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Why learn French?
For the advanced language student, it is appreciation of the beauty
and flow of the language, the simplicity of its structure,
paralleled with the complexity of its irregularities.
It can be very useful when visiting France (or many other
French speaking nations like Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and parts
of Africa). About 75 million speak French as their mother tongue and
a further 55 million know it as a communication language. French
can also be very useful when ordering in a restaurant to decode the
menu!
For the businessman or woman this is the first stage: learning to 'get by'
and 'survive' in a French speaking environment. Through the language
you learn to understand the French culture and environment and what
is 'expected' and how to establish closer ties with your client.
Dare you rely solely on his command of English? Wouldn't you like
to know what he is saying about you? How competant is your
interpreter?
Willy Brandt's words are as valid for French in France as for German in Germany and are as valid now as never before:
"If I am selling to you, I will speak English, but if you are selling
to me dann mussen Sie Deutch sprechen."
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