The benefits of learning French for your studies and career
Imagine: you are in an important meeting and suddenly one of the stakeholders starts speaking French. While your colleagues look confused, you smile confidently, and effortlessly join the conversation. This is an example of how mastering French can not only help you stand out, but also strengthen your professional impact. Now, of course, this applies to all foreign languages, so why choose French in particular? In this blog post, teacher Delphine explains why French can have added value for your studies and career.
What reasons do course participants have for learning French?
Delphine Direr has been teaching French courses at Wageningen in'to Languages since 2013, from group courses to individual tailor-made courses. She has heard many different motivations: “Some people just want to learn French to go on holiday to France, or to relearn the language that caused them so much frustration in secondary school.”
But there are also many course participants with serious ambitions: “France has really good universities, which makes it an interesting destination for an Erasmus exchange. You don't need French for all study programmes, but even if you choose an English-language study programme, learning the language will help you feel more at ease and connect with people more easily. In addition, French is of course also spoken in many other countries, including Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and many countries in Africa and in the Caribbean. This makes it a very valuable language for those pursuing an international career.”
Why is French of particular interest to WUR students and staff?
The courses and training programmes are open to all, but they are especially popular among WUR students and staff. Delphine: “French can open doors for many of WUR's fields of study and research, especially in diplomacy, agriculture, or sustainability. I often have students in class who are preparing for a final internship abroad, but also professionals doing business or research in French-speaking countries in Africa and elsewhere.”
Can you say a little more about the importance of French in the fields you just mentioned?
Diplomacy
“In the field of diplomacy, French is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, the World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations. Mastering French can therefore make it easier to communicate and negotiate within these international institutions. Plus, it gives you a competitive advantage on the international diplomatic stage.”
Agriculture
“Knowledge of French can also be a big plus in agriculture and development projects, especially if you join an international organisation, or if you want to enter into dialogue with farmers in French-speaking parts of the world yourself. For example, I trained a researcher working on a project in Algeria. She soon noticed that neither the rural farmers nor her colleagues at the local university spoke English. She got some help from an interpreter, but realised that it would be better to work on her French so she could interact directly with people.”
Sustainability
“The French-speaking world is also very active in the field of sustainable development, with many French-speaking countries being involved in initiatives to protect the environment, promote renewable energy, etc. Here, too, people do not always have a sufficient command of English. Knowledge of French can therefore help foster cooperation and build strong relationships, so that you can achieve more together.”
And if you don't want to do anything with these fields?
“Even without a clear goal or career opportunities, learning French broadens your horizons and can bring you pleasure in many ways. For example, French offers access to a wealth of French-language literature, films, music, cuisine, and lifestyles. Great writers like Victor Hugo and Albert Camus, and filmmakers like François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard impacted and formed world culture. And this is an ongoing process, as witnessed by the success of films like Les Intouchables or even more recently Anatomie d'une chute or Le pot-au-feu.”
What motivates you as a teacher?
“What I enjoy most, of course, is interacting with course participants who are motivated and interested, but who also have an incredible desire to learn. This gives me a lot of energy to share my passion for the French language.”
“In group classes, I enjoy the lovely weekly conversations and fun with a wide range of groups, from beginners to more advanced participants. People's diverse backgrounds also make for very interesting conversations in French. In the individual courses, you can develop a closer relationship with course participants and get to know each other on a more personal level, which is also really interesting.”
All in all, learning French can be both personally and professionally enriching. Even if you do not yet know exactly what you need French for, it is clear that learning the language creates opportunities. So don't hesitate to join one of our training courses! À bientôt!