When the opportunity to learn a foreign language presents itself, just say oui! to high school French! This might make you think of sipping a café au lait while nibbling on croissant, or pain au chocolat in a Parisian café; or spending a beautiful afternoon walking along the Champs-Élysées; or even enjoying a swim in the Mediterranean along the sunny coast of the Riviera. But there are also plenty of practical reasons to sign up for a high school French class.
Your French classes could easily lead to unforgettable adventures.
An understanding of the French language will benefit you personally, but it can also add value to your college plans, your study abroad choices, your future job prospects, and your long-term adventure travel opportunities.
College and work might seem a long way off, but an early start with your high school French curriculum will introduce you to a deeper understanding of the proper way to pronounce some beautiful words—but it will also offer you much, much more!
Can you take an online French class for high school credit?
If learning French in high school sounds appealing to you but you’re worried about your class schedule, you could also consider taking online French classes for high school credit and practice your language skills from the comfort of your own home. Most online programs have opportunities for a variety of learning styles.
Some of them allow you to work at your own pace, while others have timed schedules for specific lectures and activities on specific days. Whichever program you choose, the benefits of online French classes for high school credit are not better or worse than a more traditional high school French curriculum—they can simply be more convenient.
However, before you dive in, you’ll want to schedule a meeting with your high school counselor to make sure your online class can be taken for credit. The ability to do so will vary from district to district.
READ: What Languages Can You Learn in High School?
6 reasons to take French in high school
Having French skills under your belt can only help your personal and professional goals.
1. French is a global language that is on the rise
It’s probably not a surprise that Spanish is one of the most popular choices for high school foreign language classes, but high school French is a very close second! The opportunity to study a language that is on the rise will help you position yourself as a future-focused learner. And that can be very helpful when you apply for college or opportunities to study abroad.
2. French is a language of culture, art, cuisine, and higher education
The opportunity to learn a language now that will serve you in your future education, travels, and engagements with culture, art, and cuisine is an excellent reason for French class in high school to be high on your list! Trips to the art museum followed by a sweet stop at a patisserie are even more exciting when you know you can appreciate the language and the landscape.
3. French will prepare you for an international job market
Even though there are more people speaking Spanish, there are actually more countries in which French is spoken worldwide. If your goal is to work abroad in the future, with roughly 300 million French speakers, you can’t go wrong with the lessons you will learn in your high school French class—especially if you hope to work internationally.
4. French is fun to practice and fun to learn
Some languages are notoriously difficult and some are particularly tedious (Hello, Latin!), but French is fun! If you’re still wondering why you should take French in high school, just spend a moment pronouncing phrases like je ne sais pas or bonjour mon ami! and then imagine all of the wonderful time you will spend learning accents, words, and meanings.
5. French is a language of diplomacy and human rights
Do you have big dreams for your career?
Taking French in high school will give you the tools you need to speak one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross, and several international courts. Your high school French curriculum can give you access to leaders across and around the world.
6. French will prepare you for all kinds of global travel adventures
Whether it’s volunteering in places like Rwanda and Madagascar, or interning in Canada, Romania, or Vietnam, the opportunity to use high school French to springboard your global travel adventures is a big one! Signing up for French class in high school will provide you with skills you can use on every continent with incredible success for years and years to come.
READ: 8 Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language in High School
5 tips to ace your high school French class
So now that you’ve decided to sign up for high school French, you’re going to want to make sure your progress is truly fantastique! Check out the five tips below to ace your high school French class and make the most of your classroom experiences.
1. Listen to French music and radio
Whether you’re listening to the classic sounds of Edith Piaf and MC Solaar on iTunes, or practicing your skills listening to news radio via any number of streaming services, you can find a wide variety of opportunities to apply what you’re learning in your high school French class by listening to French music and radio. Even better, they’re widely available online!
2. Watch French shows and films
Some of the best French shows for high school students are commonly available on streaming services. You can put your high school French curriculum to the test when you watch and follow along. You might start out with subtitles as you listen and watch, but soon enough you’ll be familiar with the nuances of spoken French, breezing through all kinds of media like a pro!
3. Learn French words through cooking
You’ll never regret learning how to bake French pastry.
If you’re curious about how to practically apply the lessons you’re learning from taking French in high school, you could use the practice of classical cooking to help you learn terms with the added benefit of making and eating some really delicious food! There are so many different videos, books, recorded programs, and multimedia options you can choose from. Bon Appétit!
4. Read French and English bilingual books
Another great way to maximize the benefits of high school French class is to practice your skills by reading French and English bilingual books. Similar to the ways that subtitles for French shows for high school students can help you familiarize yourself with the language, reading English and French texts with bilingual translations, side-by-side, will also help.
5. Seek out French language groups to practice
As with any kind of immersion program, the opportunity to apply the lessons from your high school French curriculum while engaging in real-time conversations with others can be exactly what you need to take your French study to the next level. When you join a language group (whether in-person or online) you can practice thinking and speaking with others.
How to study French abroad for high school students
Programs that offer the option to study French abroad for high school students are not only efficient and effective, they’re also really fun! If you’re thinking about this option, some of the best resources can be found through high school language immersion programs in France. Three of the most popular programs for high school students to study French abroad are highlighted below:
1. TFT: France – French Language Immersion (22 Days)
- Highlights: If you choose this program, not only do you get to study in Paris, you will also spend time at Cannes, on the Riviera, in Normandy, and Montparnasse. You’ll spend mornings in the classroom—no language experience required—and will spend the afternoons and evenings traveling with a bilingual tour guide to see shopping, parades, and even fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.
- Where? Paris, France
- Who? Any students between the ages of 14-17 are welcome to apply
- Read Travel For Teens reviews
2. Abbey Road Programs: French Immersion Summer Program in Nice, France
- Highlights: If you are looking for a summer intensive that will allow you to take advantage of the option to study French abroad while still sticking to a fairly regular high school schedule, this summer program will help you learn high school French. It also offers electives in topics like photography and cultural conversations. You will travel widely, learn French cooking, and see some of the most beautiful places in France.
- Where? Nice, France
- Who? Any students between the ages of 14-17 are welcome to apply
- Read Abbey Road Programs reviews
3. Greenheart Travel: Study Abroad in France
- Highlights: If you choose this travel program for French immersion, you’ll practice your language skills every day, while participating in a homestay and learning history and art. This program can last for up to a year, with start dates in spring and fall. It should also be noted that two years of French are required prior to applying.
- Where? Bordeaux, France
- Who? High school students in third and fourth year French
- Read Greenheart Travel reviews
Talk to our Online Advisor and get matched with 5 high school language immersion programs—it’s FREE
Taking French in high school can lead to adventure!
Become a more capable, well-rounded person by learning French in high school!
If the idea of learning French while snorkeling or cooking or immersing yourself in French film doesn’t sound exciting enough, just think about what the knowledge of the French language can do as you continue in your college and work adventures! With a solid footing from your high school French class supporting you, the options to pursue new adventures are truly incroyable!
You can study abroad in France, or volunteer abroad for conservation causes that focus on a green approach to tourism along the Mediterranean. Maybe your goal is a fashion internship in Paris or to teach English someday while sipping wine and exploring French culture.
Whatever you might dream, you can do. When it comes to the incredible places you can go outside of France (like a gap year spent sailing on the coast of Seychelles in Africa), well, no better time than now to start setting yourself up for these incredible adventures by enrolling in a high school French class or online French class for high school credit today. Bonne chance!
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