French language Q&A Forum

I'm not understanding why, in French, when someone is learning something, it is stated as "apprendre à" and not just "apprendre".

For instance: She learns to dance. - Elle apprend à danser.

Given that the unconjugated verb danser literally means "to dance", why do we need to insert à (to) again?

Tangentially, does the verb apprendre ALWAYS take the preposition à? If not, can you give me an example where it wouldn't (and maybe explain why it wouldn't in that situation)?

Thanks!

why magnifique come

after noun in « endroits magnifiques »

but before noun in « magnifiques gâteaux »

What is the difference between "j'aime bien" and "j'aime beaucoup?"  I wrote "j'aime beaucoup toutes les couleurs," and "beaucoup" was marked incorrect. Thanks!