Why study French?

Date Published: Oct 5

4 min read

Why study French?

Many of us have read that there's no real reason to study French in the 21st century because English is the world's business language. Even eminent linguist John McWhorter, a French major during his undergraduate days, questions the importance of French. His 2014 article in the New Republic, “Let's Stop Pretending That French Is an Important Language” is his mocking manifesto on the sad state of French in global affairs.

I would like to share with you an excerpt from one of our board members, Dr. Steven Sacco, who has studied workplace language use by multinational corporations operating in Francophone Africa. His article “The Myth of English as the Lingua Franca of Business: Research Findings and Implications for French Programs” will appear in the December 2022 issue of the French Review.

In his studies, he interviewed 212 engineers, managers, and logisticians representing 135 multinational corporations which operate in Francophone Africa. 85% of these multinational corporations have an English-only workplace policy.

His findings contradict McWhorter's claims. French is indeed a major global language of business, not only in Francophone Africa but also within the Francophone World. Below is an excerpt from his upcoming French Review article. The author would be happy to share his research findings in French classes in San Diego County.

The Myth of English as the Lingua Franca of Business: Research Findings and Implications for French Programs

Many French educators are well aware of world-renowned linguist John McWhorter's 2014 article in the New Republic: Let's Stop Pretending That French Is an Important Language. For those educators who aren't familiar with the article, permit me to share three key paragraphs:

“A somewhat surprising piece in The New York Times reported that the French dual-language program in New York's public school system “is booming,” the third-largest program in the city, after Spanish and Chinese. That commitment is a beautiful thing—for children of Francophone immigrants. But for we natives, the idea that kids need to pick up French is now antique.

Make no mistake: For immigrant kids from anywhere, bilingual education is invaluable. But the idea that American-born children need to learn French has become more reflex than action, like classical music played at the wedding of people who live to modern pop. French in educated America is now a class marker, originating from that distant day when French was Europe's international language. Fewer Europeans spoke English then, which made French actually useful—at least for Americans who could afford international travel. Those same Americans were also still suffering from an inferiority complex to Europe's “sophistication.”

Enter the idea that a language that began as a mere peasant dialect of Latin is a language of precision, savoir-faire, and romance: Molière, Voltaire, Pepe Le Pew. Naturally, then, our little ones must even now know some French to qualify as what used to be called “people of quality” (McWhorter, 2014).

Ironically a former French major, McWhorter is a world-renowned linguist, but he's not a global business expert. I am—especially when it concerns Francophone Africa. Since my retirement as a French educator in 2014, my new life as a consultant outside the Ivory Tower of Academia has immersed me in global business activities, mostly in Francophone Africa. In addition to my consulting duties, I continue to conduct research, focusing on workplace language use where I have interviewed 212 respondents representing 135 multinational corporations and companies of smaller stature. The respondents come from the vast expanses of Francophone Africa from Tunisia to Togo and…

The Case for French: A Global Language of Business and Culture

So, why study French? With over 300 million French speakers across five continents — and French as an official language of major economies in Europe, Africa, and Canada — the answer is clear: French remains one of the most valuable languages for international business, diplomacy, and culture. Dr. Sacco's research shows that French proficiency opens real career doors with multinational corporations, especially those operating in fast-growing Francophone African markets.

Ready to put the research into practice? Join our French classes in San Diego and learn from experienced instructors who prepare you for real-world French, from the boardroom to the café. You can also explore more language learning articles on our blog for tips, resources, and insights.