As of 2023, French remains the fifth-most spoken language in the world (and the language with the third-most non-native speakers). Berlitz, the language education and leadership company, argues that "if English is the language of business, then French is considered the language of culture."  In addition to serving as a linguistic gateway to new frontiers of art and sport -- The Three Musketeers! Les Miserables! The Tour de France! -- the study of French is uniquely helpful to students' overall reading and writing skills. Roughly half of the words in the English vocabulary derive from French origins.