The decline of French

Jean   Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:15 pm GMT
We know that almost nobody speak French. It is spoken as mother tongue by 70-80 million people and 125-135 million people as total speakers (according to UNESCO).

It is clear that is a language very weak. There will be 2 possible situations:

The decline of French will be very strong. The status of French will be like now the status of Italian, more or less

The decline of French will be more or less strong. The status of French will be like now or a little less.

Which one it will be?
Antoine   Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:21 pm GMT
In my opinion French will be less spoken than Latin in the near future. In France we will speak Arabic and a little of English, Spanish, German and Italian to understand each other in Europe.
François   Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:23 pm GMT
You are right. According to all reports the decline of French is a real fact. I suppose will be very strong. It is a pitty!!!
Ahmed   Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:28 pm GMT
Yes. I am French and I speak all day in Arabic. A lot of people speak Wolof, Hausa, Mambara, and Diula. Some English, Spanish, Catalan, Breton, Corse, Basque, German, Italian and Portuguese. Only half population speak well French
Clovis   Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:30 pm GMT
Yes. I speak Occitan and a little Provençal but not French
Guest   Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:51 pm GMT
Why what you say is totally false? Because:

French will disappear in Europe? It's really funny!
France is one of the most dynamic European countries!
The french demography is similar to the American demography, France is the most fecund country of the EU, France has a superior fertility rate (2 children by woman) than Vietnam (1,91 children per woman), China (1,98 children per woman), countries of North Africa (1,80 children per woman), Brazil (1,91 children per woman), Turkey (1,92 children per woman), Iran (1,80 children per woman), Thailand (1,64 children per woman) and of course every developed countries except the United States (2,07 children by woman), and it almost arrived at the rate of renewal of the generations (2,07 children by woman).
So France and of course the French language has a big perspective on the future, the demographers consider that France will exceed the population of Germany before 2040 [The French babies are more numerous than the German babies (there are +150,000 French babies than the German babies in 2006), that is than there are already more young people in France than Germany], and maybe even that of Russia (there are 500000 inhabitants less every years in Russia).
French language and people can't die in Europe, France is beginning the most powerful country of Europe!

I reveal the future..., 2050 various countries populations:
France 75-85 millions inhabitants (Now 63 M)
Germany 70 millions inhabitants (Now 82 M)
Spain 30 millions inhabitants (Now 42 M)
Italy 40 millions inhabitants (Now 57 M)
Russia <90 millions inhabitants (Now 140 M)
Japan <90 millions inhabitants (Now 127 M)
USA 410 millions inhabitants (half of the american population will become hispanics...) (Now 300 M)
Democratic republic of Congo (french speakers country) 300 millions inhabitants (Now 60 M)

Demographic comparisons, fertility rates:
*Turkey, the demography is falling (1,89 children per woman, last year 2,10)
*Korea, Sth Korea (1,24 children per woman)
*Iran (1,79 children per woman)
---------------
France (2,01 children per woman)

The French language will survive, but futhermore it will set some more of importance, because I didn't write the projections of all the African French-speaking countries!

French language isn't a language of the future? French a dead language? saddened for the francophobes, but it's totally false, the official figures prove it.

Futuristic projections:
In 2050 there will be 500 million native Spanish speakers (without counting the possible 2nd speakers), maybe 2 billion English-speakers, and 600 French-speaking speakers if the tendency " 8,3 million French speakers per years " maintains, but according to the experts this figure could extrapolate from 400 to 900 million French-speaking speakers in 2050, depending several economic and cultural prospects.


The prestige of French:

French is the international and diplomatic language, sometimes it's even more important than English:
It's the only language of the universal mail organization.
It's one of 2 official languages of the Olympic Games, however it's more important than English: " In case of difference between the English and French texts of the Olympic charter and quite other document emanating from the CIO, the French text prevails, unless it's specifically and clearly indicated in the text. "
French is the language of European justice.
French is one of the 2 working languages of EU, OTAN, UNO (the United Nations and all its agencies), CERN...
Official language of UNESCO (based in Paris), Interpol (based in Lyon), Red cross (in Geneva)
It is an official language in 41 countries.
Frenche   Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:13 pm GMT
In my opinion, French will dissapear from Europe within 50 years. Only algerian dialect of arab will be spoken in France. French language could remain in some Swiss valleys and in some parts of Africa, but I'm not so sure.
Guest   Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:55 pm GMT
Spanish will disappear in Europe in the next 30 years. Everyone in Spain will speak Catalan, Basque, and some people will speak French.
Mohammed   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:29 am GMT
If you see the 6 UNO official languages YOU SEE THAT FRENCH IS THE WEAKEST LANGUAGE (mother tongue rank)

1. Chinese

2. Spanish

3. English

4. Arabic

5. Russian

6. French


If you speak English, and little of Arabic you don´t need the language of French people.

English is spoken in Canada, Belgium, Cameroon, Seychelles, Madagascar, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, etc

Arabic is spoken in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tchad, Djibouti, France, Liban, etc


So, Why I need to study this language if I speak English and Arabic, really true international languages
François   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:32 am GMT
Yes, you are right. I go to study Arabic, because I know English. The most useful languages are English, Arabic and Spanish. German, Italian and Russian too.

I think French will disappear in the near future, like Latin or Ancient Greek.
Jean   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:33 am GMT
Je ne sais pas, mais je crois que notre langue sera moins importante que l´Estonien.
Frenche   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:41 am GMT
I´d like to study an important language. So, English, Spanish, German and Italian are the most important languages. I go to study all of them.
L'italofilo   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:42 am GMT
Never have I ever believed that French, such an elegant and refined language, would gradually fade away or die out, without any logical reasons.
It will be absolutely impossible!!!
Maleke   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:43 am GMT
Yes. In my country nobody speak French. It is official in Mali, but nobody speak it. It has a disgusting pronunciation. We speak other African languages. Arabic is also national language. I am muslim, and I think that Arabic and not French should be the official language like in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Senegal, Tchad, Djibouti and Niger.

Allah Akbar!!
Montreal   Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:44 am GMT
Yes. In Canada French will desappear in 5-10 years. Everybody will speak English, the most useful language.