French has been Quebec’s official language since 1977. It’s tricky to get by without it! But beyond that, there are many important reasons to learn French in school. Here are five to help you convince your teen that it’s a subject worth studying.
From history to math to geography, your child uses French in all their subjects (apart from other languages). Students who master it are more likely to do well in school, as they’re better able to do the following:
- Understand historical documents
- Identify important information in math word problems
- Write science lab reports
- Build solid arguments in their Ethics and Religious Culture classes
- Speak confidently in drama class
- Etc.
For more information on why French is useful, check out our article on the subject: Why is school important?
It’s easy for people to get their wires crossed in French—a single misplaced word or comma can alter a sentence completely. Mastering the language will help your child avoid being misunderstood, as they’ll know how to correctly use the following:
- Punctuation
- Coordinating conjunctions
- Vocabulary (it always helps to find le mot juste)
- Etc.
Read our article 5 activities to spark your high schooler’s interest in French for our top tips on getting your child excited about French.
Competence in French (i.e., the ability to read, write in, and speak the language well) opens up more opportunities. Here are some examples:
- Being able to read, write, and speak in French is a major asset that gives you an edge in the job market
- Good reading comprehension is essential when it comes time to vote
- Understanding your options in any context reduces the risk of making poor decisions
- Etc.
“Show me how you write, and I’ll tell you who you are.” This adage doesn’t actually exist, but it still rings true. A text riddled with errors can make a very bad impression:
- The mistakes could detract from the message (e.g., the reader might be too distracted by the poor writing)
- It may seem as though the writer wasn’t interested in the topic
- The reader could get a false impression of the writer’s personality (e.g., assume they’re lazy)
- The writer might hurt their chances at a job or promotion
- Etc.
Learning a language goes hand in hand with learning about the people who speak it. Studying French is a chance for students to explore French culture and history as they’re introduced to the following:
- New expressions
- New authors (their work, how they lived, what they believed, etc.)
- The 88 member countries of the Francophonie
- The lifestyles and customs of the 300 million French speakers around the world
- Language protection issues
- Etc.
Writing : Viviane Asselin
Scientific review : Nathalie Paquet-Bélanger, orthopédagogue
Rewriting : Alloprof Parents' team