Did you know J. Clarke Richardson has a French Club?
The French Club meets every Thursday after school to practice, read, and learn about French. They do everything from games and community circles, to French songs and art. Unfortunately, French class is often viewed as a chore or a ‘good riddance’ type of subject. I completely disagree with that and I am here to list the 3 reasons why French is important!
First, French Makes YOU Stand Out! Knowing multiple languages is a major asset in today’s world where immigration is more and more common. The benefit of having another language provides many opportunities such as the ability to study in French Universities and enhancing your resume. French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. If you are planning to work in Canada, French is what can propel you forward.
French is also the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. French is the connection to many different cultures and it also opens the possibility of travelling to many different cities around the world that have prestigious post-secondary programs. Often, learning French does not only involve vocabulary and grammar as almost every teacher will incorporate culture into their lessons. Learning French is about immersing yourself in a culture. This can include famous landmark cities such as Quebec, Paris, and New Orleans.
In addition, French teaches you more about English! Many of us are native English speakers, and much of the grammar that we use is intuitive. However, French makes you start from scratch and it ties into English in many ways such as verb conjugation. French provides you with a new medium to learn English and it forces you to step back and pay attention to all the rules that you are unaware of but follow unconsciously. Furthermore, it is a good base language as it incorporates Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian. Not to mention, it is a Romance language and is sure to score you ‘brownie points’ with your crush!
Overall, the attitude towards French is something that must be improved. Although many like to complain about it, taking the time to learn the language can be a great use of your time — especially as it would be a shame to let those mandatory classes go to waste!
