Do you think Spanish will replace French ?
let me tell you:
France is the member of EU, surely English may be important for French people in France. English has recently gained its official status (lingua franca) of EU. So, it appears that French will be replaced by English in
France.
But many africans still speak French, then one day you will need to go to Africa to speak your French. France will no longer be a francophonic state.
I believe that Spanish has all of the momentum behind it. I think that Spanish has already replaced French in terms of prestige. As far as the number of speakers goes, Spanish surpassed French long ago.
« But they learn English in their primary school, don't they? »
Yes. If they go to school, that is. Only 57.1% of Nigerians over 15 can read and write. It seems unlikely that many of the illiterate Nigerians would speak much English, because they probably didn't go to school.
« English has recently gained its official status (lingua franca) of EU. »
Not exactly. The three working languages of the EU are English, French and German. And even if English was adopted as *the* official language of the EU, that would not mean all Europeans would switch to speaking English.
a.p.a.m. : « I believe that Spanish has all of the momentum behind it. I think that Spanish has already replaced French in terms of prestige. As far as the number of speakers goes, Spanish surpassed French long ago. »
Si le "prestige" se mesure au nombre d'apprenants d'une langue, alors le français peut dormir tranquille de ce côté-là : c'est la 2e langue la plus apprise dans le monde.
Benjamin Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:36 pm GMT
Not exactly. The three working languages of the EU are English, French and German. And even if English was adopted as *the* official language of the EU, that would not mean all Europeans would switch to speaking English.
Well, many EU (including French people)citizens are fluent in English. Will you expect to go to France to speak French? Personally, I don't expect it and i've felt regret that i learnt French in my secondary school. I rather chose Spanish instead of French. .
c'est la 2e langue la plus apprise dans le monde?(Francais)?
Non, c'est la 11e langue la plus apprise dans le monde.
Benjamin : « The three working languages of the EU are English, French and German. And even if English was adopted as *the* official language of the EU, that would not mean all Europeans would switch to speaking English. »
L'adoption de l'anglais comme langue unique de l'UE ne se produira *JAMAIS*. La Grande-Bretagne n'est pas assez folle pour signer son arrêt de mort aussi légèrement : elle a tout intérêt à maintenir l'ambigüité actuelle plutôt que de provoquer un consensus autour de son exclusion de l'Union. En ce sens, c'est comique de voir certains pays se montrer plus royalistes que le roi...
À ce sujet, il est déplorable en effet de constater que certains pays de l'UE se foutent complètement de la défense de leur langue.
L'Allemagne a récemment fait montre d'une attitude beaucoup plus vigoureuse et offensive. Tant mieux ! La France se sent déjà moins seule...
Personnellement, l'attitude du Portugal, de l'Espagne et de l'Italie m'attriste : ont-ils obtenu des résultats tangibles ? Pourquoi le portugais, l'espagnol et l'italien ne sont toujours pas considérés comme langues de travail de l'UE ? C'est quand même un comble !!! Surtout pour l'Italie qui est Membre fondateur.
Greg, je n'ai pas voulu dire que je croyais que l'adoption de l'anglais comme langue unique de l'UE était une possibilité. Bien sûr que cette idée est ridicule. J'ai essentiallement dit que les langues utilisées officiellement par l'UE ne touchent pas d'habitude la vie de la plupart des gens en général. On ne change pas sa langue grâce à l'UE.
« Will you expect to go to France to speak French? »
Oui, bien entendu. Je parle toujours le français en France.
Benjamin Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:17 pm GMT
Greg, je n'ai pas voulu dire que je croyais que l'adoption de l'anglais comme langue unique de l'UE était une possibilité. Bien sûr que cette idée est ridicule. J'ai essentiallement dit que les langues utilisées officiellement par l'UE ne touchent pas d'habitude la vie de la plupart des gens en général. On ne change pas sa langue grâce à l'UE.
« Will you expect to go to France to speak French? »
Oui, bien entendu. Je parle toujours le français en France.
Well,you know English?
Oh, that's the start of French being replaced by English
>Well,you know English?
Oh, that's the start of French being replaced by English
Hilarious.... no fundament for stating this. I speak English as well, but I will never change it in favour of/mix it with Spanish, my mother tongue. If you live in a foreign country, and you have problems of assimilation in the new culture, plus a low level of education, you will probably start speaking a mix of the languages, like Spanglish in the southern states of USA. But you will never attest this if you go to the Spanish speaking countries. The same is valid for French, Italian... etc....
i love french, spanish is my native tongue but i think that spanish has already replace french long ago. french is important language specially in europe and spanish too. more people pick french as a second language so who knows whos on the lead
On a survey of the European Day of Languages (press release):
the 2004 enlargement has lifted Russian to the fourth place – tied with Spanish - in the list of the most widely spoken foreign languages in the EU;
sergio ramos : « i love french, spanish is my native tongue but i think that spanish has already replace french long ago. »
L'espagnol n'a pas "remplacé" le français : les deux langues occupent des positions différentes. Le français est irremplaçable. L'espagnol aussi.
« Well,you know English?
Oh, that's the start of French being replaced by English »
Non. Je ne suis pas Français. L'anglais est (malheureusement) ma langue maternelle.
Benjamin : « L'anglais est (malheureusement) ma langue maternelle. »
C'est triste de penser ça. Pourquoi un tel sentiment ?