http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7844192.stm

New lingua franca upsets French

That the French resent the global supremacy of the English language is nothing new, but as Hugh Schofield finds out, a newly evolved business-speak version is taking over.

They were giving out the annual Prix de la Carpette Anglaise the other day. Literally it means the English Rug Prize, but doormat would be the better translation.

As the citation explains, the award goes to the French person or institution who has given the best display of "fawning servility" to further the insinuation into France of the accursed English language.

Among the runners-up this year: the supermarket company Carrefour which changed the name of its Champion chain of stores to Carrefour Market, not using the French word "marche".

Also the provocatively-named Paris band Nelson (it is the Admiral, not Mr Mandela, that they have in mind) whose frontman J.B. sings in English because, he says, French does not have the right cadences for true rock.

Worst offender

But topping the poll for grave disservices to the mother tongue is France's higher education minister, Valerie Pecresse.

Her crime: proclaiming to the press that she had no intention of speaking French when attending European meetings in Brussels, because, she said, it was quite obvious that English was now the easiest mode of communication.

The rise and rise of the English language is a sensitive subject for many here in France, who believe that French has every bit as much right to be considered a global tongue.

Even conceding to English victory in the war for linguistic supremacy, the French believe that the least they can do is defend their own territory and keep the ghastly invader at a decent remove.

The same group that sponsors the Prix de la Carpette also brings legal actions against companies that, it says, breach the law, for example, by not issuing French language versions of instructions to staff.

Personally, I sympathise greatly with defenders of the French language. I think it is true that culturally the world will be diminished if one monolithic form of discourse squashes the rest. But then I am also a realist.

Recently I have spent a lot of time in French multinational companies, and what is inescapable is the stranglehold that English already has on the world of business here.

French executives draft reports, send e-mails, converse with their international colleagues - and increasingly even amongst themselves - in English.

It is of course a kind of bastardised, runty form of business-speak full of words like "drivers" and "deliverables" and "outcomes" to be "valorised", but is nonetheless quite definitely not French.

New language

This brings me to Jean-Paul Nerriere.

Monsieur Nerriere is a retired French businessman who one day in the course of his work made a fascinating observation.

In a meeting with colleagues from around the world, including an Englishman, a Korean and a Brazilian, he noticed that he and the other non-native English speakers were communicating in a form of English that was completely comprehensible to them, but which left the Englishman nonplussed.

He, Jean-Paul Nerriere, could talk to the Korean and the Brazilian in this neo-language, and they could understand each other perfectly.

But the Englishman was left out because his language was too subtle, too full of meaning that could not be grasped by the others.

In other words, Monsieur Nerriere concluded, a new form of English is developing around the world, used by people for whom it is their second language.

It may not be the most beautiful of tongues, but in this day and age he says it is indispensible. He calls the language Globish and urges everyone - above all the French - to learn it tout de suite.

In his book Don't Speak English, Parlez Globish, Monsieur Nerriere sets out the rules.

Globish has only 1,500 words and users must avoid humour, metaphor, abbreviation and anything else that can cause cross-cultural confusion.

They must speak slowly and in short sentences. Funnily enough, he holds up the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as an excellent exponent.

Many in France consider Monsieur Nerriere a traitor for promoting the dreaded Anglais, but he insists he is not.

He says the French have to recognise that the language war is lost.

"We're just urinating on the ashes of the fire," he says. We should look on Globish not as a triumphant cultural vehicle for les Anglo-Saxons, but as a tool, he says: essential but purely utilitarian.

For lovers of English there is another consideration, only half-serious I admit. But what if this were all a devious Gallic plot?

After all, if Globish really does take over the planet with its stunted business-speak, its bland insignificance, its cultureless access-for-all availability, then where does that leave the real English?

Will the language of Shakespeare suffer by association, leaving the field open one day for the resurgence of the other great tongues of the world ? Like French?

Suck it Frenchies.

who is this France that keeps wimpering?

Oh Noez!! They be speaking le Anglaise! We must whine like babies!!

Whatever,  then why did they say this?  



Sarkozy: “Arabic Is the Language of the Future”
From the desk of Tiberge on Tue, 2008-10-14 11:14
The French government is strongly advocating the teaching of Arabic language and civilization in French schools. Not surprising, considering the number of Arabs and Muslims in France, and the unctuous deference with which they are treated by officials, beginning notably with Nicolas Sarkozy, who cannot praise enough the splendor of Arabic contributions to the world.

The French National Assembly was the scene of a meeting earlier this month of the first Conference on the Teaching of Arabic Language and Culture, attended by a variety of interested parties. There was much wearisome blather about the need for "dialogue."

In his message to the participants, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Arabic the "language of the future, of science and of modernity," and expressed the hope that "more French people share in the language that expresses great civilizational and spiritual values."

"We must invest in the Arabic language (because) to teach it symbolizes a moment of exchange, of openness and of tolerance, (and it) brings with it one of the oldest and most prestigious civilizations of the world. It is in France that we have the greatest number of persons of Arabic and Muslim origin. Islam is the second religion of France," Sarkozy reminded his listeners.

He proceeded to enumerate the various "advances in terms of diversity," the increase in Muslim sections of cemeteries, the training of imams and chaplains and the appointments of ministers of diverse backgrounds.

"France is a friend of Arabic countries. We are not seeking a clash between the East and West," he affirmed, emphasizing the strong presence of Arab leaders at the founding summit of the Union for the Mediterranean, last July 13. "The Mediterranean is where our common hopes were founded. Our common sea is where the principal challenges come together: durable development, security, education and peace," added the French president.

I'm surprised...not that the French are cranky, they're ALWAYS cranky, I'm surprised English is still #1.
Soon to be replaced with Spanish and / or Chinese, I expect (sheer numbers, people)

All the talk of bailouts in America has made the French wish they were getting invaded by Germany again.

More people speak German than French in the world, what much France special?
Losers.

Fuck the French
Fuck Obama

Huh, and I just started learning French from a free online course.

The French have a major hard-on for les Anglo-Saxons.

So where is that Estonian dude who was complaining that we should learn more Eastern European languages?

We here in the US would get similarly upset if businesses started changing their names to Spanish.

If the French had the largest economy in the world than maybe they could get upset.

There is a reason English is the lanugage of business.  It isn't because we are mean.

Fuck em' we bail them out in 2 wars and yet they still play the snobs with us? Fuck em'

Le boo fuckin' hoo.

kiss my ass.

Why so they can surender again?

You have no idea how seriously the French take their language and how much they despise the fact English is the universal language, and that an English-speaking country is the dominant superpower.

The Rwanda genocide was facilitated by the French, because they saw an opportunity to wipe out an English-speaking ethnic group using a Francophone ethnic group.  Over the language they speak, and they did it because they knew they could get away with it and no one would care.

I hate the French.

No they want to be bailed out again by us.

Pay attention.

I'm broke, I can't pay attention.

Spanish maybe, but on a global business scale, speakers of spanish have a long, long way to catch up. So not any time in the forseeable future.

Chinese, never. Written communication is way too hard and it ain't worth a shit in the business world if you can't write down anything you're talking about.

Win a war, set the language.

Win them all, well, you get the point.

It's time for the French to surrender to the idea that English is the world language.

It shouldn't be too difficult since surrender isn't all that new a concept for them.

I don't hate the French, but you are absolutely right with respect to Rwanda. Mitterrand is burning in Hell for his conduct there.

Mitterrand is quoted as having remarked about Rwanda, "in such countries, genocide is not too important…"

How to speak French !!!

Naw, not because of the number of people that speaks it, because of the US' economic force in the world. The US economy is like double that next closest, which is Japan.

And of course France is not even on the radar.

Let me know when the actually have something worthwhile to bitch about.

You guys are really amazing.

Do you know how many these proud defenders of the French language really are?

Carrefour is French.
Valerie Pecresse is French.
The band Nelson is French.
Jean-Paul Nerriere  is French.
I am French.
In French schools learning English is now mandatory (Afaik since 1995) at age 11, with a third language required at 14.

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/ressources/eurydice/pdf/049ENindicateurs/049ENXX010C08x0101f.pdf

But as always in your strange world a few nutjobs = "The French".

We are more than 60 millions and you know what?
We are not all gun-grabbers/leftist/socialist/muslims, really surprising isn't it?


Of course learning English is one thing, having good skills is another so I'm waiting for the grammar nazis

I for one think the French people are a great ally.

DN

If it wasn't for English speaking people they wouldn't have a country.

France sucks....well they did win one war....the French Revolution....lol
Does anyone care what France says?  Is someone scared of France?...I meant other than their hairy women.

France sucks....well they did win one war....the French Revolution....lol
Does anyone care what France says?  Is someone scared of France?...I meant other than their hairy women.

And if it wasn't for the french you yanks would still be subjects of the british crown.

France needs to get over itself, everyone else has.

I for one liked the little French guy in The Patriot.

You lost me after "French upset..."

Yea sure.....

We paid that debt back with interest plus dividends though....

Win wars...make the rules. Simple.

True, but if either of the above cases weren't true this discussion wouldn't be going on because the French would be speaking German.

Sometimes they piss me off, but for the most part I really like the French.


Especially,

Oliva Ruiz
Alizée
Jenifer Bartoli
Sofia Essaidi

Tough shit.

Maybe they should just be happy that German isn't their primary language.

Fuck the French! They are a bunch of gutless pussies! We arranged it so they didnt have to speak German and the pricks fuck us over like they do? We should use the excuse of our military cemeteries there that are full of men that took the country back for those spineless cowards, as an excuse to take it back in the name of human decency. They dont deserve to have their own country, they wouldnt even fight for it! The funny thing is, they have so caved to the Muslims that they will be taken over by them soon. Serve the pricks right.

End of rant.

Maybe they should be more worried about their rampant outlaw muslim immigrant population than which grocery chains change their name.

Oh and fuck France.

The two times I went to China, ALL of the younger population spoke GREAT English.

English IS the international language of business.