Prehistoric humans had to develop ways to communicate complex ideas because it was necessary to their survival. However, even in today's industrial world communication is still necessary to survival. Thousands of people around the world are suffering, but we cannot help them unless we first learn to communicate with them. We must converse in their language before we can craft solutions. Learning French is the first step to helping people in impoverished francophone countries allover the world.
More people speak such languages as Chinese, English, Russian, or Spanish than speak French.
However, French is so widely spoken that it ranks with English as an international language. French is spoken by more than ninety million people as their mother tongue, and millions of others use it as a second language. It has served for hundreds of years as the language of diplomats. Its clear style and regular syntax make it very suitable for diplomatic, legal, business use, and for literature. As one can see, the French language is an important tool in bringing this world together.