Bachelor of Arts, French Major - Why study French? (Pourquoi étudier le français?)

Pour le plaisir d’apprendre cette belle langue, bien sûr!

Besides the personal satisfaction of learning French, are many other reasons to study this beautiful language, including:

• Of all European languages, French has the largest number of words after English.
• Approximately 45% of the English vocabulary comes from French words; over 50,000 English words have their origin in French. Learning French will enhance your grammar and vocabulary skills in English.
• France is the world’s major tourist destination; it is visited by millions of people every year; knowing French helps anyone planning to visit France.
• French literature is one of the richest in Europe; knowledge of French will help you appreciate the writings of authors such as Villon, Rabelais, Racine, Molière, Proust, Camus, and Baudelaire and of French thinkers like Descartes, Pascal, Rousseau, Voltaire, Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. These authors' works are far more appreciated when read in the original language.
• Knowledge of French can open up employment opportunities in areas such as education, business, foreign correspondence, the airline and travel industry, diplomacy, museums and art galleries, law, radio broadcasting, and the federal government.
• Children in French immersion benefit from having parents who can help with homework.
• A second language is a requirement for some university degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate level.