With French, you can:

Communicate with French speakers around the world, because French is ...

• spoken by over 200 million people on five continents.
• an official language in 32 countries and governments.
• the only language besides English taught as a world language in every country.

Boost your academic skills because French ...

• is the source of at least one out of three words used in English.
• provides the largest number of words in English (more than come directly from Latin).
• helps you improve your standardized test scores.

Become proficient more quickly than with most world languages because French ...

• requires the fewest instructional hours for an English-speaker to speak at a high level.
• is the language most closely related to English in terms of vocabulary.
• is a natural choice for Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese speakers because of common roots in Latin.

Increase your options for undergraduate and graduate studies because French ...

• is pertinent to the study of a variety of disciplines.
• is a popular choice for the language requirement in many fields of graduate study.
• opens the door to research in French-speaking countries.

Connect your future to cutting-edge fields in science and technology because French-speaking countries ...

• are at the forefront of medical research in fields such as genetics and reconstructive surgery.
• are on the cutting edge of scientific discoveries, for example in nuclear energy and fiber optics.
• are responsible for technological innovations, for example in video gaming and voice compression.

Invest in your career because French speakers ...

• are in demand in banking and finance, tourism, hotel management, and international trade.
• are needed in media, aviation, national security, health care, tourism, and law enforcement.
• can gain valuable understanding of cultural and business practices in other places.

Enjoy special leisure-time activities because French ...

• is the language in 50% of international films watched and 30% of international books read in the U.S.
• is used at the Olympics, and at baseball and hockey matches with Canadian teams.
• is important for following sports events such as the Tour de France, French Open, and 24 Heures du Mans.

Benefit more from travel experiences when French ...

• makes visits to French-speaking destinations on every continent far more enjoyable.
• is spoken in the most visited country in the world (yes, France).
• is the language of places closer to home: Quebec, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, St. Martin, etc.

Appreciate Francophone contributions to world culture because French-speakers ...

• have made a remarkable impact on literature, philosophy, cuisine, fashion, and the arts.
• learn more firsthand about authors like Camus and Césaire (literature), Sartre, and Derrida (philosophy).
• can better enjoy Renoir and Matisse (painting), Truffaut and Arcand (cinema), and many others.

Understand a variety of world perspectives because a person who knows French ...

• speaks the language and understands the culture of people in more than 56 countries.
• knows the official or working language in most important international agencies and organizations.
• can better work toward global consensus and peace and participate in humanitarian efforts.