I'm a Filippino and living in the Philippines. Our people don't learn French.
So, this proves that French is not a lingua franca any longer!
So, this proves that French is not a lingua franca any longer!
French, the second global lingua franca
I'm a Filippino and living in the Philippines. Our people don't learn Spanish any longer.
So, this proves that Spanish will never be a lingua franca!
So, this proves that Spanish will never be a lingua franca!
<< And? Even an Andalusian or a Portuguese can understand Catalan because it's very easy to pick up words here and there for a Spanish/Portuguese speaker. Catalonia has 7 millions, so there are 2,5 millions who can't speak Catalan. LOL. On the other hand everbody speaks Spanish in Catalonia. >>
On the other hand, every Castellano speaker in Catalonia speak and understand Cataalan so well.
On the other hand, every Castellano speaker in Catalonia speak and understand Cataalan so well.
<<On the other hand, every Castellano speaker in Catalonia speak and understand Cataalan so well>>
According to the data you provided there are 2,5 millions of Castilians in Catalonia who don't speak Catalan . That's so because Catalan is not an useful language.
According to the data you provided there are 2,5 millions of Castilians in Catalonia who don't speak Catalan . That's so because Catalan is not an useful language.
To be more precisse, they can't speak Catalan, there are many more Spanish speakers in Catalonia who can speak Catalan but they don't use it .
French is obviously a second "lingua Franca." the Olympic Commitee only use English, French, and the native language of the country in which the games are held that year at the medal and opening/closing ceremonies. that is something that spanish speakers can't say. I am not getting down on spanish, but it always turns into a fight between spanish and french and which is better/more important.
Rio de Janeiro for olympics 2016!
Rio de Janeiro for olympics 2016!
<<,the Olympic Commitee only use English, French, and the native language of the country in which the games are held that year at the medal and opening/closing ceremonies..>>
Lol! That is a relic of the past! The olympics were founded over 100 years ago when French still had some weight!
Lol! That is a relic of the past! The olympics were founded over 100 years ago when French still had some weight!
the Olympic Games (modern ones) were created by a Frenchman, so that's the reason why French is still used. I think Greek should be used instead of French because the modern Olympic Games derive from the ancient ones that took place every four years in Greece.
The English, despite the ugly sound, is without doubt the World Language!
el espectro del francés Sun Aug 02, 2009 3:06 am GMT
Hola, soy el francés. Estoy muerto. Adiós.
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Salut, T'es espagnol. T'es mort. Au revoir.
Hola, soy el francés. Estoy muerto. Adiós.
*************************************************************
Salut, T'es espagnol. T'es mort. Au revoir.
<< Lol! That is a relic of the past! The olympics were founded over 100 years ago when French still had some weight! >>
Lol! There is no a relic of the past for Spanish! The olympics were founded over 100 years ago when Spanish had no weight! Even now in the future the case is the same, no weight for Spanish.
Lol! There is no a relic of the past for Spanish! The olympics were founded over 100 years ago when Spanish had no weight! Even now in the future the case is the same, no weight for Spanish.
the Olympic Games (modern ones) were not created by a Spaniard, so that's the reason why Spanish is still not used. I think Greek should be used instead of Spanish because the modern Olympic Games derive from the ancient ones that took place every four years in Greece.
Why Spanish must be used? I agree with Visitor, the Modern OG were created by French one, so to respect him, French can be used. I think Greek should be used in The Olympic Games and English as Lingua Franca. Later depending on the country where The Games are celebrating, they should use its language and if the authorities want another ones.
French language is in decline. There are several factors to consider this language in regression.
For example, one of the most important is the demographic point. French is the mother tongue of 75 million, and according to Ethnologue is spoken by 130 million, total speakers. So, French has the seize of an Asian language like Urdu, for instance.
Secondly, the most important enemy of French is English, and not Spanish. French WAS a global language, but not nowadays. English is studied in former French colonies, like Vietnam, Laos, Lebanon, etc. Why to study the second global language if I can study the first one?
English is the official language of ASEAN, and not French. So, this language is not yet useful there.
Third, Modern Standard Arabic is growing fast in prestige and number of speakers. Arabic is now the official language of former French North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Tunisia and Tchad). French is and will be less important in the near future in an area where people is aware of the prestige of Arabic.
Fourth, in Caribbean area we can see that in Haiti, Martinique, etc people speak a Creole very different. If a French go to Haiti, he doesn't understand the French Creole. They are not mutual intelligible. So, French is not yet spoken in Caribbean area.
Fifth, French is official in several countries of Black Africa, from Senegal to Congo. But French is NOT the mother tongue there, it is studied. People speak their native languages. Besides, some people study Arabic (they are muslim), Wolof, Hausa, English or Swahili there. So, French is one of the lingua franca in this little area of Africa.
Finally, French is a minority language in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland, where you can use English.
So, the enemies of French language are English and in a lesser degree, Arabic. So, this fight agains Spanish is not very useful for French: French is in regression because in a lot of countries people don't want to study the "second" global language if they can study the first one.
It is true that Spanish is one of the languages that is growing fast and it has more importance than French globally. But there is not real competence between them.
For example, Chinese, Arabic and Portuguese are also growing very fast, and probably will be more important than French. But in this Global World the REAL enemy of French is really English.
And English always wins...
For example, one of the most important is the demographic point. French is the mother tongue of 75 million, and according to Ethnologue is spoken by 130 million, total speakers. So, French has the seize of an Asian language like Urdu, for instance.
Secondly, the most important enemy of French is English, and not Spanish. French WAS a global language, but not nowadays. English is studied in former French colonies, like Vietnam, Laos, Lebanon, etc. Why to study the second global language if I can study the first one?
English is the official language of ASEAN, and not French. So, this language is not yet useful there.
Third, Modern Standard Arabic is growing fast in prestige and number of speakers. Arabic is now the official language of former French North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Tunisia and Tchad). French is and will be less important in the near future in an area where people is aware of the prestige of Arabic.
Fourth, in Caribbean area we can see that in Haiti, Martinique, etc people speak a Creole very different. If a French go to Haiti, he doesn't understand the French Creole. They are not mutual intelligible. So, French is not yet spoken in Caribbean area.
Fifth, French is official in several countries of Black Africa, from Senegal to Congo. But French is NOT the mother tongue there, it is studied. People speak their native languages. Besides, some people study Arabic (they are muslim), Wolof, Hausa, English or Swahili there. So, French is one of the lingua franca in this little area of Africa.
Finally, French is a minority language in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland, where you can use English.
So, the enemies of French language are English and in a lesser degree, Arabic. So, this fight agains Spanish is not very useful for French: French is in regression because in a lot of countries people don't want to study the "second" global language if they can study the first one.
It is true that Spanish is one of the languages that is growing fast and it has more importance than French globally. But there is not real competence between them.
For example, Chinese, Arabic and Portuguese are also growing very fast, and probably will be more important than French. But in this Global World the REAL enemy of French is really English.
And English always wins...