French this national language:
France is one of the countries in the world whose nationality is linked to language. "The language of the Republic is French" states the constitution. A fascinating, precise language, which the French study at length in school (even if the hours devoted to French have greatly diminished). There are regional languages, sometimes quite strong, as in Corsica, Alsace, Brittany or the Basque region, and some French people, whose families are of foreign origin, continue to speak the language of the family, but generally speaking there are few bilinguals.
The French and foreign languages;
What emerges from my research is that 60% of French people know, at least in part, a 2nd language. Which means that 40% of French people don't know any language other than French. Having said that, it's not so bad since, in comparison, it's almost half as many as the English (34.6% of Brits speak a second language). It's true that it's less than the Germans (78.5%) and much less than the Nordic countries (around 95% of the population speak a second language in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland...). That said, we're making progress! 66% of French people aged 25 to 34 speak a second language and we're full of goodwill since, according to the BABBEL website, the French are the most motivated in the world to learn a foreign language.
The French and English
It would be unfair to say that the French don't speak English. Many French people can speak a little English, with an accent that's hard to get rid of and often complexes them to the point of not wanting to speak English. What's certain is that you have to speak slowly.
Do the French speak English? Yes, madame. Often!
It's fairly well understood and spoken, however, in tourist areas and you'll rarely find yourself in front of a waiter who doesn't understand English at all in a café or restaurant or hotel. So if you don't speak French but English, you're in the right place;
Do the French speak languages other than English?
Yes. Or let's say you'll find some, but they're not the most numerous. On the Internet you'll find German quite easily. You can also find Dutch and Spanish. Italian is a little less frequent. Chinese, Russian and Japanese are even less frequent.
The most widely spoken foreign languages in France are:
- 1 English
- 2 German (13% of the population)
- 3 Spanish (40% of the population understands the basics, but it's true that the languages are close)
- 4 Arabic (4 million speakers)
- 5 Italian (spoken by 4% of the population).
Why do the French correct foreigners who speak French?
Because they love their language. Above all, you shouldn't take it the wrong way when a Frenchman corrects you when you make a mistake while speaking French. It's more a mark of attention, bizarrely. It's also a sign of recognition of effort, with the desire to show you that we're sensitive to the effort and that we want to help you progress. If he doesn't care, the Frenchman won't correct anything;
