What countries have French as their official language?
Some Countries and Territories where French is an Official Language
- Democratic Republic of the Congo. Interestingly, the largest population of French speakers are found outside of France. ...
- Canada. French is one of the official languages of Canada, along with English. ...
- Madagascar. The official languages of Madagascar are French and Magaly. ...
What are the top 20 languages?
- What’s the hardest language to learn
- Most spoken language in the world
- 20 most difficult languages to learn
- Hardest language to write
How widely spoken is English in France?
English is not very widely spoken overall in France, but is quite widely spoken in the ...
What languages are spoken in Paris?
Language of paris. The official language of the country is French. But in the parts of the city that see the most tourists, people will understand and talk to you in English. Regional languages are also spoken like dialects of German and Celtic languages.
What is the French language?
How many people speak Berber in France?
How many languages were recognized in 1999?
What percentage of people in France were born in 1999?
What languages are spoken in French Guiana?
Why is teaching regional languages controversial?
Is French a cross-border language?
See more
About this website
What are the top 3 languages spoken in France?
StatisticsRankLanguage1French2German dialects (Alsatian, Lorraine Franconian, etc.)3Maghrebi Arabic4Occitan language (Languedocian, Gascon, Provençal, etc.)7 more rows
What are the top 5 languages spoken in France?
Percentage of people in France who speak the languages below as a mother tongue or foreign language.French 96.25%English 24.21%Spanish 9.06%German 5.27%Italian 3.68%Arabic 2.64%Portuguese 2.41%Polish 0.83%More items...
Is English widely spoken in France?
In general, English is not very widely spoken overall in France, with recent surveys estimating that around 39% or just under two-fifths of the French population are able to speak English to some degree.
What are the top 10 languages spoken in France?
The most widely spoken immigrant languages in France include English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Maghrebi Arabic, Berber, and Vietnamese. According to the 1999 census, Maghrebi Arabic is the most widely spoken immigrant language in this country.
What is France's second language?
FrenchFrance / Official languageFrench is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Wikipedia
What language is spoke in Paris?
FrenchThe official language in Paris and the rest of France is French. Contrary to other counties, English isn't widely spoken. Although Parisians do not generally speak or like to speak English, tourists won't have any problems communicating in this language in most hotels, restaurants and shops.
Is it rude to speak English in France?
It's local custom and not rude at all. This cultural divide often adds to the misconception about English being rude. It's not so much the language, but the difference in cultural expectations that causes friction.
Is English enough in France?
You can speak English anywhere. You can, but in my experience the French much prefer it if you at least begin a conversation in their language. If they sense you're having problems (and of course if they're able to) they will switch to English. Do not rely on this outside the big cities/tourist hotspots though.
Is English spoken in Paris?
Yes, you can speak English in Paris as most people in Paris speak the language. However, while you can simply get by with just English in Paris, have an interest and put in efforts to know French to a decent extent.
Is German spoken in France?
A 1999 INSEE survey counted 548,000 adult speakers of Alsatian in France, making it the second most-spoken regional language in the country (after Occitan). Like all regional languages in France, however, the transmission of Alsatian is declining.
Which language is most spoken in Europe?
Russian is the most spoken native language in Europe; and English has the largest number of speakers in total, including some 200 million speakers of English as a second or foreign language.
Is French more popular than German?
In the world, there are roughly 200 million native speakers of German, while there are about 270 million native speakers of French, according to Eurobarometer.
What Languages Are Spoken in France? - WorldAtlas
Regional Languages of France . Over 25 regional languages are spoken throughout Metropolitan France and some of these are spoken in neighboring countries such as Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Belgium.
Most popular languages in France · Explore which languages are spoken ...
About. An interactive visualisation of language knowledge in Europe, based on the European Commission's latest and authoritative Eurobarometer survey data on languages in Europe, resulting from 27,000 interviews across 27 European countries in early 2012. By clicking any language or country, you can easily explore which languages are most widely spoken in European countries, which countries ...
French Speaking Countries List | Lingoda Live Language Education Online
French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and it’s as an official language of important global institutions. Read more about the French speaking countries
How many languages are spoken in France?
Over 25 regional languages are spoken throughout Metropolitan France and some of these are spoken in neighboring countries such as Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Belgium. The regional languages of France are divided into 5 language family subgroups: Vasconic, Italo-Dalmatian, Gallo-Romance, Germanic, and Celtic.
What is the official language of France?
French has been the official language of France since 1992, but has been the country's administrative language for legal documents and laws since 1539. The French language evolved from the Vulgar Latin language, which was used during the Roman Empire. This language is believed to have originated in the northern region of present-day France ...
How many people speak Occitan?
Today, Occitan is spoken by approximately 610,000 individuals and consists of 7 dialects: Gascon, Limousin, Nissart, Languedocien, Provençal, Auvergnat, and Vivaroalpenc.
What is the French language?
As the official language, French is the primary form of communication used by government and the education system.
Where is France located?
France is a country located in the western region of Europe and has a population size of approximately 64.86 million people. Additionally, France has a number of territories and regions around the world, with a total population of 2.13 million.
Where is Maghrebi Arabic spoken?
Maghrebi Arabic, sometimes known as Western Arabic, originates in and is primarily spoken in Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia. What Languages Are Spoken in France?
What is the most spoken language in France?
The most widely spoken regional language in France is Occitan, also known as “langue d’oc”. It’s spoken in the southern region of the country and can also be found in Italy and Spain.
What language do you speak in France?
France’s regional languages. Though local indigenous languages have long been pushed out, you’ll still hear many of them spoken across various regions in France. Along France’s border with Spain, you might come across Catalan or you might hear a bit of Breton spoken in northern France. Some communities are even working to revitalise these local ...
Is there Italian in southern France?
In southern France, you might also come across a bit of Italian in the French Alps as well as Spanish near bordering Spain. So, if you’re comfortable speaking either of these, it may come in handy on a trip to Southern France.
Where is French Flemish spoken?
French Flemish // Fransch vlaemsch. Number of Speakers // between 20,000-60,000. Where It Is Spoken // in France near the border of Flander s, Belgium. French Flemish is spoken in the area of France known as French Flanders.
What languages did French replace?
During the 17th century, French replaced Latin as the language of diplomacy and international relations. It retained this role until the mid-20th century when it was replaced by English. Dialects of French include Acadian French, Belgian French, Louisiana French, Quebec French, and Swiss French, among others.
How many dialects are there in Breton?
There have been efforts to revive the language, notably through Diwan, or Breton immersion, schools. There are four traditional dialects of Breton – Leoneg, Tregerieg, Kerneveg, and Gwenedeg – but these are bishopric divisions rather than linguistic. Further Resources. – Wikipedia. – Assimil.
What are the three French periodicals?
There are three French periodicals, Platch’iou (Dunkerque), Revue de l’Houtland (Steenvoorde) and Yserhouck (Volkerinckhove) that contain articles on various aspects of Flemish in France as well as articles in the language. Further Resources. – Guide de Poche.
Where is the language Gallo spoken?
Where It Is Spoken // Northern Italy, Monaco and parts of France. The Gallo Italic languages/dialects are considered a part of the Gallo-Romance family (but are also argued as a part of the Italo-Dalamation language family). The language is still spoken, but in most cases, has given way to Italian. Further Resources.
Where is the Occitan language spoken?
The Occitan dialects are a part of the Romance family of languages and they are spoken in Southern France. The name is derived from lenga d’ac (òc is the word for “yes” in the language). Occitan is often comparable to Catalan and even has co-official status along with its counterpart in Catalonia, Spain.
Where is Lorraine Franconian spoken?
Where It Is Spoken // Moselle département in Lorraine. Lorraine Franconian is a group of dialects of West Central German spoken in the Moselle département in north-eastern France. It also refers specifically to Moselle Franconian.
How Many Languages Are Spoken In France?
A majority of the country’s regions have about 75 languages on paper. Some of this work can be taught in schools, such as Occitan, Breton, Basque, Corsican, Alsatian, and sometimes Tahitian as well. France’s state-run and private schools educate 400,000 children each year in the regional languages of different regions.
What Are The Top 5 Languages Spoken In France?
Despite a French tax rate of 96 percent, French consumers are paying 96 percent.
What Is The Second French Speaking Country?
There are approximately 37 million people living in the DRC, and 10 and 9 million people live in Canada and Cameroon respectively, the second and third most populous French-speaking countries.
What Is The 2Nd Most Spoken Language?
With an emphasis on Mandarin in 1. With 117 million speakers, Mandarin has overtaken Spanish as the world’s second most popular language. The goal is nonetheless to introduce the use of native speakers only.
What Language Was Spoken In France Before French?
Gallo-Romance was the Latin spoken by Gaul and subsequently in Northern Gaul itself, while French is more of an Anglo-speaking dialect. French (Franois) remains its nearest native ally, but it is more closely related to another langue d’o*l in northern France and southern Belgium, also a linguistic branch of the French language.
What Are The Top 3 Most Spoken Languages?
One million speakers from English are found in the 1267 million population.
What Language Is Mainly Spoken In France?
Most of the population speaks French as their official language. In the United States, minority languages are still classified as “unrecognized” languages, so they are spoken mainly by French speakers. There are 3.3 percent of the population who are aware of German dialects in Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle province.
What is the French language?
French, a Gallo-Romance language, is spoken by nearly the entire population of France. In addition to French, several regional languages are also spoken to varying degrees, such as Alsatian, a Germanic dialect (spoken by 1.44% of the national population); Basque, a language isolate; Breton, a Celtic language (spoken by 0.61%); Corsican, ...
How many people speak Berber in France?
Berber languages from North Africans are one of the most spoken languages in France, about 2,200,000 speakers. Italian: spoken by Italian immigrant communities in many major French cities, especially in southern regions, such as Nice, Savoie, and Corsica. About 790,000 speakers, excluding Italian dialects.
How many languages were recognized in 1999?
The 1999 Report written for the government by Bernard Cerquiglini identified 75 languages that would qualify for recognition under the government's proposed ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
What percentage of people in France were born in 1999?
The data in the table are about mother tongues, and not about actual language practice. It states that 14% of the adult people living in France in 1999 were born and raised up to the age of 5 in families that spoke only (or predominantly) some other languages than French.
What languages are spoken in French Guiana?
Amerindian languages in French Guiana. French-based creole languages in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy), French Guiana, and Réunion (see: Antillean Creole, Haitian Creole, French Guiana Creole and Réunion Creole ); also Dutch, and English in Saint Martin;
Why is teaching regional languages controversial?
The topic of the teaching of regional languages in public primary and secondary schools is controversial. Proponents of the measure state that it would be necessary for the preservation of those languages and to show respect to the local culture.
Is French a cross-border language?
Cross-border languages. Some of the languages of France are also cross-border languages (for example, Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch, Franc-Comtois, Franco-Provençal, Norman, Picard, Occitan and others), some of which enjoy a recognised or official status in the respective neighbouring state or territory. French itself is also a cross-border ...
Overview
List of languages
According to the 2007 Adult Education survey, part of a project by the European Union and carried in France by the Insee and based on a sample of 15,350 people, French was the mother tongue of 87.2% of the total population, or roughly 55.81 million people, followed by Arabic (3.6%, 2.3 million), Portuguese (1.5%, 960,000), Spanish (1.2%, 770,000) and Italian (1.0%, 640,000). People who spoke other languages natively made up the remaining 5.2% of the population.
Status
The official language of the French Republic is French (art. 2 of the French Constitution) and the French government is, by law, compelled to communicate primarily in French. The government, furthermore, mandates that commercial advertising be available in French (though it can also use other languages). The French government, however, does not mandate the use of French by private individuals or corporations or in any other media.
Statistics
At the 1999 census, INSEE sampled 380,000 adult people all across Metropolitan France, and asked them questions about their family situation. One of the questions was about the languages that their parents spoke with them before the age of five. This is the first time serious statistics were computed about the proportion of mother tongues in France. The results were published in Enquête familiale, Insee, 1999.
See also
• Culture of France
• Francophonie
• French language in Canada
• Gaulish
• History of French
External links
• Map of languages of France (clickable map)
• Ethnologue report for France
• Délégation générale à la langue française et aux langues de France
• Langues de France