Zut! Lebanon is Dropping French for English

Visitor   Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:18 pm GMT
An article in the Toronto Star notes what most of us already know: In Lebanon, French is taking the backseat to English as the “language of status”. But are the Lebanese ready to let go of the Language of Hugo?

French is the first language I ever studied. As a Lebanese living abroad, my parents made sure I studied in a Lycée. In fact, until I went to college, French was the language of my entire education. Yet, like many other Lebanese bloggers, I choose today to write in English and I can only think of one brave francophone Blogger who chose to ignore Shakespear’s assault.

Things have to be seen in perspective. In Lebanon, the concept of “foreign language” is not the same as in the rest of the world. As the article notes, many billboard, TV and Radio ads are made only in English in a country where the official language is Arabic. I often found it difficult to explain to foreign reporters why I wrote in English instead of Arabic, and why I don’t think that my blog is only for “elites”.

But is French really heading down? is Rambo really replacing Rimbauld as Mr. Christian Merville, an editorial writer at L’Orient Le Jour puts it?

Not if I have anything to do about it.

When I have kids, I know that I’m going to put them in a Lycée despite all what is being said about French losing its worldwide influence. I guess I’m not quite ready to let my kids miss out on Tintin and conjugaison.

I try to rationalize this seemingly sentimental behavior by saying that it’s always easier to learn English after Learning French than the other way around. Besides, have you ever heard Carrie Bradshaw try to speak French? That’s not what I want my kids to sound like!

35 comments for “Zut! Lebanon Is Dropping French For English”

What are the greatest universities in the Arab world?

Why should they not be places where the English and French clamour to send their children ?

Posted by Andrew The American | October 8, 2007, 1:33 pm


Steph, your story tells me your family’s and your own language choice is a personal matter. Most Lebanese privilege French out of fascination and infatuation with the culture, not for any functional purposes. One cannot say as much with regards to the rest of the francophone world, where the French language was mainly the result of the French colonial enterprise.

The ascendency of English today is part of a global trend; English the language of “success”, not a cultural choice per se. I don’t think the issue here is one of “dropping” one language for the other, or privileging one over the other. Lebanon is by its very definition a polyglot mishmash of cultures etc.., and French has been for centuries–possibly since the Crusades if you are to believe Selim Abou’s “Le Bilinguisme Arabe-Français au Liban”—Lebanon’s prestige language… So, if quantitatively French has ceased being the “dominant” language, qualitatively, I think, it remains untouched.

Posted by Snake the Jake | October 8, 2007, 2:00 pm


Mustapha,

In my own personal belief, a language determines the mode of our thinking, not the other way around. This is in direct contrast to what French philosophers, from Descartes onwards have believed until the recent years of Jacques Derrida. In Heidegger’s words “Language is the house of Being”.

Having said this, I reflect upon our Lebanese language, and the rest of the languages we accumulate throughout our lives. French gives you a certain outlook onto life, whereas Lebanese, English, Arabic, Korean, give you another.

In my opinion, you want your children to learn French, because you want them to share a language with you, and for you to pass on a part of yourself, of your thinking, to them. It is a very personal approach, and actually has nothing to do with language per se.

You should check out my website for an understanding of the Lebanese language, and its relation to the oldest language on these shores. I think that the root of our problems in Lebanon lies in language, in our use of our Lebanese language, and in our lack of its understanding.

Posted by Maroun Kassab | October 8, 2007, 2:27 pm


There is also Ibrahim Tyan blogging in French http://lettresduliban.blogspot.com
and Marie-Josée Rizkallah
http://blog.libnanews.com/mariejosee/
and Aaradon
http://libanisme.typepad.fr/

Khawta is blogging in Arabic
http://khawwta.blogspot.com/

Soon, I will create my own blog in Arabic, French and English :)

Posted by kheireddine | October 8, 2007, 3:38 pm


I must remind that most of the newspapers in Lebanon are in Arabic. I remember that when I was in Lebanon, I was the only one at work out of 25 employees at work to read L’Orient-Le-Jour. In paradox, now that I live in Canada, I read more Arabic newspapers & listen to Arabic songs and music than I used to do when I was in Lebanon.

Posted by kheireddine | October 8, 2007, 3:57 pm


Beep, beep.

Paging Dr. Harfouche, paging Dr. Harfouche.

Posted by JoseyWales | October 8, 2007, 4:03 pm


Josey, where did he disappear? He said he was going to Lebanon but that was more than two month ago!

Posted by kheireddine | October 8, 2007, 4:13 pm


Maroun Kassab,
Did you formualte your whole commnent on a completely the french/english issue post by mustapha, just to impress on the rest of us that you view Lebanese as a non-arabic language? Pity every unpolitically biased linguistic expert on Earth disagrees with you. Wake up and join the rest of us in the Middle East. YOu speak arabic wether you like it or not, and like all other forms of arabic, it is heavily influenced by the preceding languages in the area, hence the northern african version of arabic has alot of berber, our version of arabic has a lot of aramaic, the egyptian version of arabic is heavily influenced by coptic. If you think you still speak “aramaic” I suggest you watch “passion of christ” and see if you understand anything.

Posted by Arabic speaking Lebanese | October 8, 2007, 5:19 pm


I was walking down the street the other day, and there was a little kid walking behind me and counting to himself. He went: “un, deux, trois, arab9a, khamse, sitte, sept, huit, tis9a…” It was cute.

Less anecdotally, I’ve always found the centuries-old French belief that there is a connection between French culture and the French language interesting. The argument is: if you can talk like us, you’ll think like us. I expect that it’s probably shared by more than a few liberal-minded people worldwide, and that is the reason the French language will be slow to fade away entirely.

Posted by David Kenner | October 8, 2007, 5:59 pm


Arabic speaker, please feel free to call your language whatever the hell you wish. If Maroun calls it Lebanese, then that’s his prerogative, isn’t it!?

And don’t you be deploying your silly “linguistic” threats and arguments about so-called linguists calling “Lebanese” this, and that, and the other thing. Those same linguists also call French a “dialect of Latin”! Silly pompous linguistic verbiage changes nothing to the fact that the “French dialect of Latin” remains French through and through to those who speak it. I have yet to meet a silly frenchman running around parading himself as a “latin speaking Frenchman”.

Now, if labeling Lebanese “Arabic” does something to your Arab national erection, then power to ya, brother, call it whatever you want, but don’t call me late for dinner.

btw, WHAT on God’s earth are “unpolitically biased linguistic expert[s]“? WTF, man?

Noam Chomsky is an “unpolitically biased linguistic expert”? Hell, I don’t know if there are any more POLITICAL linguists than the Chum! You have to have done a couple of rounds of crystal meth and dropped quite a bit of acid to think linguists are apolitical! Either that, or you don’t know wtf you’re talking about.

For the rest, and if indeed you KNOW wtf you are talking about, tell me what is APOLITICAL about Developmental linguistics, Diachronic or Historical linguistics, Evolutionary linguistics, psycholinguistics, or Sociolinguistics, which in fact goes to the core of the canard you’re advancing about being an “Arabic speaking Lebanese.”

Arabic speaking dude, in case it escapes you, all aspects of society, including cultural norms, ethnicity, cultural references and expectations, religion, gender, and various contexts in which language is used, ALL affect and transform language. So, if Maroun claims that he speaks Lebanese, NOT Arabic, then I bet you EVERY “unpolitically biased linguistic expert on Earth” will feel compelled to agree with him. Of course, ideologically “innocent” rabid arab nationalists like you, hiding behind shoddy “linguistic expertise”, won’t! But the whole world already knows that about your possessive thuggish and negationist culture.

Whether you like it or not, Arabic speaking little man, linguistics overlaps considerably with politics and ideology. Wasn’t it George Bernard Shaw who said “a language is a ‘dialect’ with an army and a navy behind it”? Wasn’t it Sati3 Husri who said “Anyone related to anyone who speaks arabic is an arab, whether he likes it or not”???

Hell, you and your Arabs have all the armies and the navies you want to suppress Middle Eastern cultures and civilizations who do not conform to your blinkered world view. And now, you seem to have recruited shoddy linguistics to help “intellectualize” your silly arguments and your spent ideology.

Mabrouk khalo!

Posted by Snake the Jake | October 8, 2007, 9:38 pm


I concur with your opinion, ‘Arabic speaking Lebanese’

Posted by kheireddine | October 8, 2007, 10:54 pm


I suggest you watch “passion of christ” and see if you understand anything.

I watched it a while ago and I understood a couple words.

Then again, when I listen to someone speaking Arabic who’s not from Lebanon/Syria/Palestine, I only understand a couple words.

But maybe my personal experiences should take a back seat to your unpolitical experts.

Posted by whywesteppin | October 8, 2007, 11:04 pm


If the french language `aficionados´ congratulate themselves of mastering the complex French grammar with all its hanging C `cedille´, the `circonflexe´, the `trémat´, the aigu and the grave.

Today´s french intellectuals are introducing l`anglicism´in their vocabulary. You notice it even when french news anchors are reading the headlines. Moreover, internet,cell phones,Ipods etc; have created a new Jargon exclusively english. The tech world is predominantly affecting all other languages. I always asked myself if the US was french speaking would it have succeded in creating a fast moving technological infrastructure or would it have been slower. Imagine now if the US was arab speaking, technology would have taken another 100 years to appear, only for the simple reason (and also the reason why arabs are still struggeling)that the language we speak greatly differs from the language we write.

Posted by Dory | October 8, 2007, 11:27 pm


I agree with you, Dory. English is a more practical language than French and Arabic. However, it is not the languange of the heart; I don’t want to see the whole the world speaking English as a first language. French has its flavor, as well as Arabic whith its numerous spoken varieties.

Posted by kheireddine | October 8, 2007, 11:35 pm


Why not have a balance between the two? I mean the ‘three’ languages. You can start by blogging in the languages you speak, if you can’t change what’s happening in your country about French and English.

Posted by Lalla Mira | October 8, 2007, 11:58 pm


I would like to point out that a lot of Lebanese don’t master French and/or English enough and need to switch back to Arabic to finish their sentence. I can assure you that most of the North African immigrant in Quebec speak a better French than most of the Lebanese.
By the way, nice blog Lala Mira ;)

Posted by kheireddine | October 9, 2007, 12:34 am


If God, by its purest form of bilinguilism (hebrew and arabic) succeeded in enslaving the whole populace’ and submit to its power and glory, why the hell do we human have to be any different?

Posted by dory | October 9, 2007, 12:37 am


Kheiruddine, you’re “concurring” with shoddy views and usubstantiated claims, and you are hoping against hope! You are to be commended on your convictions, and I respect you if only for that; your convictions… faulty as your premise and that of the Arabic speaking Lebanese is.

This sentimentalism and idealized image of the noble savage, the idea that this noble, Arab, savage and his language are essentially good, essentially untainted, and essentially perfect and complete, is not only unrealistic and fault, it is also condescending and patronizing of others, non-Arabs in the “universe” of Arabs, who do not belong in your blanket reductionist labels. Indeed Kheiruddine, your noble Arabs and their language have indeed been he’s an ignoble, irrational, brutal, paranoid, repressive, bull-headed and bullying, bereft of objectivity and unable of critical thinking, unwilling to recognize the legitimacy of others and allow for the interests of others. War, massacres, conquest, repression, inhumanity, and yes GENOCIDE, ALL HAVE BEEN COMMITTED by Arabs and in the name of Arabs and the Arabic language. It is time you fine folk recognized that.

Posted by Snake the Jake | October 9, 2007, 12:50 am


What are you talking about, Snake the Jake & who talked to you? I don’t care about your comments that is why I did not respond to your ranting.

Posted by kheireddine | October 9, 2007, 1:47 am


As a foreigner to Lebanon, it has always seemed that the French is more preferred (though not always properly spoken) by Christians while the Muslims would lean towards English. A simple illustration would be the welcoming signs in little villages: “Bienvenu a/Merci pour votre visite” versus “Welcome to/Thank you for your visit”. Choice of language in these cases would seem to be along political/religious lines.

However, well educated Muslims, for whatever reason, also tend to prefer French. See Sandra Mackay’s book “Lebanon: A House Divided” where she notes that Muslims in higher social classes send their kids to French schools and speak French possibly better than the French themselves.

What is a pity IMHO is when the love of foreign languages would hurt the knowledge of Arabic. Many times, I’ve been to social events where people wouldn’t know the Arabic word but would know the English/French word without a problem. “Shoe lace” was one of the words no one knew in Arabic during such an occasion. And they were all well-educated, mid to higher social class Lebanese.

It wouldn’t be my position to tell the Lebanese living in Lebanon that they should know their own language, but I can’t help but feeling sad for those who don’t. So, Mustapha, I can only hope you not only teach your children French, but Arabic as well.

Posted by Riemer Brouwer | October 9, 2007, 5:49 am


You have to have done a couple of rounds of crystal meth and dropped quite a bit of acid to think linguists are apolitical! lol tis realy funny. It sound like you have done more than couple rounds your self snake the jake :)

Posted by zane | October 9, 2007, 6:16 am


Riemer Brouwer, Muslim upper classes send their children to ”French” schools because them, their parents and grand parents went to those schools. French education is not the monopoly of a certain community and I agree with you that we should not forget our mother tongue: Arabic.

Posted by kheireddine | October 9, 2007, 6:32 am


Riemer:

Shoelaces in Arabic:
In the North we say: “Shuwwayytaat”
In the rest of Lebanon: “Shreet Sibbaat”

I hope that was useful ;)

Posted by beirutspring | October 9, 2007, 7:35 am


mustapha,
Tintin is published in English and Arabic too, so don’t worry about your children missing out :)

Posted by Lalebanessa | October 9, 2007, 7:49 am


Hola!

What do you think about Tokio Hotel? >:)

Posted by CandyShopGirl | October 9, 2007, 8:14 am


Hello Moustafa

sorry for the delay in commenting back ;)
i was a little bit out from blogging lately.

It is true that french is having a huge retreat in term of audience. However, I believe that this decrease is compensated by the quality of the readers and of the few blogs Kheireddine gave as links.

This decrease is not only concerning the blogs but as well the governemental’s websites. We look to Egypt that is belonging as well to the francophonie organisation. They have governemental versions web sites in french. This is not the case in lebanon and when it is the case like for the tourism ministry, it is really a shame with all the mistake they do when they write.

In the beginning of my blog, I was both using english and french. However, I choosed to continue in french only as I was feeling with my english university education to loose my french. I was trying then to make an english version of frencheagle, but i cancelled it as I did not find the time and moreover, the pleasure to write. french has a sort of poetry we do not find in another langage.

Now I ll write something on my blog, it is time to go on after on week of interruption:)

Best regards and see you on the blogsphere :)

Posted by frenchy | October 9, 2007, 9:32 am


How Sad!!

I refuse to acknowledge that speaking english in Lebanon is a sign of status. Au Contraire! Beyrouth’s social elite have always spoken in French, and regardless of the American media, I doubt very much how the Lebanese perceive english.

As a blogger myself, I do write in English, and ashamed of it.

Mustapha I fully agree with you!! I refuse to let my Children have a broken english accent when they speak french.

Frenchy, you set the example for Lebanese bloggers. Please do not stop, we loose sort of half of ourselves and “part” of Lebanon’s identity.

Posted by Jester | October 9, 2007, 1:01 pm


As usual, an innocuous post, dealing with the ostensibly innocent issue of language choice in Lebanon, generates a jaundiced debate around Lebanon’s identity.

I am shocked (but perhaps shouldn’t be surprised) by my old buddy Kheir’s adamant refusal of some balance of perspective. But I am also heartened by the depth and discernment of some of the commentators defending Lebanon’s distinctness.

Mustapha, perhaps you’ll care to know that after a short visit to Lebanon this past summer, I had decided to zone out on Lebanon and on blogging. Your always provocative commentary and sourcing have perhaps tempered that decision; at least for the time being…

Posted by Louis-Noel Harfouche | October 10, 2007, 1:15 am


Welcome back, LNH, I missed you, I really did. We might disagree and we might not change our minds, however it is good to talk as everything we are discussing today was somewhat taboo in the past…as long as we are civil to each other.

cheers

Posted by kheireddine | October 10, 2007, 5:49 am


“English is a more practical language than French and Arabic. However, it is not the languange of the heart;”

English is certainly practical, but it is also the language of the heart. If the English can be proud of anything, it is their poetry and literature.

But French is a beautiful language and it would be best if possible to know both. Perhaps it is not as practical as English, but the French too can be proud of their poetry and literature. And they had better painters.

I don’t know any Arabic but I wish I did.

Posted by Don Cox | October 10, 2007, 6:05 pm


Hello jester.

It is not that i ll stop, i ll go on.

But sometimes we are feeling to be useless to repeat the same things.

Posted by frenchy | October 11, 2007, 11:08 am


[...] I do love French, but I think that’s one lame argument to promote a dying language [...]

Posted by Is The French Language More Peaceful Than English? | The Beirut Spring, a Lebanese Blog | April 17, 2008, 1:08 pm


I am from Haiti. My wife is Lebanese. In Haiti our mother tongue is creole. The language we learned in school is French. In today’s world the language of business is English. In Haiti 5% of our population are french speaking arabs (Mostly lebanese and Syrians). I just think it would better for my country to switch to English too. USA is only 1 hour by plane for 150 dollars rountrip. lol

Posted by Richard De Jacmel | August 8, 2008, 12:43 pm


Hello Everyone

Just want to ask where they are giving french courses or teaching french in beirut other then the CCF?
plz let reply

Posted by Sarah | September 27, 2008, 3:13 pm


You think that French’s status is going downhill?

It is not that it is going down hill. It just that France has no more colonies or slaves in Lebanon,Syria,Vietnam,Carribbean.

The countries of Lebanon and Syria were whipped into shape by the French and made inferior through colonialmism. Even after the outright abuse and disrespect the Lebanese have received historically , I still find it baffling that the Lebanese are so eager to keep French alive. I mean when was the last time you saw France even encouraging people to learn languages like Arabic? The French were in Lebanon for a mere 25 years, not long enough to implement a complete culture change. One shouldn’t put so much value on the people who were once their masters.

Posted by Anonymous | February 17, 2009, 8:51 am

http://beirutspring.com/blog/2007/10/08/zut-lebanon-is-dropping-french-for-english/
Visitor   Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:20 pm GMT
I hope you enjoy reading this thread, Hispanic Fly Guest because it's the opposite of what you expected.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
PARIS   Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:49 pm GMT
Fucking Beaner at it again.
Inferior races should be banned friom this forum.

<< The countries of Lebanon and Syria were whipped into shape by the French and made inferior through colonialmism. >>

-- Lebanon: no oil, no great farming sector, permanent destructions committed by Jewish war criminals, and still the highest level of social development in the Arab world.

-- Iraq: oil galore, English and American colonialism, and consequently the lowest level.

-- Zimbabwe: a former British colony, and as such the poorest country on Earth.
Guest   Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:55 pm GMT
Lebanon: no oil, no great farming sector, permanent destructions committed by Jewish war criminals, and still the highest level of social development in the Arab world.


Do you pretend that countries with French heritage are richer than the English ones? What about Haiti or Congo? I doubt Lebanon is richer than the Arabian Emirates by the way. If Lebanon is somewhat developed compared to other Arabian countries, it's due to the Christian minority that are more civilised, but not to the French influence .
American Heroe   Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:53 pm GMT
These French Fanatics don't want to see the weakness of the French language:

Lebanon is an Arabic country where all people speak Arabic as mother tongue. Arabic is and will be the language of the people.

Some people speak French as foreign language. Well, Congratulations. But, English, Spanish, German and Italian are also studied. The percentage of French speakers is decreasing all years. So, the perspective is not very good.


Another examples:
Ireland has a similar size and there all people speak English as mother tongue. That is the language of the people. The foreign language of Irish is less important.

Costa Rica, for instance has also the same size in population. All people there speak Spanish. Spanish is and will be the language spoken there the next century.

I think that almost nobody will speak French in Lebanon in 2109...That is the real situation of French.
US Hero   Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:58 pm GMT
These Hispanic Fanatics don't want to see the weaknesses of the Spanish language:

Costa Rica, for instance has also the same size in population. All people there speak Spanish as of now. English is and will be the language spoken there the next century because 80% of the Costa Ricans are now fluent in English and English is language sign are very common in Costa Rica particularly in areas frequented by the Yankees. Besides Costa Rica and other Central American countries are reviving their desire to for statehood.

In addition French is mandatory in secondary schools in and many Costa Rican elites speak it as their first language instead of Spanish.

I think that almost nobody will speak Spanish in Lebanon in 2109...That is the real situation of Spanish.
US Hero   Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:17 pm GMT
These Hispanic Fanatics don't want to see the weaknesses of the Spanish language:

Costa Rica, for instance has also the same size in population. All people there speak Spanish as of now. English is and will be the language spoken there the next century because 80% of the Costa Ricans are now fluent in English and English is language sign are very common in Costa Rica particularly in areas frequented by the Yankees. Besides Costa Rica and other Central American countries are reviving their desire to for statehood.

In addition French is mandatory in secondary schools in and many Costa Rican elites speak it as their first language instead of Spanish.

I think that almost nobody will speak Spanish in Costa Rica in 2109...That is the real situation of Spanish.
Visitor   Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:30 pm GMT
Shakespeare leapfrogs Moliere in Lebanon
BEIRUT, By Rana Moussaoui
AFP - March 18, 2009


Once the language of choice in Lebanon, French is rapidly being
overtaken by English in a tiny country considered to be a bastion
of Francophonie in the Arab world.

"French has taken a back seat to English in terms of communication,
spoken or written, even though Lebanon remains Francophone
culturally speaking," said Georges Dorlian, a professor of French literature
at Balamand University in northern Lebanon. He said that while traditionally
Lebanese grew up learning Arabic, French and English, the language of
Shakespeare has an increasing appeal to new generations.
"For several years now, Anglophone universities have become more
attractive and even students from French schools look toward institutions
such as the American University of Beirut or Lebanese American University,
" Dorlian said. "For these students and their parents, English represents
the future and easier access to the workplace," he told AFP. While most
schools in Lebanon still teach French as a second language, the number
of students learning it has fallen by nearly 10 percent over the past decade, according to the education ministry. "French schools mistakenly marginalised English in the past and the results were catastrophic," Dorlian said. "Today, there are a lot of new English-language schools and many schools that follow the French programme are opening English departments." Denis Gaillard, the head of the cultural section at the French embassy in Beirut, admitted that it was becoming more of a challenge to promote the language of Moliere in a region where English is omnipresent. "Fewer and fewer Lebanese are solely francophone today," Gaillard said. "English is paramount in the media, advertising, music and cinema industries as well as on the Internet whereas French is regressing in those areas."

"The demand for French remains strong"

The situation is such that two Francophone Lebanese television stations were forced to pull the plug some 10 years ago because of dwindling audiences. Although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that in Lebanon, which was under French mandate until 1943, around 38 percent of the four million inhabitants speak French a little or fairly well while about a fifth are trilingual.

But despite the French language taking a battering, many Lebanese
believe it will maintain its presence in the Mediterranean country.
"The demand for French remains strong," said Olivier Garro, head of
the Beirut-based Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF).
"In the Gulf region, speaking French has become an advantage.
"Someone who speaks three languages is sure to be chosen for a job
over someone that doesn't," he added. Anna Abu Jaoude, 19,
said she was taking courses at the French Cultural Center in Beirut
to gain an edge in the labour market. "There is no question that English
is easier to learn and offers more opportunities, but French is a plus,"
she said. Dorlian insisted that no one should sound the death knell of
the French language in Lebanon, which on Friday hosts the head of
the Francophonie organisation that clubs together French-speaking
countries. March 20 is also the International Day of Francophonie.
"French will not disappear because it is part of our culture," he said.
"We still publish quite a bit of literature in French and our judicial system
is largely inspired by the French system."

http://www.beirutnights.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=7434&sid=ee52b75f6ea1f05d5b7126e4758c11e9
Visitor   Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:40 pm GMT
Is Lebanon an Arabic country or a Francophonic country?Lebanon is considered both an Arabic country and a Franco-phonic country. However, this does not mean that the Lebanese are Arabs nor are French. Lebanon has adapted several aspects from the Arabic culture. Lebanon uses the Arabic language as a formal language and the Lebanese have been contributing a lot to the Arabic literature. Furthermore, Lebanon was one of the founding-members of the ‘League of Arab Countries’ which makes it an Arabic country. On the other hand, Lebanon has adapted several aspects from the French culture. The Lebanese use French as the first language in education and have been contributing to the French literature. Also, Lebanon is a member of the Organization of the ‘Francophonie’ ( the International Organization of French-Speaking Nations) which makes it a Francophonic country. Although we can not call the Lebanese in general Neither Arabs nor French, some Lebanese descends from Arabic or French origins.

http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t14124.htm
Visitor   Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:45 pm GMT
English status
Has been used to some extent since the founding of the American University of Beirut in 1866. Many English language publications. Not spoken on the street or in Lebanese homes. Bible 1535-1989.

English-speaking population > As an additional language 3,300

English-speaking population > Total 3,300

French status
An estimated 20% of the population speak French in their daily lives, and up to 65% of the population can read and converse in French. A number of government and private universities teach in French. Official language. The language of instruction in most schools. Newspapers, magazines. Bible 1530-1986.

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/le-lebanon/lan-language
Visitor   Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:50 pm GMT
Is Lebanon an Arabic country or a Francophonic country?Lebanon is considered both an Arabic country and a Franco-phonic country. However, this does not mean that the Lebanese are Arabs nor are French. Lebanon has adapted several aspects from the Arabic culture. Lebanon uses the Arabic language as a formal language and the Lebanese have been contributing a lot to the Arabic literature. Furthermore, Lebanon was one of the founding-members of the ‘League of Arab Countries’ which makes it an Arabic country. On the other hand, Lebanon has adapted several aspects from the French culture. The Lebanese use French as the first language in education and have been contributing to the French literature. Also, Lebanon is a member of the Organization of the ‘Francophonie’ ( the International Organization of French-Speaking Nations) which makes it a Francophonic country. Although we can not call the Lebanese in general Neither Arabs nor French, some Lebanese descends from Arabic or French origins.

http://www.lgic.org/en/faq.php
Don Ciccio   Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:32 pm GMT
The French Mandate just got overturned in Lebanon. Wow. That was sloooooww. HAHA. French is still sexy, nonetheless.

Ana behebek!
Je t'amie!

-CICCIO
Dexter   Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:53 pm GMT
>>>Costa Rica, for instance has also the same size in population. All people there speak Spanish as of now. English is and will be the language spoken there the next century because 80% of the Costa Ricans are now fluent in English and English is language sign are very common in Costa Rica particularly in areas frequented by the Yankees. Besides Costa Rica and other Central American countries are reviving their desire to for statehood.<<<


Costa Rica's demography is relatively petite! They do not even compare to the big boys - Brazil and Mexico. So if this country (C.R) goes English in the next 100 years, so what. It doesn't compare to the rest.

p.ss. Enough with the xenophobism of other languages other then English - soon the U.S. shall have to learn Chinese.
US user   Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:51 pm GMT
"An estimated 20% of the population speak French in their daily lives"

OK. That's a country where a 20% of the population speak French in a little country of the Middle East.

Anyway, it is an Arabic country and an Arabic area.

There are 5 big areas of influence in the World,with at least 100 million people as mother tongue:

Arabic World-Arabic
Latin America-Spanish
Former USSR-Russian
North America- English
East Asia-Chinese

There are 3 multilingual areas. It is true that it is difficult to predict the future there. But almost always the strongest win:

European Union. English and other languages
Black Africa. English and other languages
South Asia. Hindi, English and other languages.


It is true that if in European Union and Africa French wins, it will remain as an important international language. But I doubt it...
PARISIEN   Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:27 pm GMT
<< An estimated 20% of the population speak French in their daily lives >>

-- The level of fluency of Francophone Lebaneses is incredible, absolutely perfect, which is all the more surprising since French was introduced quite recently, in the 20's of the past century.

But I also think that French will slowly decline in Lebanon for being too closely identified to the Christian minority. Their are the wealthiest and most influential social group but, due to emigration and lower birth rates, their share of the population is on a decreasing trend.

The Christian urban upper classes of Iraq (like in Syria and Palestina) also had a surprisingly good knowledge of French, but since the U.S. set up again an Islamic regime in Baghdad they have been virtually wiped out.

The problem for French in the Middle East is that English is strongly associated to Islam.