Latest research has shown that the use of the French language is spreading, taking root in Africa, despite the global reach of English.
The researchers are among stakeholders gathering on Saturday in France for the 40th anniversary of the French-speakers’ commonwealth, l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
They estimate that there are 200 million French-speakers in the world with nearly half of them living in Africa.
With 96.2 million Africans speaking French at the moment, the OIF believes that rising rates of literacy and birth rates mean there could be 700 million French-speakers in the world by 2050.
Prior to the anniversary proper, the OIF’s current head ; and former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf, held discussions with French political mandarins, including President Nicolas Sarkozy and Paris’s Socialist Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, APA learns here.
Speaking ahead of the October 2010 Francophonie summit in Switzerland ; when the research findings will be formally unveiled, the head of the OIF’s observatory of the French language, Alexandre, admitted quickly that the growth is far from guaranteed.
“French is a second language for most of its speakers, so it will only continue to flourish if countries keep it on their school syllabuses,” he said. Among other missions, the organization is charged with the protection of the language.
But, critics said the institution is overwhelmed by a series of challenges, including the onerous task in getting international institutions to produce French versions of working documents.
To maintain its sphere of influence, the criteria have always been strict for joining the OIF ; which currently has 56 members with 14 observers.
About 26 of the members are on the African continent, although former French colony Algeria has withdrawn membership.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
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