Category: Importance of Languages

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Russian Language

Importance Russian Language

Guide to Importance of the Russian Language

Why it’s Important to Learn Russian?

Do let’s explore the importance of the Russian language and why you should consider studying Russian? Russian is the most widespread language in Eurasia. Russian is spoken by roughly 260 million within Russia and aboard. Online approx 110 million Internet users speak Russian.

Quick Russian Language Facts

[icon name=”etsy” class=”” unprefixed_class=”middletext”]

 Language family:  Slavic group of the Indo-European

[icon name=”users” class=”” unprefixed_class=”middletext”]

 Spoken by 260 Million (110m Online Readers)

[icon name=”bars” class=”” unprefixed_class=”middletext”]

6th most spoken world language

[icon name=”globe” class=”” unprefixed_class=”middletext”]

Offical Language in 8 Countries

[icon name=”history” class=”” unprefixed_class=”middletext”]

Orgin 9th Century

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Appox 500,000 Words – Only 2.5k words regulally used.

Countries with Russian as Offical Language

List of Russian Speaking Countries

Due to Soviet influence, Russian is widely spoken in many countries throughout Eastern Europe and Asia.

Russian is the official language:

  • Russia
  • Belarus
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Tajikistan
  • Regional language in Georgia
  • Moldova
  • Ukraine.
  • Significant minority language in the Baltic countries and Central Asia

What other language is similar to Russian?

Some of the Slavic languages are closely related.

  • Bulgarian
  • Ukrainian
  • Polish
  • Serbo-Croatian.
  • Czech is more distant.

Russian is influenced by German, French and English

Russian In Society

Russian Language in Russia Society

Despite being overshadowed by China, after the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia still boasts huge exports of oil that keep the importance of Russian has one of the biggest energy-producing powerhouses on the world stage. Learning Russian greatly improves your chances of success in the job market dealing with these economies.

Russian is an official language of many of the world’s organizations such as the Untied Nations, Nato, UNESCO, the International Red Cross Association, and numerous other international committees and organizations.

The importance of Russian can open doors to employment in a variety of occupations such as in virtually any business related to oil, teaching, translation, and interpreting.

Learning the Russian Language

Learning Russian Language

[su_note note_color=”#66bdff”]People who start learning Russian state that its’ the most difficult language in the world. Their statements are very fair and justified indeed. The Russian language is considered one of the most complex languages. [/su_note]

Russian Alphabet

The Russian language really is difficult for foreigners, especially for the ones who have never dealt with the Cyrillic alphabet.

Russian is difficult on all possible levels of its linguistic performance – spelling, pronunciation, grammar, syntax…

You need a whole bunch of all possible Ps in order to successfully master it. Needless to say that preferably you should combine your patience, persistence, positive thinking and passion with communicating with native speakers – Russians – after you’ve learnt the language enough to start communicating in it.

Russian spelling is based on Cyrillic alphabet which is Greek to you if your native language ‘deals’ with the Roman alphabet. Here you’ll find a vast range of letters which look absolutely different from the ones from English, Spanish or French (there are a few exceptions when letters of the two writings look similar). Make sure you are patient and persistent enough to eagerly proceed with your Russian education.

Russian Grammar

Russian pronunciation isn’t any easier… When reading in Russian, you are to pronounce letters according to endless amount of rules which suggest that the way a word is written and the way it’s pronounced are two different stories from one and the same field called unique (or uniquely difficult) Russian spelling.

If you decided to profoundly go into Russian grammar – you are a brave person! For Russian grammar is Greek even to Chinese people whose language is considered one of the most difficult languages ever… Numerous categories and terms (extremely extended grammar comparing to other languages) represent the immense difficulty of the Russian language.

But if you are serious in your intention to master this language, you won’t go off your persistent and patient track, we are sure of it. If you are planning to travel to Russia, knowing the language will be of vital importance to you and will help you learn Russian culture which truly amazes with its generosity, poetic spirit and immense soul full of kindness and gentleness.

Russian Alphabet And Russian Numbers

Learning to read the Russian Alphabet should be the first stop for Russian beginners. The Russian alphabet is written using the Cyrillic script using 33 letters.

You should be easily able to understand the Russian Alphabet because it has the exact same letters and style of writing as English. Where they differ though is in pronunciation. Russian Numbers are the same way.

Russian Vocabulary and Russian Phrases

Logical next step for Russian beginners after learning the Russian Alphabet would be to start developing your Russian vocabulary with Russian words and phrases.

Russian only has 200,000 words (vs 1m in English)

What are the Russian vowels? There are five Russian vowel sounds, which are spelled with one set of letters (а, о, у, э, ы) after hard consonants and with an alternative set of letters (я, ё, ю, е, и) after soft consonants. Memorize both sets of letters in order to read Russian correctly: ! а о у э ы – indicate that the preceding consonant is hard

English Words in Russian

Few English words are of Russian origin (10% of Russian words are similar to English ones).

Interesting examples include:

  • Bolshevik
  • Cosmonaut
  • Mammoth
  • Pogrom
  • Sputnik
  • Tsar
  • Vodka

Interesting Facts about Russian

Learn Russian Language

There’s a rule against Russian words starting with the letter “A”.

Since the earliest times, native Russian words almost never start with the letter “A”. Some notable exceptions include азбука (alphabet) and авось (perhaps), but these exceptions are far and few in between. If you see a Russian word that starts with “A”, there’s a good chance that it’s borrowed from another language.

Russian surnames vary by gender.

Russian names consist of a first name, a family name, and a patronymic name, which is the father’s name plus the ending -ovich for a son and -ovna for a daughter.
So if a father named Ivan has a son and a daughter, his son’s patronymic name will be Ivanovich and his daughter’s will be Ivanovna.

All adjectives have multiple syllables.

Many Russian words consist of one syllable, or even just one character. However, virtually all adjectives have two or more syllables.

In Russia, Your Middle Name is Your Father’s name.

In Russian, your first and last name are not enough. Your Middle Name is Your Father’s name.

Russian Language Learning Tools

best online language tools

If you are really serious about learning Russian and want to maximize your time then you should consider using a Russian language course to further aid you in your quest to learn Russian. There are several great programs out there that deliver a great language learning experience. The advantages of a language learning program are the organization and having a next step already lined up. Most break down the lessons into 30-minute intervals that can fit into any type of schedule. Flexible to retry a lesson to make sure you understand what you are learning and give you confidence in succeeding. Examples of great Russian language programs can be found below.

Examples of Great Russian language programs can be found below:

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Spanish Language

Guide to Importance Spanish Language

Why it’s Important to Learn the Spanish Language?

The importance of the Spanish language is the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and the Hindi language.
It is estimated that Spanish is spoken in more than 25 countries all over the world and has about over 500million native speakers.

The importance of Spanish is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or just for personal travel.

Recent polls of college students show Spanish is the most popular choice as a second language of U.S.college students, surpasses other language favorites such as French, and German.

Spanish Language and Culture

The culture accessible through Spanish is very rich and rewarding. There are many ways you can use it to enjoy your Spanish from the comfort of your home.

Spanish music is very popular throughout Mexico and parts of the United States.

Salsa and other forms of Spanish dance are also popular in the United States. Spanish movies don’t enjoy the large budget of Hollywood movies, but there are a good amount of decent Spanish films that you can buy with Spanish and English subtitles. So you can also enjoy learning the importance of Spanish in a more entertaining fashion.

You could spend all your life travelling between each Spanish-speaking country and never see the same location twice. The former Spanish empire was so great that basically anywhere you go could be of some Spanish descent. The two more popular tourist locations are Spain and Mexico. Spain is the second most visited country in the world for its amazing beaches in all of Europe. Also houses many historical towns, churches, and monasteries. Even if you are a casual traveller, travelling in a Spanish-speaking nation it will be easy for you to interact with the local population on your own without depending on an interpreter. You can easily go to places on your own because you can read sign boards and guiding instruction which will be in Spanish. This will certainly enhance the quality of your travel.

Spanish Language and Business

The combined GDP of Spanish-speaking countries is one of the highest for any language, surpassed only by English and Japanese. The importance of Spanish as a business language in many large areas of the United States, the world’s biggest economy. Throughout the world, there is a very fast growing Hispanic background market that knows the importance of the Spanish language. In a decade, it is possible that the chances of the United States declaring itself a bilingual state with Spanish and English as Official languages. Countries all over the world teach Spanish as part of a world-class educational program and a very important language to know to compete in the world economy.

Spanish is one of 6 official languages of the United Nations:

  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • English
  • French
  • Russian.

Spanish Language – Easy to Learn!

Spanish at its essence is an easy language to learn since it lacks the complex difficulties of languages such as Russian, Chinese, or Japanese. Spanish is a Romance language and shares the same difficulties as other Romance languages such as word genders, irregular verbs, and conjugations. Other Romance language include French, Latin, Italian, and various others. Some vocabulary is shared with other Romance languages as well.

All languages evolve with time and Spanish is no exception. To genuinely understand the importance of the Spanish language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language. In fact, the latest research has shown that learning a second language helps fight against Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the ageing effects of the brain.

List of Spanish Language Countries

How many countries have Spanish as their official language?

List of countries in which Spanish has full legal or official status or in which Spanish is widely spoken.

Countries where Spanish is an official language:

Spanish Speaking Countries in Europe

  • Spain
  • Andorra
  • Gibraltar

Spanish Speaking Countries in Africa

  • Equatorial
  • Guinea

Spanish Speaking Countries in the Americas and the Caribbean

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Mexico
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Puerto Rico
  • United States
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela

Finding The Right Way To understand The Spanish Language

The most efficient way to understand Spanish for you will depend on what makes you comfortable. Here are five ideal alternatives that have used by others to successfully
understand Spanish:

  1. Try and find some good books for memorizing Spanish – There is a whole array of books which can help you understand Spanish in easy steps at home. Look out for books, which have pictures, are bi-lingual and have a good teaching structure. Talk to the sales people about which books they would recommend for whatever level you need. Also, ensure that you have a very good dictionary Spanish-English (or your native language)-Spanish.
  2. Look at the classifieds in your local newspaper for advertisements – there are bound to be a number of language institutes, which teach Spanish in your area. Check your newspaper to find when and what their terms for enrollment are and their costs. Keep in mind that the place should be as close as possible to your home to keep down the travel time and costs to the minimum.
  3. Make sure you read a lot – This is really important and beneficial. This is definitely one of the easiest ways to understand Spanish (or any other language) because this is the only way you can increase your vocabulary and learn about to use the words in the right context. You will find that the more you read, the more you will be able to think in Spanish and hence, your conversation will become fluent.
  4. Look around for a tutor – You can always try using a regular tutor. However I’d like to suggest to you that you get an online tutor – Perhaps a friend, (you can check out facebook or another of the social networks, since there are so many people who would love to help you out and teach you how to learn Spanish), who can guide you. This will make learning Spanish very interesting and fun as well.
  5. Take a look around the Internet – The Internet is the greatest boon to mankind especially when you need to learn something. You can find anything you want with the help of the Net. There are multiple online courses and sites, which you can enroll in and learn about Spanish at your own pace from the comfort and convenience of your home. You can compare prices; you can see how long the courses are; you can also find the level of the language you want to start at (basic, medium, advanced) and so on.

    So as you can see, the most ideal way to understand Spanish is by using one of the above or even a combination of several different methods. Why not try some or all of them out and see what works for you and what doesn’t. You’ll find that the most ideal way to know and learn Spanish is the method or combination that makes the learning fun. You’ll pick up and retain more if it’s fun and is the best way for you to learn. Don’t forget convenience and the amount of time you have available to study and learn.

Why Learn the Spanish Language – 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish

Reasons learn the Spanish language

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Spanish but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Spanish. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Spanish?”

1: 500 Million Worldwide Native Speakers, 40+ Million in the USA

Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world with around 500 native Spanish speakers. Spanish has the most countries from various parts of the world speaking it including 40+ Million in the USA alone.

2: Spanish is one of the Easiest Languages to Learn

Spanish is one of the easiest languages for an English speaker to learn. Spanish as quite a bit in common with English in sentence structure and vocabulary.

3: Knowing Spanish will completely transform your travel experience

Many countries in the world have Spanish as their official language. You can travel your whole life to every Spanish speaking without visiting the same country twice. This makes knowing Spanish when travelling one of the most useful languages to learn.

4: Bilingual People Have More Employment Opportunities

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities cause businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

5: Enjoy Spanish Music and Movies without Subtitles!

What about Spanish music and art? Most people would recognize Cuban singing-sensation, Gloria Estefan, and Spanish cubist painter Pablo Picasso is known worldwide for his modern-style of art that has influenced the artistic community around the globe. In recent years, film stars from Spain and Latin America such as Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Salma Hayak have become recognized not just at home, but in Hollywood as well.

6: Learning Spanish Makes Learning Another Language Easier

Learning a language makes it easier to learn another. Especially in the case of Spanish. Spanish is a romance language and shares quite a bit in common with other romance languages like Italian, French, and Portuguese.

7: Cultural Importance of Spanish

Learning the Spanish language and culture go hand-in-hand. While not impossible to learn Spanish never having experienced the culture first hand, direct exposure to the culture will give language learners insights into the language that would otherwise not be possible.

8: Spanish Communities Growing in the Untied States and All Over the World

According to the latest US census, the Spanish speaking community is the biggest growing minority with an estimated 50-55 million by the year 2015. This growth has lead some states like New Mexico to adopt Spanish as an official. Other states are expected to follow suit.

9: Learn Spanish as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

10: To Help Others in your Community

If your of those people that enjoy helping others in your community. Learning Spanish to help people who don’t know English or Spanish communicate

Categories
Importance of Languages

Importance of the Italian Language

The Importance of Italian Language

Why it’s Important to Learn Italian

The importance of Italian is spoken by over 80 Million people in Italy and other countries in Europe such as Malta, San Marino and parts of Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, and France.

Learn Italian

Importance of Italian Language

Quick Italian Language Facts

[icon name=”etsy” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Language family:  Latin Romance language

[icon name=”users” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Spoken by 80 Million (50m Online Readers)

[icon name=”bars” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] 9th most spoken world language

[icon name=”globe” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Official Language in 32 Countries

[icon name=”history” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Origin 2nd Century

[icon name=”file-word-o” class=”fa-3x” unprefixed_class=”middletext”] Approx 1m Words – Only 10k words commonly used.

History of Italian Language

Italian is a Romance language derived from Latin. It slowly evolved from Latin into many dialects. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Tuscan dialect became the most popular version of Italian, owing to the central location of Florence and its thriving economy. Dante, Petrarca, and Boccaccio, who left a long-lasting mark on the Italian language, all came from Tuscany. Italian then became Italy’s official language when the peninsula was unified in the 19th century.

Although the Italian language was used and spoken, it was not standardized until came Dante Alighieri. Dante Alighieri is often referred to as the father of Italian language. He was the most famous Italian writer of all times. He was working on The Divine Comedy(La Divina Commedia) which he completed in 1320, a year before his death. Most writers and poets used Latin for their work but Dante chose to write his finest work in Italian (known as Tuscan dialect at that time) that set its standard in high culture

Countries with Official Italian language

  • Italy
  • France
  • Switzerland
  • Vatican City
  • San Marino
  • Malta

Italian Dialects

Map of the key Italian Language Dialects

The dialects of Italy are each their own independent languages. Italy was made up of several independent states, each with their own regional language

Dialects of Italian are regional varieties (Tuscan, Central Italian) which are closely related to Standard Italian, while the terms Dialects of Italy is suggested for those idioms, such as Neapolitan, Sicilian, and Gallo-Italian languages which show considerable differences in grammar, syntax and vocabulary.

Italian has significantly influenced English and other Western languages.

Common English words of Italian origin include:

  • Broccoli
  • ciao
  • cappuccino
  • pizza
  • piano
  • Fiasco
  • Propaganda
  • Flu
  • Quarantine
  • Lottery
  • Zucchini
  • Maestro
  • Orchestra

Most native speakers of Italian are bilingual of both standardized Italian and their regional dialect. Italian is also the primary language of Vatican City. Adopted after the unification of Italy sealing the importance of Italian language.

Like many languages in Europe, Italian is a romance language that has the most characteristics in common with Latin.

Italian derives from the Indo-European language family, which includes English, in some ways it is easier to speak than English since most words are pronounced exactly as they appear. People naturally assume that their first language is very simple to learn and others languages are very difficult to learn and use in their everyday life, but it is not so. The importance of Italian is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel.

Importance of Italian Language in Italian culture

Italian culture is everywhere you look, you might even be eating Italian food while you are reading this or wearing clothes by an Italian designer. When it comes to food and fashion the Importance of Italian culture and language cannot be surpassed. No question that Italian cuisine is considered the best in the world to some people.

Italy has been Europe’s main trendsetters ever since the early 11th-16th centuries so it’s no surprise that Italy holds the Fashion capital of the world today, Milan, holds fashion shows year round and many of the top designers live in Italy, such names as Gucci, Armani, Emilio Pucci, Valentino, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi, Versace, Krizia, Etro, Laura Biagiotti, just to name the tip of the iceberg of fashion.

Importance of Italian Language when visiting Italy

Use Italian Language to visit Italy

Italy is one of the biggest places for tourism, being the fourth highest overall earner, and the fifth most visited country in the world. Plenty of reasons to visit Italy for its amazing cuisine, history, fashion, art, and culture.

Biggest attractions for most people are visiting the city of Rome, the Colosseum, and Vatican Museums.

Millions of international flock to Milan every year for the fashion shows. Other famous locations in Italy are Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Naples, Pisa, Turin, and Venice. Sites like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Vatican are also major tourist attractions.

The importance of the Italian language and culture have an unmistakable impact on the world.

Importance of Italian Language in History

The importance of Italian is present today in Rome. Where the Roman empire used to reside. Thousands of books can be found in Italian about Roman history, which makes amazing reading for academic or personal interest reasons.

No matter your own personal beliefs, Italy also holds the biggest Catholic church in the world, the Vatican. You can see priests and nuns all over the place, and bishops and cardinals in Rome. Before Italy had become unified in 1861, it was a very divided country, with many smaller states that all had their own language, currency, and own culture. Becoming unified under a single official language helped ceased the division and Solidify Italy what it is today.

Importance of Italian Language in Business

Learning Languages will help you in the Economy

Italy is one of the world’s top ten economies after building steadily after the second world war from mainly exporting goods. Germany, France, the United States, and other European countries are the biggest importers of Italian goods such as industrial products, cars, and car parts, fashion, as well as food.

Much Italian business does business outside of Italy only know Italian or at least very little English. Italy is also focused on building strong trade agreements with China and India. Since the global slump, Italy exporting took a slight dive but it is expected that the strength of the Italian economy will succeed and push it back into being a world leader in exporting.

All languages grow and evolve over time and Italian is no exception. To truly understand the importance of the Italian language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language.

Talk about the Importance of language in action!

Why Learn Italian – Ten Reasons to Learn Italian

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Italian but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Italian. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Italian?”

Top 10 Reasons for Learning the Italian Language

1 – Italian is very Polite and Elegant People

Many people from all over the world consider Italians to be very polite and elegant.

2 – Understand Your Favorite Opera Singers

If you are a fan of the opera and want to understand your favourite opera singers when they belt out those really high notes.

3 – Italian is a Beautiful Language

Italian as a romance language is rated as one of the most beautiful languages in the world

4 – If you Plan to Visit Italy Someday.

Use Italian Language to Visit Italy

Traveling in Italy is intensely pleasurable, with about everything you can dream of the richest historical sites in Europe, with full roman ghost towns you can visit, cathedrals, circuses, monasteries, paintings, sculptures. And for the present, one of the most attractive cooking dishes in the world, beautiful and elegant people, world-class designers.

The main problem when traveling in Italy seems either to be money or that you must go back.

5 – Italian Food is the Best in the World

No other language is as deeply ingrained when it comes to food than Italian. No other language has as close to as many words for food or for describing food. Many people around the world say Italian food is one of the most attractive and tasteful cooking in the world.

6 – If your Highly into Art and Fashion

Milan is the fashion capital of the world so if you like fashion, supermodels, world-class designers.

7 – If you have a Significant Other that Speaks Italian

Speak to Foreign Language Relatives

Want to learn Italian as it’s your partner’s native language and you want to surprise them or improve communication between you. Or planning a romantic date with an Italian theme.

8 – Academic Reasons to Learn Italian

Academic Reasons to Learn Languages

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Italian, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Italian studies and learning Italian

9 – Learn Italian as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

10 – Understand the Cultural Importance of Italian

Maybe you fell in love with the rolling hills of Tuscany on your first visit to il bel paese—or maybe you fell in love with an Italian! Maybe your grandparents emigrated from Italy, so you want to investigate your family history. Perhaps you’re an aspiring musician who wants to learn what adagio, allegro, and andante mean or an opera singer who wants to improve her pronunciation.

Try Italian Language Tools

best online language tools

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the French Language

The importance of the french Language

Importance of the French Language

What is the French Language?

French is considered a Romance language. With its origins in Latin, French is widely regarded to be among the most beautiful languages in the world.

French language History and Origins

Key influencers are early Latin and Italian. In the 17th – 19th centuries French was the main international language, though it has been overtaken by English in the 20th – 21st.

Today, besides in France itself, French can be heard in many other European countries, widely throughout Africa, and also in various dependencies. In addition, it is the unofficial second language of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and many others.

Académie française, French Academy, is the advisory body which advices on the rules of the French language

I speak French?

How is the French Language is Used Today?

France is part of the European Union and the official language in 29 countries and spoken by about 110 million people, mainly by people who live in France and as a second language by a further 190 million French language speakers. French is spoken by many people in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxemburg. In Canada, French is spoken mainly in Quebec and was introduced by the French explorers led by Jacques Cartier in 1554. French is an official language in  Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey which are British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy.

French is spoken on 5 different continents. Making French one of the most useful second language for travelling.
France is the second largest tourist location in the world that attracts over 70 million visitors a year alone.

Other major destinations that speak French include the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, and parts of Africa and Asia.

French is an official language of many of the world’s organizations:

  • United Nations,
  • Nato,
  • UNESCO
  • International Red Cross Association
  • Doctors Without Borders
  • Numerous other international committees and organizations.

After English, French is the most learned second language in Europe and around the globe.

List of French Speaking Countries

french language countries

List of countries where French is native language or French is regularly in use.

French Speaking Countries in Europe

  • France
  • Belgium
  • Luxembourg
  • Monaco
  • Switzerland

French Speaking Countries in Africa

  • Algeria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Congo
  • Republic of the Côte d’Ivoire Djibouti
  • Equatorial Guinea Gabon Guinea
  • Madagascar
  • Mali
  • Mauritius
  • Morocco
  • Rwanda
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Togo
  • Tunisia

French Speaking Countries in the Americas and the Caribbean

  • Canada
  • French Guiana
  • Guadeloupe
  • Haiti Martinique

French Speaking Countries in Australia and the Pacifics

  • French Polynesia
  • New Caledonia Vanuatu

Quick French Language Facts

[su_list icon=”icon: exclamation”]

  • Language family: Slavic group of the Indo-European
  • Origin 9th Century
  • Spoken by 220 Million (70m Online Readers)
  • 8th most spoken world language
  • Official Language in 32 Countries
  • Approx 1m Words – Only 10k words commonly used

[/su_list]

Importance of French in Culture

French Language in Culture

French is the language of culture opening your door to art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine, and cinema.

As you quickly realize when you look at the foreign film section of your local video store, France is one of the most prolific producers of international films. The Cannes International Film Festival annually attracts the attention of the world when the best films, directors and actors are named. When you understand French you don’t need to rely on subtitles to enjoy a French film.

If you follow French literature then you have heard of such wonderful French novels like Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Little Prince, and The Stranger. In fact, France has won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country. The French are also admired for their great philosophers, such as Descartes and Pascal, Rousseau, Voltaire, Camus and Satre. When you read French, you can enjoy these works and authors in the original.

Famous French Celebrities who speak French include:

  • Serena Williams,
  • Johnny Depp
  • Elton John
  • Bradley Cooper
  • Mick Jagger
  • John Travolta.

French Culinary

France is known for its fine dining, its wine exports, and so it is no surprise that French words go along with it all: words like foie gras, brie, and sauvignon blanc are all very commonly used. But the influence of the French language goes beyond the restaurant and back into the kitchen as well. Chefs have taught themselves to master the French arts, including julienne, consomme, and even mayonnaise.

Importance of French in Business

French Language in Business

The importance of the French language extends into France’s military power. France is the third most robust military in the world after the United States and Russia. France is second in the building defence systems such as Exocet missiles, radar technology, as well as being the second largest exporter of civilian and military aircraft and helicopters. French has troops presence in over 15 countries worldwide. France also boasts one of the most advanced telecommunication systems

France has also led the way in major advancements in science and technology. France was the place where the very first nuclear fusion reactor was developed and manufactured. Advances in high energy physics and research in the medical field such as isolating the HIV from the AIDS virus, the crucial first step in a cure for the virus as led to French being adopted has a necessary language of the scientific community. The importance of French has regional and global implications on all major economies of the world.

Learning any language is an ongoing process and don’t expect results overnight or without any effort. Many resources are readily available to lessen the effort and time it takes to learn French.

Believe it or not but over 40 to 50% of English vocabulary comes from the French Language.

In fact, French has the most words spread out over many different languages. Learning the importance of French can even help you understand your own language better! French is also a good language to learn if you plan to learn other romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

Learn more about the importance of French Language in Business

Learning French Difficulty

The French Language is a romance Language with similarities to Spanish and Italian.

Romance languages share a similar grammatical structure and there are often similarities in vocabulary.

If you learn French, you’ll have a head start in learning other languages such as Italian, Spanish or Portuguese

All languages change over time and French is no exception. To indisputably understand the importance of the French language you need to learn the language yourself so you can receive the full benefit of this amazing language.

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Top Ten Reasons to Learn French

10 reasons to learn the French Language

You probably already have your own reasons to learn French but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn French. This article should help you answer the question “why learn French?”

1: French is one of the most important languages in the world

French is an international language spoken by over three-hundred million on five different continents. French is the official language of many of the international organizations like the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, UNESCO, and many more. French is also the third most used language on the internet after English and German.

2: Tourism is Huge in France And Other French Countries

France alone attracts over seventy million visitors a year but that doesn’t include other places that speak French like the Caribbean, Europe, and parts of Africa. Paris was recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the top ten global cities. Overall, France is the second most visited tourist location in the world and knowing a little bit of French will make your travel experience that much better.

3: Easier to Understand International Sporting Events

French is always an official language used to announce events, winners, and medals at the Olympic Games. In Canada, you can also follow hockey and baseball games in French. Automobile races (Le Mans and Monte Carlo), horse racing (Longchamps), tennis tournaments (French Open), and the Tour de France engage fans around the globe. When you know French, the international world of sports is open to you.

4: French is One of the Most Romantic Languages Worldwide

French is considered by many to be one of the most romantic languages in the world with it’s beautiful, rich, the melodious rhythm of sounds.

5: Learning French for International Business

Learning Languages will help you in the Economy

Knowledge in a second language increases your potential business opportunities cause businesses planning to break into international markets should understanding that communicating in your target demographic native languages increases confidence and builds trust among both parties.

6: There are Scholarship Opportunities for French Studies

Scholarship Opportunities with a New Language

Because of the higher demand for people speaking French, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in French studies and learning French.

7: Many of the World’s Greatest literary masterpieces Are in French

People around the world are familiar with Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Little Prince, and The Stranger. In fact, France has won more Nobel Prizes for literature than any other country. The French are also admired for their great philosophers, such as Descartes and Pascal, Rousseau, Voltaire, Camus and Satre. When you read French, you can enjoy these works and authors in the original.

8 – Wanting to Learn More About French Culture

Learn Cultural History With Languages

French is the language of culture opening your door to art, music, dance, fashion, cuisine, and cinema. As you quickly realize when you look at the foreign film section of your local video store, France is one of the most prolific producers of international films. The Cannes International Film Festival annually attracts the attention of the world when the best films, directors and actors are named. When you understand French you don’t need to rely on subtitles to enjoy a French film.

9 – Learning French from English is very Easy

Believe it or not but over 40 to 50% of English vocabulary comes from the French Language. In fact, French has the most words spread out over many different languages. Learning French can even help you understand your own language better! French is also a good language to learn if you plan to learn other romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.

10 – Learn French as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages

Consider Using a French Language Learning Program

Try Language Software

If you are really serious about learning French and want to maximize your time then you should consider using a French language course to further aid you in your quest to learn French

There are several great programs out there that deliver a great language learning experience. The advantages of a language learning program are the organization and having a next step already lined up. Most break down the lessons into 30-minute intervals that can fit into any type of schedule. Flexible to retry a lesson to make sure you understand what you are learning and give you confidence in succeeding.

Examples of great [highlight background=”” color=””]French language programs[/highlight] can be found below:

Start Learning French with our Beginners Guide to French >>

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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Hindi Language

The Importance of the Hindi Language Guide

Importance of Hindi Language

The importance of Hindi language is[highlight background=”” color=””]the second most spoken language in the world[/highlight]after Mandarin Chinese. It’s estimated that nearly half a billion people worldwide speak this wonderful language. The importance of Hindi is one of the many languages in India that is considered to be the national and official language of the northern parts of India.

The Hindi language is also known as Hindi-Urdu or Hindustani and also had many different regional and national dialects. Hindi derives from the Indo-European language family of languages. The closest language to Hindi can be considered Arabic. However, unlike Arabic, Hindi is written left to right.

Indian History

After the Independence of India in 1947 began a period of growth that continues today. The tourism industry in India has increased and is expected to keep increasing for many more years bring in hundreds of billions US dollars a year with an annual 10% growth rate. The importance of Hindi is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel. This is for many reasons such as the following.

Hindi Language Today

Indian songs and hymns have been adapted and used by various popular rap and pop music artists. From science to commerce and business to various multimedia as shown India to becoming a viable world economy with increasing interest in the world. Bollywood as it is called the second biggest film following Hollywood. Indian music becomes influential, not only audiences in the United States but also with the rest of the world.

Hindi Language in Tourism

India is filled with a lot of beautiful and incredible architectural achievements such as the Taj Mahal Palace, considered the icon of the Capital of Mumbai, Mahabodhi Temple, the Shore Temple, and the Bridhadishwara Temple, which is considered by some as India’s most prized architectural site. Another part of the attraction of Tourists to India is the geographical diversity of the country, such as its Waters falls in the Western Ghats. Tourism is a major part of India’s economy and plays a major part in its employment as well.

Hindi Language in Business

Learning Languages will help you in the Economy

Anyone that wants to compete globally will need to put some effort in growing their business into India. India is currently the fourth largest economy in the world(by GDP) after the USA, China, and Japan. It is predicted by 2025, that India will surpass Japan. India’s huge potential for growth and innovation has made the importance of Hindi as a global language.

Other then tourism, India is growing in every other aspect such as science, commerce, business, and other information systems/digital media.

Although there are still some societal problems within the country. India’s growth seems unstoppable and shows no sign of slowing down. Companies that eye operational and sales expansion in the South Asia region are mostly recruiting people who are familiar with Indian culture and who could articulately and fluently speak and write Hindi.

The importance of the Hindi-speaking population as an important global market segment. Making it a very viable and important target for most global-minded businesses.

People who can fluently speak and write Hindi are actively recruited for South Asia companies as well as companies internationally. It would truly be to your advantage if you would be able to speak and write Hindi.

Whether you plan to migrate to India or not, in the end, you will surely find your decision in learning the importance of the Hindi language as a very beneficial one.

Why Learn Hindi – Ten Reasons to Learn Hindi

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Hindi but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Hindi. This article should help you answer the question “why learn Hindi?”

1 – Over Half a Billion People Worldwide Speak Hindi

Hindi is the second most spoken language in the world and is the official language of India.

Hindi is also referred to as Hindi-Urdu, Standard Hindi, Modern Standard Hindi, and Literary Hindi. Roughly 300 million speak Hindi as native speakers and another 200 million speak Hindi as a second language.

2 – Many Jobs are Being Outsourced to India

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

Many technology jobs are currently being outsourced over to India. Even if you don’t personally have any plans to move to India, you might find yourself dealing with native Hindi-speakers more and more often.

3 – India is One of the Most Exotic Tourist Locations

India is one of the most exotic tourist locations in the world. Picturing India one can imagine the wonders:

  • Taj Mahal
  • cups of steaming chai tea
  • spicy cuisine
  • women’s vibrant colored saris
  • intricate temples
  • sacred cows
  • elephant rides
  • rickshaws
  • bustling streets

Visitors come to see Delhi’s landmarks, enjoy Goa’s sandy beaches, marvel at Karnataka’s monumental architecture, experience Mumbai’s cosmopolitan nightlife and admire the palaces of Rajasthan.

4 – Popularity of Bollywood Films

Characterized by their highly entertaining musical numbers and elaborate sets. Bollywood films are a growing phenomenon among foreign audience over the globe in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Asia and Africa. Knowing Hindi allows you to understand and appreciate these films more without having to rely on subtitles.

5 – Growth of India’s Economy is Unstoppable

India is becoming one of the world’s biggest exporters of commerce, business, digital media, and other information based technologies. And this trend doesn’t seem like it will be stopping anytime soon.

6 – Plan to Travel to India Someday

Travel to India. India is one of the most exotic, fascinating and exciting places in the world. Its rich history and culture have significantly influenced the civilization in the East. India’s wonderful heritage is manifested in its intricate temples, elaborate architecture and other awe-inspiring landmarks.

7 – If you have a Family / Partner that Speaks Hindi

Speak to Foreign Language Relatives

Want to learn Hindi as it’s your partner’s native language and you want to surprise them or improve communication between you.

8 – Learn Hindi as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

9 – To Fully Embrace the Culture of India and Hindi

Learn Cultural History With Languages

Learning Hindi will help you fully embrace the culture of Hindi with:

  • exotic Indian poetry
  • literature
  • wisdom
  • belief system
  • Philosophy.

Hindi is based on Sanskrit which shares common ancestry with many other languages around the world.

10 – Academic Reasons to Learn Hindi

Academic Reasons to Learn Languages

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Hindi, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Hindi studies and learning Hindi.

Hindi is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Hindi.

Best Online Hindi Language Tools

Best online language tools
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Importance of Languages

Importance of the Chinese Language

Importance of the Chinese Language Guide

Importance of Chinese Language

Why it’s Important to Learn Chinese?

The importance of Chinese stands out as the most spoken language in the world with over an estimated billion people in China and various other parts of the world speaking it. One can easily assume this makes Chinese one of the most important languages on the planet. China as a country is growing by leaps and bounds as a world power and shows to sign of slowing down.

Recent studies have shown that Chinese has become a popular choice for a second language among college students. Surpassing the previous favourite that includes Spanish, French, and German languages. This increasing popularity isn’t surprising since the growing appeal of Chinese culture in the west and worldwide.

Governments in the US and the UK are increasingly recognizing the importance of offering Chinese language classes in the school systems. One 2008 poll of employers in the UK, done by the Confederation of British Industry, discovered that 38% of employers answering the poll wanted to hire people who spoke either Mandarin or Cantonese. (The two were lumped together in the survey.) French speakers and German speakers ranked higher, at 52% and 43% respectively. Spanish was desired by 28% of employers.

The UK Schools Secretary said, in part as a result of this survey, that he would like every teenager to have a chance to learn Mandarin. He would also like to see Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, and Indonesian offered more widely than they are at present. One secondary school in seven in the UK is already teaching Mandarin.

“In this new decade our ties with emerging economies like China will become even more important and it’s vital that young people are equipped with the skills which they need, and British businesses need too, in order to succeed in a rapidly-changing world,” Mr. Balls said.

Mandarin is the prominent version of Chinese, spoken by something like 885 million people out of the 1.3 billion who speak some form of Chinese.

In the United States, interest in learning Chinese used to come from Asian parents who wanted their children to keep up with the cultures they came from.

Now, more and more non-Asian parents see learning Chinese as a useful tool for their children, one that will help them compete for top jobs. The US government also sees the benefits of a good pool of Chinese speakers. Some of the school districts in the internationally-minded suburbs of Washington, DC, have offered Mandarin for decades.

Chinese Speaking Countries

Chinese Speaking Map

List of countries with a Chinese (Mandarin) speaking population or Chinese is a widely spoken language.

  • Chinese Speaking Countries in Asia
  • China Hong Kong Macau
  • Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region within PR China)
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan (Republic of China)

Countries with a significant number of Chinese speaking population (more than 5 million)

  • Indonesia (Java and Bali)
  • Malaysia (Peninsular)
  • Thailand

Mandarin is an official spoken language in China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Cantonese is an official spoken language in Hong Kong and Macau.

Chinese Language Dialects

Chinese Dialects Map

Like many other languages around the world, Chinese has many dialects, the most common Chinese dialect is Mandarin Chinese.

Even though English happens to be popular throughout China, most Chinese people tend not to understand English very well, so learning some Chinese is important knowledge to have. The Mandarin Dialect is very universal throughout China overall, although a number of dialects could possibly be more common in other locations.

Chinese Language History

Since the invention of the Chinese Pinyin tonal system has made learning Chinese a lot easier then it was previously. The importance of Chinese Pinyin is a crucial method when it comes to writing Chinese in a romanized alphabet. Hanyu pinyin spells the sound and includes tone marks to help give you the proper pronunciation. Knowledge of the written language opens up the culture of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Before China’s reform in the 1970s, China was an isolated country that didn’t accept any tourism. After 1970, China has become one of the leading tourist destinations. The Great Wall of China might be one of the most traveled to places on Earth but other wonders of China include the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terracotta Army in the Qin Empire Emperor’s Mausoleum, the Yangtze River, and the Potala Palace. Even if you’re just a casual traveler, learning some Chinese to understand street signs, order food, or just communicating with people you meet on the street, a most pleasant and enjoyable experience.

Chinese Language Today

Chinese Language Today

Chinese is becoming one of the most important languages when it comes to operating an international business.

The Chinese market is the biggest growing market even in this economic downturn. Expertise in Chinese has grown increasingly important to the overall global economy and many business owners are looking to break into this international market. Any business in the twenty-first century will be trying to do business in China and in doing so will be required Chinese speakers to negotiate agreements and develop these trade deals. Economist predicts by 2020, China will without a doubt surpass the United States as the biggest international superpower.

The importance of Chinese is beneficial regardless if you do it for fun or for your career or even just for personal travel. When trying to uncover the importance of Chinese. One cannot discover a more fascinating and challenging language to learn.

All languages evolve with time and Chinese is no exception. To indisputably understand the importance of Chinese language you have to learn the actual language yourself to help you receive the full benefit of this amazing language later. In fact, the latest research has shown that learning a second language helps fight against Alzheimer’s disease and slows down the aging effects of the brain.

Talk about the Importance of language in action!

Why Learn Chinese – Ten Reasons to Learn Chinese

You probably already have your own reasons to learn Chinese but in case you don’t have one already or still looking for more reasons to get motivated to learn Chinese.

This article should help you answer the question “why learn Chinese?”

1 – Mandarin Chinese is the Most Spoken Language in the World

One of the biggest reasons to learn Chinese should because Mandarin Chinese is spoken by roughly a quarter of the world’s population which is estimated to be around two billion Chinese-speakers. Not all of them live in mainland China, but in parts of Taiwan, Singapore, and throughout southeast Asia.

2 – Chinese Influence on International Cultures

Second, traditional Chinese culture, from Confucianism and Chan Buddhism to martial arts and Chinese cuisine, has an enormous influence on East and Southeast Asian nations. Chinese culture has also greatly inspired the western world through Marco Polo, G. W. Leibniz, Max Weber, Franz Kafka, Andre Malraux, Bertolt Brecht, Ezra Pound, and Luis Borges, among others.

3 – Traveling to China is Increasingly Foreigner Friendly

With the Chinese Language you can Travel to China

In the past, China wasn’t very accessible from outside visitors wanted to travel there. But travel to China recently as become a lot easier back and forth from.

4 – With Chinese Pinyin Learning Chinese is Easier

Chinese Pinyin Tonal Marks

You don’t have to learn Chinese characters to learn how to speak Mandarin Chinese. Pinyin is a method of writing Chinese in the romanized alphabet. Hanyu pinyin spells the sound and includes tone marks to help give you the proper pronunciation.

5 – Fastest Growing Economy in the World

Improve Business Opportunities by Learning New Languages

China is currently the fastest growing economy in the world and is already the biggest global market to break into. Any business in the twenty-first century will be trying to do business in China and in doing so will require Chinese speakers to negotiate agreements and trade deals.

6 – Reading Chinese Literature

The dialects are not mutually intelligible but the written language is shared between them all. Although you do not need to learn to read Chinese characters to speak the language, by doing so you open the door to an enormously diverse and rich literature. In fact, the earliest record of writing was in Chinese characters although very different in form from modern characters (of which there are many thousand).

7 – Growing Presence of Chinese Speakers all around the world

Communities of Chinese Speakers have been popping up outside Chinese in parts of the United States and Europe.

8 – Learn Chinese as a Hobby/Love of Learning Languages

Love of Language Learning

Maybe you are just one of those people that just enjoy learning languages for the fun of it! Once you’ve mastered the urge to learn more becomes pretty strong. Contrary to popular opinion, not much confusion happens between languages.

9 – Rich Cultural History of Chinese on the World

Learn Cultural History With Languages

Learning Chinese is immediately linked to learning Chinese culture. Learning becomes a more extraordinary and enjoyable experience. Chinese has a unique ideographic writing system, which provides visual comprehensibility.

The grammatical structure of Chinese is not only logical but also pragmatic, related to the particular way of Chinese thinking. Knowledge of the written language opens up the culture of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

10 – There are Scholarship Opportunities for Chinese Studies

Scholarship Opportunities with a New Language

Because of the higher demand for people speaking Chinese, many of the world’s governments and agencies have been offering scholarships and other opportunities for individuals who are interested in Chinese studies and learning Chinese.

Mandarin Chinese is truly an amazing language to learn. I hope you find this article helpful in narrowing and strengthening your reasons to learn Chinese.

Chinese Language Tools

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