I am not a Francophone either, just four semesters in college but I can read and write French without too much difficulty. Speaking and hearing are another matter.
But I work for a company based in Europe and when I have met my colleagues or contemporaries from France or Belgium, who can speak German but not English, it’s been a real advantage, especially outside of the meetings where we get a chance to socialize.
I also had responsibility for Canada for this company for over 15 years with marketing and warehouse in Ontario but accounting was still in Montreal. Speaking good French but lousy Quebecois broke down a lot of the barriers that Quebecers tend to hide behind. Even if I sound like a New Yorker speaking French, I still made the effort and it went a long way to get people used to having me as the “suit” from the US.
SRM