Do you Guys, think the french will speak english in a few years?

Dutch   Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 15:21 GMT
The French will be speaking Arabic in a few years.
Jarec   Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 16:00 GMT
to Damian:
Sorry, but my question was if the English would like to see French speaking English. Without offence, but you are Scottish not English.
We know that the English anglicised Scotland,Wales,Cornwall (completely), Ireland and many other countries and so it is stange to hear that the English suddenly care about languages dying.

btw Do you speak the language of your ancestors - Gaelic?
If you don't, then your talk about tragedy everytime a language dies is meaningless, since you are contributing to the extinction of Gaelic language.
If you do, then you have my respect.

Is Gaelic used in Scottish national parliament or by Scottish national party?
Damian   Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 16:43 GMT
Oh Jarec! You make me feel a bit stupid now.....well, sort of. Sadly, I only know a few words of Gaelic. It is now spoken in the remoter parts of the islands in the north west of Scotland (the Western Isles) and parts of the mainland, I think. The rest of Scotland....no. English only. I would be happy to learn it given the opportunity. It is a pretty language and I can manage the pronunciation easily. I stand by what I said though about it being a tragedy whenever ANY language dies out. Gaelic has NOT died out and even though I, personally, have not contributed to its continued existence, I don't think it will become extinct as a lot of young people up there still speak it so it is being passed down still, even if in small numbers. Maybe it will increase, as in Wales where Welsh shows no sign of dying. It is more widespread there than Gaelic is in Scotland.

No, sadly Gaelic is not spoken in the Scottish Parliament. I'm pretty sure it isn't. Maybe one or two of the MSPs (members of Scots Parliament) speak it though.
Paul   Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 17:01 GMT
Perhaps, we can start another post on the horrors of language consolidation.
Every Empire seems to have been built on the bones of forgotten languages.
Obvious case is the British Empire and Napoleonic France.
The flowering of regional languages seems a precursor to the death of an Empire.
Save your tears for the poor fools who kill others or even themselves in the cause of language preservation.

Regards, Paul V.
nic   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 09:29 GMT
Hi Paul

Why did you say "The Government encourages the use of french, and discourages the use of other languages. The French Government supports an institution to implement gradual improvements to French vocabulary"

That's wrong, you start learning english at primary school, and you ,can learn many other languages, usually it's german, spanish, german but you can learn russian and some others. The government encourages french to learn some other languages. I think there is a big mistake about french and languages. Italians, portuguese and spanish are the same. They don't speak very well english. Especially spanish, they don't especially need to do it if you consider spanish is spoken in many places by many people.


Dutsh,
If french people spoke arabic, it could be fun, i would like to do it. Very interesting culture, architecture, literature....
Might Mick   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 10:02 GMT
French is the most taught 2nd language in the world. (1st being one's native language)
nic   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 11:25 GMT
Might Mick

What do you mean?
Might Mick   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 11:32 GMT
LOL confused? So am I! I'll rephrase...
Outside of Francophone countries and after the English language, French is learned by the most number of people, second to their own native language.
Jordi   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 11:37 GMT
The second most taught language in Spain and Spanish speaking countries is English. The second most taught language in the US is Spanish. French, worldwide, is losing ground and that is a fact. Less than 10% of Spaniards now learn French and we are a neighbouring country. I'm not too happy about this but it's a fact. Many even prefer German, especially on the tourist coasts. Even in some African countries of great French tradition French is losing ground. I've met young Moroccans who speak better English than French.
nic   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 12:13 GMT
Might Mick,

I understand now what you meant.

Jordi,

I think you understood what wanted to mean Might Mick, he said after english. Personnally i don't know what language is the most learned after english.
Jordi   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 12:26 GMT
It would be interesting to see what happens in the 5 continents. After English of course. I can imagine French still holding some ground in the UK as a foreign language and, perhaps, in Canada where French is after all spoken in a part of the country. But what happens in the US, Australia, New Zealand, South-Africa. And what language, apart from English, do cultivated Asians, Africans and South-American learn? And what 2nd foreign language do the peoples of Europe who are neither French or English learn? Let's speak please of 2004. I have the feeling that the most widely taught Latin language in the world is now Spanish. It's a matter of demography and commerce. Just the same as for English.
Axel   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 12:55 GMT
Well I think that has nothing to do with commerce. Spanish is widely spoken in Mexico, in South-America (Brazil apart) and in Spain, and those country don't have a really important economic place in the world (Mexico is the thirteen main economic country and Spain the fourteen: check it on the CIA website http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html). No, in Europe I think the main reason is most Europeans feel now interested in the Spanish culture while they are fed up with the French one. In the US, things are different (please tell me if I am wrong as I am talking about a country I don't really know!): a lot of immigrants are from Mexico and Spanish is the second language in the US after English. Of course it seems most Americans are fed up too with French...
nic   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 14:30 GMT
Jordi,


Yes but Might Mick is not talking about the most talken language after english, he said what is the most learned language after english. This is different.
Paul   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 16:53 GMT
Hi Nic

Sorry for my gaffe.
I beleive that the Government of France does encourages the use of french,
but perhaps it does not actively discourage the learning of other languages.

I guess the big question is whether or not you are penalized if you are only a Francaphone and can not speak another Language.
In Canada, you can not have a managerial position in the Federal government, unless you speak frnch and English.
You can not be Federal Police Officer (RCMP) without French.
So what positions in France are you excluded from.

My father is from the Netherlands, and says you can not graduate from Techical High School in the Netherlands, without a good grasp of French, German and English.
What are your Bacleuriate or High School Second Language requirements?

The French Government does support an institution to implement gradual improvements to French vocabulary. The Academy Francais.

That's wrong, you start learning english at primary school, and you ,can learn many other languages, usually it's german, spanish, german but you can learn russian and some others. The government encourages french to learn some other languages. I think there is a big mistake about french and languages. Italians, portuguese and spanish are the same. They don't speak very well english. Especially spanish, they don't especially need to do it if you consider spanish is spoken in many places by many people.
Dutch   Wednesday, June 16, 2004, 16:55 GMT
nic,

it would be interesting, especially in liberal france

maybe the next paris fashion show will have a new line of bourkas designed by gautier, french wine would be outlawed, or how about the ayatollah ali chirac as your president. the only thing left that would be french would be the return of beheadings.