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The French Language



The History of the Language

The French language is the most studied language in the world, after English. It is one of the Romance Languages (derived from the Latin language and Roman presentation) along with Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and can be traced back to the breakdown of Latin during the Roman Republic as the classes became clearly divided.

Between 58-52 BC Julius Caesar Romanised the Provinces which were occupied largely by the Celtic Gaul. The Iberians, Celtic and Roman settlers all varied the way in which they spoke Latin. The language was modified sometime later as the North and South became divided and German invaders, the Germanic speaking Franks, began to settle in 3AD in the North. Further delocalisation in the Middle Ages occurred with forms including Picard, Norman, Lorrain, Walloon and Provencal were developed. Later, the dialect of Paris later became the National language and the model for French, unifying the language.

The French language introduced some significant changes from its Latin origins. It reduced the Latin case system, for example there were three forms of the word 'porta' (door) which was reduced to one, 'porte' but developed the definite article, increased the usage of prepositions and introduced auxiliary verbs to express tense.

French has influenced other languages, most notably English from 1066, and has lent to the English vocabulary and also that of other European languages. However some French words originate from other languages such as Arabic and the design is similar to other Middle Eastern Languages such as Farsi. Arabic has supplied many words for trading such as 'camphre' (spices), 'coton' and 'alcool' and education such as 'alchimie' and 'algebre'.

French Speaking Countries

French is spoken by people all over the world but French speakers are most highly concentrated in Europe, the US and parts of Africa. The French language is the official language of 22 countries and the co-official language of Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Haiti and Madagascar. For more than 61 million people in France and Corsica and some 2 million in the US it is their first language. For 5 million in parts of Africa including Guinea, Rwanda and Mali it is their international language. Regional vernacular has also developed from the French Language and the Romance Creoles often originating in Pidgins appear in the West Indies and South Pacific. Provencal has also developed in this way and is still spoken by 12 million in France today.

Visiting France and Key Phrases

France is a popular place to visit. Some useful phrases for visitors include basic greetings, shopping, dining and emergencies.

In France people usually greet one another with a handshake and say, 'Bonjour' (good day). Close friends and family are often kissed first on the left cheek and then on the right. When shopping it is important to remember to use this formal type of greeting and address the shopkeeper as Monsieur or Madam. When leaving the shop one should say 'Au revoir' (goodbye). If you would like to purchase something, you could say, 'Je voudrais pour acheter.sil vous plait'(I would like to buy.please). You could also check to see if they accept payment by card, 'un carte bancaire' although many credit cards in France have a type of chip particular to the French system and not all shops may accept English cards. Upon receipt of purchase, you can say 'merci beaucoup' which means 'thank you very much.'

When going out to dinner there are a few other useful phrases to use. 'Le table pour les deux/trois/quatre/cinq' means a table for two/three/four or five people. 'Avez-vous un menu pour les enfant' is how to ask for a children's menu and 'Nous prendons le menu' is to ask for the set menu. You might also need to state how you would like your food cooked; 'bien cuit' means well done, 'a point' means medium and 'saignant' means rare. Finally you will need to ask for the bill, which is 'L'addition s'il vous plait.'

In the unlikely event of an emergency there are a few key phrases to learn. If the emergency services are needed you could say 'Applez la police!' (call the police) or 'J'ai besoin d'un medicin!' ( I need a doctor). If you have been prescribed medicine you may be instructed to take it orally (voie orale) and in tablespoons (cuillere a soupe) or teaspoons (cuillere a café).

France is beautiful place to visit with many famous tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower. It is also famous for its fine cuisine, where fresh ingredients are usually used, and of which the French are very proud. Dinner is often a grand affair and if you are invited to a dinner in France dressing well and arriving on time is important social etiquette. If you bring a gift, such as wine, it needs to be of a high quality but if you choose to bring flowers these should be sent on the morning of the evening of the dinner so that they might be set upon the table before arrival.

French society is family centric and parenting is taken very seriously although families rarely beget large numbers of children. The extended family often supports the small immediate family emotionally and financially and the majority of French people are Roman Catholic and follow this belief system. They are very polite and expect a degree of formality including in the way that they speak. Informality is usually reserved for close friends that are in contact daily and family members. When communicating in France it is important to remember to use the formal ways of addressing people.

Doing Business in France

This also applies in business. International, even Global, business has significantly increased over the last few years. When doing business in France it is best to conduct business by making appointments at least two weeks in advance (usually through secretaries) arriving on time for meetings and dressing appropriately with smart, understated style. It is a good idea to learn some French phrases before meeting with potential clients or business partners as this shows the intention of establishing long term relationships and will begin to earn trust which can only be achieved through proper behaviour. When conducting business in France, aggressive or confrontational tactics will not speed but rather hinder business solutions as business in France is conducted comparatively slowly and meetings are for discussions whereas decisions are usually drawn up more formally.
Further French Language references

Language Materials - Specialist materials for language teaching needs. The firm offers French Language teaching materials including alphabets, verbs and tenses, beginners French Quiz and Powerpoint materials.....  
languagematerials.co.uk

Language Specialists - Words Worldwide, based in the North East are literacy, language and special needs specialists. The firm offers software, equipment, support, training and consultancy sevices. Find Foreign Language Aids....  
wordsworldwide.co.uk

Merilang - Individual tuition in French, Russian, Welsh and German. The firm also offers residential crash courses or by postal tuition. Find electronic dictionaries in a range of languages...  
merilang.co.uk

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