French language learning can be very handy practically anywhere in the world you travel . French ranks as the 11th or 13th most common native world language (this is depending on the source you are citing) with more than 70 million native speakers and close to 200 million secondary speakers . It is spoken in at least twenty countries on five continents and is the second most frequently taught foreign language next to English .
Learning French is particularly helpful to native English speakers because although English is a Germanic language, French has had a great influence in it so native English speakers becomes more appreciative of their own language when they learn French . Vocabulary knowledge of native and even secondary English speakers can be built up and increased when they learn French . This is so, because French is the largest donor of foreign words in the English language .
For those seeking employment and scholarship opportunities abroad, knowing how to speak, read and write French can be very helpful . United Nations, International Olympic Committee and International Red Cross are just some of the most prominent world organizations that use French as their official working language . The field of arts, fashion, dance, cuisine and other forms of culture use French as their lingua franca to facilitate global understanding of terms .