Learn to Speak French - Opportunities Await!
By Dana DiVenuto

Most English-speakers will know French as that magical language spoken by those from the country which gave us the concept of democracy and the magnificent architecture of the Eiffel Tower. It is the language of love, and to hear it is as if to hear music, so magically does each word seem to roll off the tongue and flow into each sentence.

What you may not know is that French is the national language of no less than twenty-nine countries, and is the language of choice in quite a few more. From Africa, up through Europe, across to the Americas and finally to the Far East and the Pacific Islands, you are more likely to be greeted with a friendly 'Bonjour' than a 'Hello'.

There are many good reasons to learn French, however one of the best (if not THE best) is the enormous opportunities which present themselves to those who are able to speak a second language. Have you ever wondered why you are always asked if you speak another language during your job interviews? It's because corporations of every size hold bi-lingual employees in the highest regard, and this often leads to fantastic opportunities to work overseas in high-paying positions. Being able to converse in the native language of a customer or a business associate can often be the difference between a successful commercial outcome, or a failure, and big business is fully aware of this fact!

But...surely, learning French, especially as an adult, must be very difficult?

Not so! As adults knowing only a single language, we are often exposed to other languages in our day-to-day lives. Perhaps we have come across a movie on TV which is in a foreign language, and we busy ourselves following the sub-titles as the actors rattle on using a combination of sounds that might as well be from another planet, let alone from another part of our world! This tends to reinforce the notion that learning another language is simply an impossibility.

Certainly, there seem to be a few people who have an affinity for languages, and children can definitely learn this skill faster than adults because their brains are already in a state where they can absorb new words and grammar very rapidly. However, even as adults we never lose the ability to learn a new language! Most of us who have traveled to a country where a different language is spoken have picked up at least a few sentences - enough to get by.

Therefore, learning a language such as French is not really hard, it just requires the correct approach. As long as you believe that you can do it, then there is absolutely no reason at all why you can't learn another language. The key is to have a solid and tested teaching process, don't stress, and...practice, practice, practice!

So okay - what is the BEST way to learn French?

When I was learning French at school many years ago, a good friend of mine who was in my class was flunking French. His parents dealt with this by sending him to stay with a family in the south of France for six weeks. By the time he came back, he was almost bi-lingual, and he topped the class!

Now, this is an extreme example, but if you really want to learn French the best way is to actually go somewhere that speaks the language. There are plenty of reputable companies such as Rotary who offer these types of short-term exchanges, and this is especially advantageous for children in their later years of schooling.

This is simply not practical for most of us, of course! There are, however, French courses offered by colleges and professional associations that require attendance over a period of time, and usually charge a fee. This is a great way to learn the language, and if you have the means and opportunity to do it, you should seriously investigate this option.

Finally, there are some great online courses in French. These offer the convenience of being able to learn at your own pace, and in your own home, and are generally just a fraction of the cost of a professional attendance-based course. I have included a link at the end of this article for one of the best courses available online, and I urge you to check it out.

Don't forget that as you learn your French, make sure you expose yourself as much as possible to the language. Watch French films, catch French TV shows, read French books, and listen to French music. The more you listen, the more you will tune your mind to the language, and over time you will pick up more and more of the vocabulary. If you have a friend who speaks French, make a habit of holding entire conversations in that language - you will be amazed at how quickly you will start to pick up the words! Your confidence in using the language will grow...and you will be on your way to a new world of opportunity and understanding before you know it!

About the Author:

Learning French is easy and fun. Improve yourself, impress your friends, and expose yourself to lucrative travel and career opportunities Check out my blog for more information on what I believe to be the best online course for learning French, and in no time at all you will be confidently ordering for all your friends at your favorite restaurant downtown!