LANGUAGE POLICY OF FRANCE AND THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES FACING THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53614/18294952-2025.2-161Keywords:
language policy, Indo-European language family, Romance language group, Strasbourg Treaty, Villers-Cotterets Decree, French Academy, Molière's language.Abstract
The aim of this article is to present France's language policy by analyzing key written documents that have played a pivotal role in the formation, development, dissemination, and establishment of French as a competitive language in the modern world. Like all living languages, French faces numerous challenges arising from the contemporary geopolitical and linguistic landscape.
The article examines the most significant documents related to the French language, starting with the earliest text written in Romance in 842, the Oaths of Strasbourg, and culminating in the 2024 report on the French language published by the French Ministry of Culture. This report outlines the key directions of public policy aimed at promoting the use of French.
The research employs comparative, synchronous, and asynchronous methods to analyze the subject.
The main conclusion is that French, originating modestly as a language formed from vernacular Latin and influenced by Celtic and Frankish, has evolved into the leading language of diplomacy for centuries. Today, however, it faces numerous challenges, which the French government seeks to address through various strategies and a consistent language policy.
