French

French is the most studied foreign language after English, and the ninth most spoken language in the world. It is one of the main languages of the Western world, second only to English in meetings between countries and in international diplomacy, because of its sound, French is considered romantic. Learning French is first and foremost the pleasure of learning a beautiful, rich and melodious language, the language of love, as it is often said.

However, one should not forget its linguistic heritage which is as important as Ancient Greek and Latin. More than 200 million people speak French on five continents. The French-speaking world includes 68 states and governments. It is also, along with English, the only language that can be learned in every country in the world. France has the largest network of cultural centers abroad, where French is taught to more than 750,000 people.

In addition to France, it is also the official language of the department of French Guiana. It is also the second language of a large number of countries around the world, such as Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra in Europe, Canada, North America and African countries such as Cameroon, Algeria, Senegal, Congo and Madagascar, among others. Haiti, in the Caribbeans, was a French colony and, in some regions, still preserves the language. Among the Romance languages, the number of speakers is only surpassed by Spanish and Portuguese speakers.

Speaking French and English is an advantage that opens up more possibilities in the international job market. Knowledge of French opens the doors of French companies in Mexico and abroad, in all French-speaking countries (Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Africa). France, the fifth largest trading power and the third largest destination country for foreign investors, is a major economic partner.

It is also the international language of cuisine, fashion, theater, visual arts, dance and architecture. Knowing French means having access to the great texts of French and French-language literature in their original version, as well as to cinema and song. French is the language of Victor Hugo, Molière, Léopold Sendar Senghor, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, Alain Delon or Zinedine Zidane. France is one of the most visited countries in the world with more than seventy million visitors a year. If you know a little French, it is much more pleasant to visit Paris and all the regions of France (from the softness of the French Riviera to the snowy peaks of the Alps or the wild coasts of Brittany), and also to understand the French culture, mentality and art of living.

French is both a working language and an official language at the UN, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross, and in several international legal bodies. French is the language of the three cities where the European institutions are located: Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.

After English and German, French is the third language on the Internet, ahead of Spanish. Understanding French opens up the world scene by interacting with French speakers from all continents and getting information from the major international French-language media (TV5, France 24, Radio France International).