the tenth-largest economy by PPP. As of September 30, 2020, it is the 3rd largest economy of Europe, after the economy of Germany and the United Kingdom that provides multiple international employment opportunities with greater employee earnings. The ability to speak French and English is an advantage in the international job market. A knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in France and other French-speaking parts of the world. French language skills can also lead to careers in the language-services sector, valued at more than $25 billion per year and employing more than half a million in education and industry alone, and predicted to increase by 29% between 2014 and 2024. A 2014 global talent survey found that 11% of U.S. mid-and large-size companies are actively recruiting candidates with foreign language skills and 35% give an advantage to multilingual candidates.
For that aiming at for a career in international business, diplomatic relations and Law, this is an absolutely great choice!
French a language of international business
As one of the world’s largest economies and a leading destination for foreign investment, France is a key economic partner. Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business, after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese in 2011.
French a language of international relations and diplomacy
France is the fifth-largest trading nation in the world (and second in Europe after Germany). During the 17th century, French replaced Latin as the most important language of diplomacy and international relations (lingua franca). All institutions of the EU use French as a working language along with English and German; in certain institutions, French is the sole working language (e.g. at the Court of Justice of the European Union). French has a long history as an international language of literature and scientific standards and is a primary or second language of many international organisations including the United Nations, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Inquisitive people who often travel, have a chance of knowing more about the locals, French history and it doesn't need professional fluency! Is that enough to remind yourself to go on!
French a language of international travel
France is also the most visited countries in the world by 87 million international visitors a year. The ability to speak even a little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and other tourist destinations in France.
French a language of historical and cultural heritage
France is home to 41 of the 492 Unesco World Heritage sites in Europe and North America. Since the 17th century, France has been regarded as a “centre of high culture.” As such, French culture has played a vital role in shaping world arts, cultures, and sciences. In particular, France is internationally recognized for its fashion, cuisine, art, and cinema. A knowledge of French offers access to great works of literature in the original French, as well as films and songs. French is the language of Victor Hugo, Molière, Léopold Sendar Senghor, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alain Delon and Zinedine Zidane!
French is the language of love. Its likeliness with classical worlds of Greece and Rome is evident in its Art, literary references laws traditions and courses in the language.
La Gastronomie Française (French Gastronomy): The art of French cuisine has a long and storied history dating back to the Moyen Âge (Middle Ages). La Mode (Fashion): Although the idea of fashion dates back to the earliest civilizations, fashion as we know it today began in France in the 17th century in the courts of King Louis XIV and today Paris is recognized as a fashion destination Ballet: Much like fashion, theatrical dance rose to prominence in the courts of Louis XIV. Impressionism is a quintessential French art movement that developed in Paris in the late 19th century.
Here's something to our philosopher readers and elite literature appreciating lot!
French languages heart beats for literature
Littérature (Literature): Literature cannot be attributed to one country in particular, but France has produced its share of prolific auteurs (authors) whose works have been translated into dozens of languages, made into plays, adapted to the silver screen and have permeated popular culture in many western countries. Victor Hugo is an icon of the Romantic literary movement famous for Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame among others. Alexandre Dumas was another notable figure of literary Romanticism and author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. Flaubert, Zola, Balzac, Proust, Verne, Saint-Exupéry, La Fontaine, Baudelaire and many others have penned classics that have stood the test of time and continue to be held in high esteem throughout the Western world.
A language of logic and reason, not passion contrary to what someone may think because it is one of the Romance languages!
Philosophie (Philosophy): Philosophy began in the days of Ancient Greece with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle but France has been a great contributor to modern thought over the last four hundred years beginning with René Descartes, a scientist, philosopher and mathematician known as the “Father of Modern Philosophy.”Denis Diderot is responsible for creating the first encyclopedia while François-Marie Arouet who took Voltaire as his nom de plume (pen name) wrote works on history, poetry, prose, and science. Both of these men were forward-thinkers. French structures thought and develop critical thinking, which is a valuable skill for discussions and negotiations. An ability to understand French provides access to an alternative view of the world. You can follow French thinkers and leaders from all over the world and news from the leading French-language international media (e.g., TV5Monde, France 24 and Radio France Internationale). The French love to discuss, and pride themselves on relying on logic and reason, rather than passion.
This one, in particular, goes to all of us. Anyone who appreciates French movies, songs and art like me can never get enough!
Hollywood captured the French mood in the film Gigi, with Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan and Maurice Chevalier. A movie that confirms the association of France with romance. Yves Montand in his haunting rendition of “Sous le ciel de Paris”, Edith Piaf in “Hymne à l’amour”, and countless other songs by these and other French artists can be found on YouTube and the lyrics make wonderful language learning material.
Music – A singer and a writer Georges who put great works of French poetry to song. His popular song, “Les Neiges d’Antan” (The Snows of Yesteryear), is a rendition of a 15th century poem by Francois Villon, “La Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis” (Ballad of the Ladies of Bygone Days).The literary texts of the works of Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Balzac, Dumas and others are available free on the Internet, but we can also find audiobook renditions of their works in different ways, the lives of French people of that century. Short stories of Alphonse Daudet and Guy de Maupassant also provide vivid descriptions of life in France towards the end of the 19th century.
French writers such as Montaigne, followed by the great Descartes (“je pense donc je suis”, “I think therefore I am”), enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire, 20th-century existentialists Camus and Sartre, and a host of post-modern French thinkers, have been giants on whose shoulders modern philosophy has developed. Their works are all there, in the original French, for us to explore and learn from.
A good place to start learning about French history might be “L’Histoire de France Pour les Nuls” and its companion audiobook read by the author. “Pour les Nuls” is the French version of the “For Idiots” series. There are many other resources on French history available to suit different tastes. To make these books comprehensible language learning material, I suggest buying an audiobook listening to it as a companion to reading.
French has so much to provide to one and all. The country, its culture, the language all makeup to a great combination of empowering French language learners with hands-on success! With so much to offer its bound to connect in one way or another with everybody! All you need to do in the face of challenges and defeat is to remind yourself of the bigger things in life that you are setting yourself up to! Let these small irritations not derail you from your goals!
Once upon a time knowledge of French was considered the sign of an educated person, not only in Europe but elsewhere in the world for several centuries. French was the lingua franca of international relations and diplomacy for a long time.
However, it remains an important international language, at the United Nations, in the Olympic movement, and at international conferences, but it has lost the status it once enjoyed.
French people aren’t impolite as per popular belief. But they take feel pride in their language, culture and country and take objection to anything said against them.
France is undergoing a period of economic difficulty, some social unrest and self-doubt at the present time. I have absolutely no doubt that the French will overcome this and continue making unique contributions to the world in many areas of activity
The French love to discuss, and pride themselves on relying on logic and reason, rather than passion. The more you can learn about their history and culture, as you learn the language, the better you will be able to participate in their discussions. intellectual discussion has always been an important reason for my fondness for French culture and French people