Language Policy In France
France has one official language, the French language. The French government does not regulate the choice of language in publications by individuals but the use of French is required by law in commercial and workplace communications. In addition to mandating the use of French in the territory of the Republic, the French government tries to promote French in the European Union and globally through institutions such as La Francophonie. The perceived threat from anglicisation has prompted efforts to safeguard the position of the French language in France.
Besides French, there exist many other vernacular minority languages of France, both in the metropolitan territory of continental Europe and in the French overseas territories. These languages are recognized by the article 75-1 of the French constitution. Corsican, Tahitian, Kanak, Breton, Gallo, Basque, Franco-Provençal, Occitan and Catalan have an official status in the regions where they are spoken while others with a very small number of native speakers do not. The 1999 report written for the French government by Bernard Cerquiglini identified 75 languages (just eight in continental France proper) that would qualify for recognition under the government's proposed ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (currently only signed but not ratified).
Read more about Language Policy In France: History, Endangered Languages, Opposition To Language Policy
Famous quotes containing the words language, policy and/or france:
“Because language is the carrier of ideas, it is easy to believe that it should be very little else than such a carrier.”
—Louise Bogan (1897–1970)
“Carlyle said “a lie cannot live.” It shows that he did not know how to tell them. If I had taken out a life policy on this one the premiums would have bankrupted me ages ago.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“But as some silly young men returning from France affect a broken English, to be thought perfect in the French language; so his Lordship, I think, to seem a perfect understander of the unintelligible language of the Schoolmen, pretends an ignorance of his mother-tongue. He talks here of command and counsel as if he were no Englishman, nor knew any difference between their significations.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)