French is not an international language!!!!!!

John   Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:47 pm GMT
French is a Diplomatic language, but not an international language in a wide sense. Actually, it is almost not spoken, including countries where is official.

In a lot of African countries French is not spoken by the population (only 1-10 % of population depending on the country). So, it is spoken by diplomatics, some teachers, civil cervants and two or three policemen, but not the population.

That´s the same in almost all Francophone countries. So, French is a Diplomatic language, but not really spoken by the population.

You can see the average:

It is a language spoken by 128 million people (there are other 72 million that speak it with a low degree) in 29 countries (officially). The average is incredibly poor.

In how many countries French is spoken by 51% or more of total population (including first and second language speakers)?

Only France and Monaco.

So, French is not an international language, because it is almost no spoken.
John   Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:58 pm GMT
You are not right;

1. I am not a Hispanic

2. I don´t care poor Hispanics

3. Your language is almost not spoken: I read a brochure about your language. In Congo is spoken by 4% of population, in Burundi by 0,7% of population, in Madagascar by 5% of population, etc

4. Neither Spanish nor French are important.
Guest   Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:10 pm GMT
"French is a Diplomatic language, but not an international language in a wide sense. Actually, it is almost not spoken, including countries where it's official. In a lot of African countries French is not spoken by the population (only 1-10 % of population depending on the country). So, it is spoken by diplomatics, some teachers, civil servants and two or three policemen, but not the population."

Very true. French is losing it's popularity with its former African colonies. The only places it is regarded as posh language is in the Middle-east, Canada and in the U.S. In other words French is only good if you want to sound / look / act cultured and refined, which is all good and all, but many people will see you as a prima donna, or a snob or a douchbag quite frankly.

At least Spanish has 19 or 20 countries and others whom recognized it as an official language and others who have LARGE communities whom use / speak it as an second language (e.g. The U.S and the Philippines etc.) and is being taught to and learnt by many students of the U.S.A and the Philippines.
Guest   Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:42 pm GMT
<< In other words French is only good if you want to sound / look / act cultured and refined, which is all good and all, but many people will see you as a prima donna, or a snob or a douchbag quite frankly. >>


What an ignorant comment, from a brainless person... since when is being "cultured and refined" synonymous with being "a snob or a douchbag"?
Guest   Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:49 pm GMT
<< and is being taught to and learnt by many students of the U.S.A and the Philippines. >>

In 1987, the Philippine Ministry of Education decided to withdraw Spanish classes in schools and replace it with English... many colleges and universities discontinued offering Spanish classes due to the low number of students being enrolled.
Guest   Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:44 pm GMT
Here is more for you...

Tromsø, Norway ~ "Paris of the North"

Shanghai, China ~ "Paris of the Far East"

St. Petersburg, Russia ~ "Paris of Russia"
Franco   Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:11 pm GMT
And;

Paris, France ~ "Paris of the landfill"
Guest   Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:17 pm GMT
<< Paris, France ~ "Paris of the landfill" >>

Well, loads of Spaniard and Portuguese immigrants sure seem to like that landfill.
Alba   Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:35 pm GMT
here's one more guest Korca is known as the Paris of Albania loool or "Parizi i vogel" small Paris :))
Guest   Sat Jun 02, 2007 2:43 am GMT
<< 1. I am not a Hispanic >>

Well then you must be another typical American.

You sound like the kind of guy who supported the movement of renaming of french fries as "Freedome Fries".

Seriously, you're a waste of oxygen.
Guest   Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:16 am GMT
John is right. He's not Hispanic but definitely he's Sam because he keeps on insisting that French is spoken only in France and Monaco.
Again I repeat, Castellano is no longer spoken in Hispanic America. Instead they speak a bastardized form of Spanish. Soon these form of Spanish will break up from the mother tongue and from each other into Neo-Spanish languages just like Latin ended up as Neo-Latin/Romance.
Guest   Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:48 am GMT
I know that not all Americans are like that John piece of shit, but it's becoming harder and harder to believe this as time goes by, especially after the re-election of Bush.

Resisting the American sterotypes is very challenging since they seem to continously solidify and accentuate with every passing day.
Guest   Sat Jun 02, 2007 4:27 am GMT
Just so some of you know, I'm the person who first responded to John and told him that he's an idiot, and I'm an American. I'm just one of many Francophiles in the United States, and many of us have been defending French and France not only on this message board, but everywhere we go.

By the way, Bush is of course a moron, but he has very little support here these days. Anyways, he's become castrated now after the 2006 election in which the Republicans lost the Senate and the House of Represenatives.
A-S   Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:49 am GMT
Simply,
Latin: Fama volat, ignoti nulla cupido
Basque:Fama hegan, ez maitatua ez duguna esagutzen.
French: La renommée vole, nullement est désiré ce qu'on ne connaît pas.
Spanish: La fama roba, de ninguna manera es deseado lo que no se conoce.
English: The fame steals, but we don't wish what we don't know.
Guest   Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:57 am GMT
" Well, loads of Spaniard and Portuguese immigrants sure seem to like that landfill "

there are not Portuguese and Spaniards immigrants in France since about 30 years...