French is a Black Language

[BigMan]

although I am a monolingual English speaker (working on changing that ), due to my background, I have always been interested in languages and since we are in the Root: the influence of African languages in the Western Hemisphere and the rise of Creole languages/dialects in the colonies/nations that were established here.

One thing that I have been looking at is the rise of the French language in Africaand the possibility of its use (along with English) as a way to connect the diaspora to the motherland.

A substantial part of Africa speaks French (and a growing part of French is of African origin) and it is growing as a native language, especially in places like Cameroon, Cote Divoire and Gabon. Here are some stats/maps/links:

https://www.google.com/amp/www.forb...ta-suggests-it-could-be-french/?client=safari

French isn’t mostly spoken by French people, and hasn’t been for a long time now. The language is growing fast, and growing in the fastest-growing areas of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. The latest projection is that French will be spoken by 750 million people by 2050.

A study by investment bank Natixis even suggests that by that time, French could be the most-spoken language in the world, ahead of English and even Mandarin.

Also interesting, is the history of French use along segments of the AFrican American population, particularly the Creole community as well as the the history of African American artists/writers in Paris. Does anyone see a benefit to AA children learning English and French ? Or am I rambling?

Discuss

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Perhaps this highlights the perverse hold that France has over its former colonies in Africa?

 

[BigMan]

Perhaps this highlights the perverse hold that France has over its former colonies in Africa?

Thets definitely apart of it

But I see no reason to discourage use/growth of French in Africa

 

[Red Shield]

I wouldn't say it is yet. There is still the possibility that countries will drop it for a different language. shyt if France goes far-right next election


But I will say this.. and I do believe we have talked about this. If the french language has any future at all.. then it's future will be as a black language. Because it's obvious France has no future.

 

[OD-MELA]

You are rambling. I don't even understand the point of this thread?

Teach kids from the 'diaspora' English and French to 'connect them to the motherland'? I thought African american kids already speak English? And why learn French if connecting to African communities is your intention? Why not learn an indigenous African language?

Did you just watch a French film and like the way they talk? Lol.

In rwanda Kagame is the reason English is spoken more than French, he clearly wasn't as enamored with the romance of the French language as you are lol.

This is just an odd thread.

 

[BigMan]

You are rambling. I don't even understand the point of this thread?

Teach kids from the 'diaspora' English and French to 'connect them to the motherland'? I thought African american kids already speak English? And why learn French if connecting to African communities is your intention? Why not learn an indigenous African language?

Did you just watch a French film and like the way they talk? Lol.

In rwanda Kagame is the reason English is spoken more than French, he clearly wasn't as enamored with the romance of the French language as you are lol.

This is just an odd thread.

Idk where you are getting this idea of romance from ????

Yes this thread is partial rambling (see last sentence)

The future of the French language is in Africa and due to the hundreds of languages present in Africa, French acts as a unifying language.

The coli often talks about hiw immigrant groups "practice group economics". Well a big part of that is shared culture and language

nikkas is not learning Fang or Wolof etc,

 

[intruder]

Most french speakers i know are black. Mostly from Haiti, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Cameroune and Canada. But that doesnt make it a "black language". We're just speaking a slave master's language just like our english-speaking counterparts.

 

[OD-MELA]

Idk where you are getting this idea of romance from ????

Yes this thread is partial rambling (see last sentence)

The future of the French language is in Africa and due to the hundreds of languages present in Africa, French acts as a unifying language.

The coli often talks about hiw immigrant groups "practice group economics". Well a big part of that is shared culture and language

nikkas is not learning Fang or Wolof etc,

Who are you to speak for all 'nikkas'?
There are countless languages that act as a unifier in africa, not just the colonial languages are lingua franca.
I don't know why you think its so straightforward and beneficial to learn French as a means to 'connecting' with the 'motherland', but learning the ACTUAL languages OF the motherland you just dismiss as uneccessary. Haha. Unbelievable

 

[CACtain Planet]

Most french speakers i know are black. Mostly from Haiti, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Cameroune and Canada. But that doesnt make it a "black language". We're just speaking a slave master's language just like our english-speaking counterparts.

 

[BigMan]

Who are you to speak for all 'nikkas'?
There are countless languages that act as a unifier in africa, not just the colonial languages are lingua franca.
I don't know why you think its so straightforward and beneficial to learn French as a means to 'connecting' with the 'motherland', but learning the ACTUAL languages OF the motherland you just dismiss as uneccessary. Haha. Unbelievable

By nikkas I mean most Americans

Tell me what language they speak in africa



I'll wait

 

[phcitywarrior]

Who are you to speak for all 'nikkas'?
There are countless languages that act as a unifier in africa, not just the colonial languages are lingua franca.
I don't know why you think its so straightforward and beneficial to learn French as a means to 'connecting' with the 'motherland', but learning the ACTUAL languages OF the motherland you just dismiss as uneccessary. Haha. Unbelievable

I'll give my 2 cents as a Nigerian.

If I, an English speaking Nigerian, wanted to converse with almost every person I encountered in sub-sahran Africa, I'd need to know only 2 additional languages. French and Portuguese.

However, if I wanted to even connect with every person in Nigeria in their mother tongue, I'd need to know over 240 languages alone.

French is a good unifier especially in Western Africa. While a mother tongue may be more heartfelt, French has greater utility

 

[Grano-Grano]

The language you speak is the language you think in and western languages are barbaric tongues. I rather speak my mother tongue thank you

 

[Grano-Grano]

Dp

 

[OD-MELA]

By nikkas I mean most Americans

Tell me what language they speak in africa



I'll wait

What a stupid question.

 

[OD-MELA]

I'll give my 2 cents as a Nigerian.

If I, an English speaking Nigerian, wanted to converse with almost every person I encountered in sub-sahran Africa, I'd need to know only 2 additional languages. French and Portuguese.

However, if I wanted to even connect with every person in Nigeria in their mother tongue, I'd need to know over 240 languages alone.

French is a good unifier especially in Western Africa. While a mother tongue may be more heartfelt, French has greater utility

I understand this.

I think this OP must have only very recently found out that French is spoken in central, north and western africa.