French language in Lebanon
French is a common non-native language in Lebanon, with about 50% of the population being Francophone.[1] A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used within government,[2] and is often used as a prestige language for business, diplomacy and education.
History
The use of the
Role and purpose
Formerly under
as the sole official language, while a special law regulates cases when French can be publicly used.Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that
"Arabic is the official national language. A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used".[2]
The French language is used on Lebanese pound bank notes, road signs, vehicle registration plates, and on public buildings, alongside Arabic.
The majority of Lebanese people speak Lebanese Arabic, which is grouped in a larger category called Levantine Arabic, while Modern Standard Arabic is mostly used in magazines, newspapers, and formal broadcast media. Code-switching between Arabic and French is very common.[5][6][7]
Almost 40% of Lebanese are considered
Attitudes toward French
French and English are secondary languages of Lebanon, with about 40–45% of the population being Francophone as a second language and 30% Anglophone.[1] In addition to the 40–45% of Lebanese being considered francophone, there are another 15% who are considered "partial francophone", and 70% of Lebanon's secondary schools use French as a second language of instruction.[9] The use of English is growing in the business and media environment. Out of about 900,000 students, about 500,000 are enrolled in Francophone schools, public or private, in which the teaching of mathematics and scientific subjects is provided in French.[12] Actual usage of French varies depending on the region and social status. One third of high school students educated in French go on to pursue higher education in English-speaking institutions. English is the language of business and communication, with French being an element of social distinction, chosen for its emotional value.[clarification needed][13] However, the economic opportunities and size of the French speaking world makes French a must-have in business, sciences and international relations.
In 1997, the Lebanese government committed to a policy of
See also
- English language in Lebanon
- France–Lebanon relations
- Geographical distribution of French speakers
- French people in Lebanon
- Lebanese people in France
References
- ^ a b OIF 2014, p. 217.
- ^ a b Prof. Dr. Axel Tschentscher, LL.M. "Article 11 of the Lebanese Constitution". Servat.unibe.ch. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ISBN 9781136903281– via Google Books.
- ^ "Lebanon". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2011.
- ^ a b Shawish, Hesham (24 June 2010). "Campaign to save the Arabic language in Lebanon". BBC News Online.
- ^ Mortada, Dalia (October 5, 2015). "Is Beirut the codeswitching capital of the world?". Public Radio International.
- ^ Talhouk, Suzanne (October 27, 2015). "Don't kill your language". TED.
- ISBN 9780307370495– via Google Books.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-312-34184-8. Archivedfrom the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ "Arabic – a dying language?". France 24. 25 June 2010.
- ^ S2CID 148739564.
- ^ OIF 2014, p. 218.
- ^ OIF 2014, p. 358.
- ^ (in French) L'Orient-Le Jour About Us, Lorient Le Jour
Works cited
- Aithnard, Aminata (2014). La langue française dans le monde 2014 (PDF) (in French). Nathan. ISBN 978-2-09-882654-0. Archived from the original(PDF) on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.