French: The So-Called “Dying” Language

By Zachary Jones

I can’t even recall how many times someone has asked me, “Isn’t French a dying language?” after I tell them that I study French.  As a French and Spanish Adolescence Education major, the idea that my first foreign language of study is “dying” is beyond terrifying and disappointing to me.  After doing some research about this American taboo, I was pleasantly shocked at some of the statistics that I found regarding this so-called “dying” language.  

French is the official language of twenty-nine countries, second only to English.  French is one of the very few languages spoken globally, ranked the sixth most widely spoken language after Mandarin Chinese, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Arabic.  There are currently over 220 million speakers of French worldwide.  Diplomatically, French is evident in many international organizations as one of the working languages of the United Nations, one of the three procedural languages of the European Union, and the sole language of the Universal Postal Union.  French-speaking countries play an active part in the world economy, accounting for some twenty-percent of the world trade in goods. In addition, French is one of the official languages of the Olympics.

French is a bit unusual in the sense that it often exists alongside other languages in multilingual contexts.  French is Europe’s second-most widely spoken mother tongue with over 77 million speakers.  Demographers forecast that France’s birth rate will make French the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe, ousting German by 2025.  

A recent study by the French investment bank Natixis suggests that French could be the most-spoken language, ahead of even English and Mandarin, within 40 years.  This projection, which estimates 750 million French speakers by 2050, is based on the fact that the language is spoken in the fastest-growing areas of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.  

As for the future of this “dying language?”  It isn’t going anywhere. French is alive and well; perhaps better than ever.

"The Status of French in the World." France Diplomatie. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy-1/francophony-1113/the-status-of-french-in-the-world/>.

"Why Study French?" Why Study French? N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://m.fll.vt.edu/French/why-french/index.html>.

Zach in Mexico for Spring Break 2015

About the Author

Zachary Jones is a French and Spanish Adolescence Education major here at Fredonia.  Zach is especially interested in the science behind second language acquisition, international education, as well as the advocacy of French education in the United States.  He enjoys traveling and has visited Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. Zach will be studying abroad this summer in Oaxaca Mexico under the direction of our very own Dr. Carmen Rivera.  Zach plans to pursue a career in foreign language education or administration, international law, or diplomacy.