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While any language will be useful for some jobs or for some regions, French is the only foreign language that can be useful throughout the world as well as in the United States. French as a foreign language is the second most frequently taught language in the world after English.

The International Organization of Francophonie has 51 member states and governments. Of these, 29 countries have French as an official language. French is the only language other than English spoken on five continents. French and English are the only two languages spoken worldwide.

When deciding on a foreign language for work or school, consider that French is a language that will give you many choices in your studies or your career.

French, along with English, is the official working language of

  • the United Nations, UNESCO, NATO
  • the International Olympic Committee
  • the European Community
  • the International Red Cross

French is the dominant working language at:

  • the European Court of Justice
  • the European Tribunal of First Instance
  • the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg.
  • the Press Room at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium
  • French is the foreign language spoken by the United States’s largest trading partner, Canada.
  • The United States and France have a long history of economic partnership.
  • In 2018, France invested over $325 billion in the United States and traded goods and services for $89.6 billion.
  • The 4,800 French subsidiaries present on the American soil employ 728,500 people across 50 states, constituting the 3rd largest foreign source of employment in the United States. 
  • French is the 6th most spoken language in the world, with over 275 million speakers across multiple continents.
  • It is the official language in 29 countries
  • Roughly 120 million people around the world are currently learning French.
  • French is one of the languages spoken in the USA: 1,203,941 Americans speak French at home. (2017 US Census)

Historically France and the French language have had substantial influence on American society. France was the United States' first ally and French thought played a dominant role among the founders of the United States in the 18th century. In the humanities and the social sciences, much important research and many published writings have come from France. Students and researchers who know French have access to these works in the original.

  • Seven of France's top ten exports to the United States are industrial or high technology products.
  • France is the fourth largest producer of automobiles in the world (Renault, Peugeot, Citroën) and the third largest exporter.
  • France is the world's largest manufacturer of television sets (HDTV was invented in France).
  • France is a major world research center in the field of high energy physics and fiber optics.
  • The French are a world leader in medical research: the AIDS virus was first isolated by French doctors and the Human Genome Project is located in Paris.
  • France is the European leader in aerospace and most commercial satellites are put into space on French rockets.