5 French-speaking Countries That Will Expand Your Language Horizons

The Far Reaches of the French Language

These five 5 French-speaking Countries That Will Expand Your Language Horizons either declare French as an official or non-official language and each one has its own unique twist on the language. There are, of course, many more to add to this list, and I encourage you to check those out too!

Canada: Let Them Eat Cake?

Closer to Marie Antoinette than a Parisian.

Population: 37 million

The number of full or partial French speakers: 7 million +

It may come as a surprise that French Canadian dialects are in a sense, closer to the version of the language spoken in France during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The noticeable differences, including features of grammar, syntax and pronunciation, give the Canadian French a beautifully archaic aspect.

Although these features vary within Canadian French dialects (not to mention times are always changing), one example of this would be the pronunciation of the oi sound as in une étoile.

In Standard French, this is ā tWAl. Traditionally, Canadian French would pronounce it as ā tWɛl.

Understanding Canada’s francophone history might change your perspective on the French language. If you’ve only listened to Parisian French, it will likely sound kind of strange at first. But, after you’ve adjusted to it, you may develop a greater love for Canadian French.

 

Belgium: Are You Coming With?

Germanic influences on Belgian French.

Population: 11 million

The number of full or partial French speakers: 5 million +

As with many of the other French-speaking countries on this list, the step away from Standard French is often very slight. The differences in the case of Belgium serve only to add that little extra something—the powdered sugar on your waffle.

As a country with two official Germanic languages (Dutch and German) alongside French, it’s no wonder a few things crept in from Dutch, such as Kom je mee? (Are you coming with?)

Being on the lookout for an odd Germanic construct can be helpful when deciding on how something should be expressed in Standard French.

 

Mauritius: Totally Not Official

Adding spice to the coq au vin (a traditional French chicken casserole)just like the language.

Population: 1 million +

The number of full or partial French speakers: Unknown (although it’s estimated that most Mauritians have a working knowledge of French as a second language.)

French isn’t an official language in Mauritius. In fact, there isn’t one!

Although French is a lingua franca on this jewel of an island, most of the population’s first language is Mauritian Creole.

This French-based language is uniquely mixed with both Asian and African influences.

When Mauritians speak Standard French in their native accent, the result is a relaxed, alluring and sultry sound.

 

Romania: Country of Dracula, the Carpathian Mountains and Wait…French?

A country of second-language lovers.

Population: 19 million

Number of full or partial French speakers: 5 million +

Ok, a bit of a weird one, I know.

Truth be told, despite the fact that English is now more or less on an equal footing in Romania, the country has traditionally had a longstanding love affair with France’s culture and language.

At the turn of the millennium, L’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (of which Romania has been a member since 1993), recorded that a whopping 28% of the population claimed to be French-speaking.

Nowadays, many people think that French isn’t the most useful language to learn. Romania’s traditional ties to France reminds us that a knowledge of French is still vital to our understanding and enjoyment of an immense artistic and scientific heritage. With Romania on the list, you never know what other unexpected places you’ll run into French speakers.

Algeria: Let’s Mix It Up

A unique use of French in the Maghreb.

Population: 43 million

Number of full or partial French speakers: 22 million +

As their popular football slogan goes: “One, two, three, viva l’Algérie!”

Algeria has a complicated relationship with France and so too with the language.

After the War of Independence ended in 1962, Arabic was made the official language but didn’t entirely displace French, nor the country’s native Berber language by a long shot.

In fact, French as a second language appears to be growing with a vast number of Algerians actually preferring to use French on social media platforms.

Learning about Algeria and the way the language is spoken there is fascinating in that French seems to be so seamlessly blended into Arabic and Berber.

As with any other influential language, French has grown and developed uniquely in different areas of the world. Exploring French-speaking countries other than France can really supercharge your French language skills!

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Amy Adams
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