Why is French the official language of NATO?

French was chosen because it was still widely considered the international language of diplomacy. Spanish and Arabic were added in 1973, because they were the official languages of many nations. English, French and Spanish are the working languages of the UN General Assembly.

Why is French the most important language?

French is a language that reflects both the rich cultural and historical heritage of France and also that of the worldwide Francophonie. It is a language of international diplomacy, a global business language, and a top internet language, which points to the growing importance of French.

Why do they say French is the language of love?

Originally Answered: Why is the French language called the most romantic language? It has more sounds than English language; it is also harder to learn than English. And it sounds more romantic than English, because of many nasal sounds and different vowels.

Why is French a lingua franca in the world?

French was becoming a lingua franca — a language that goes beyond the boundaries of its community of speakers and becomes a language for communication between groups not sharing a common tongue. By the 17th century, French was known as the language of diplomacy and international relations throughout the world.

What happened to the French language during the French Revolution?

Meanwhile, words that were considered “barbaric” — that is, not of Latin origin — were systematically taken out. It may come as a shock to Francophiles and students of history that, at the time of the French Revolution, less than half of France’s population could speak French, and only a fraction of those speakers could do it conversationally.

Why is the French language important in international relations?

The Rise of English. Despite the popularity of English, the French language still continues to play an integral part in international relations. Institutions like the United Nations still use French regularly, and the French language is the official language of many countries and still appears on passports throughout the world.

Why is the French language declining in the world?

Former French-speaking colonies beyond Africa have been hostile to the French language. French has been collapsing even faster in Asia than it is in Africa, due to the isolation of French-speaking populations. In Vietnam, students have protested having to learn French, stressing the need to learn English instead.