French

There are about 200 million individuals throughout the world who speak French. This figure counts for people who are native French speakers, individuals who speak French as second language and learners of all generations who do not reside in a francophone country but have studied French.

French as an international language is the second most frequently taught in the world, below English. It is also a practical foreign language to learn, because it is spoken all over the world. French arrives second next to English on the listing of the 10 most powerful languages throughout the globe. Evidence of this is the essential use that the French language possesses.

It is the official functioning language of dozens of influential foreign organizations like the European Union, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization and host of further worldwide organizations.

The French language at present is the lasting outcome of extended periods of verbal evolution and revolution. France, during its long history, had been conquered by various ethnic tribal groups, who took on the Latin being used so frequently at that time, making modern French the descendant of Latin.

It is accepted as one of the Romance languages which also include Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian. They are named as such because their origin was Latin, which was the language of the Romans. Throughout the years, the previous French language has experienced modification in grammatical structures and words. It has developed these days to global French.

Also remember that you are learning a new skill. Try to master the simple stuff before moving on to the more complex concepts. We all have to add and subtract before we can do calculus. French is a complete language. While this course can teach you to read and write in French, these are only half of the skills that make up fluency. A written document cannot teach much about listening to and speaking French.

You must train all of these skills, and they will reinforce one another. For listening and speaking, find a native speaker to help you. The very best way to learn French is to visit France or another French-speaking country.

This allows you to start with a clean slate, as babies do. However, since most of us are unwilling to take that step, the next best option is immersion. If you are serious about learning French, a period of immersion (during which you live in a Francophone culture) is a good idea once you have some basic familiarity with the language. If you can’t travel to a French-speaking country, then try listening to French-language programs on the radio, TV, or the Internet. Rent or buy French-language movies (many American and U.K. movies have a French language option).

Pay attention to pronunciation. Grab a French speaker you meet and talk to him or her in French. Listen, speak, and practice. Read French newspapers and magazines. Google’s news page, which links to French-language news stories, is an excellent source that will enrich your vocabulary.