Xavier Darcos, France’s Education Minister announced the giving of free [correction] English lessons over the summer months (starting next year) to willing students. What a shift in direction for the French who tend to promote francophonie. See here for the BBC News article.

When you hear the number of Anglicisms that have encroached into daily French conversation–either for effect (“c’est ok?”), affect (“la bottom line, mes amis”), or because the word does not exist in French (“accountabilité“)–you can understand the pragmatism behind this action.

Here’s an article written (in approx 2005) by Dr Christopher Rollason on Anglicisms in French and Spanish. As Dr Rollason says, Yves Laroche-Claire and Bernard Pivot, who published in 2004 an anti-anglicisms dictionary “Évitez le franglais, parlez français“, may “have their work cut out for them.”

Since President Sarkozy once said to a crowd of British investors that they were welcome to invest in “Frence”… he himself could do with a tune up.

Are you for or against such an offer?

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