Francophonie Day

Last Tuesday we celebrated the French language. With over 274 million speakers on the planet it is the 5th most spoken language in the world. French is the 4th most spoken language on the internet, 3rd on the internet, 2nd in international information and media, and the 2nd most learnt language in the world.

French is not only spoken in European countries such as Belgium and France but also in African countries such as Algeria, Tunisia and Chad. Over 212 million are native speakers while the others have learnt the language in school and university.

This language is often considered to be the language of love and is used as a tool to express emotion in literature, poetry, and music. Many famous phrases such as “C’est la vie” or “Déjà vu” are recognized worldwide. Not only is the language a symbol of love but the country of France itself with Paris being world famous for its romantic atmosphere and rich cultural background.

For all these reasons the 20th March is recognized as the international day of French speaking countries. We celebrated it during the lunch break when Year 10 French students Mattia Vukcevic and Greatness Osunsakin spoke about importance of the French language to their friends who listened very carefully and learned something new.