The week of French language
From March 15th to 23rd, the French Ministry of Culture celebrates and promotes French language throughout the world.
Although French is not what it used to be: long gone are the days where French was THE international language, it is still one of the most spoken and loved. And not just by ‘snobs’!
Because it is solid enough, it can take in new words, most often imported from English but also made up on the spot! Children make up words, young people try to differentiate themselves from their elders and invent alternative dialects, adults make up technical terms to suit their professional needs. Older people tend to want to hold on to the words of their time and these should be remembered too!
To celebrate the creativity at the heart of language and verbal expression the Semaine de la Langue Française et de la Francophonie invites all speakers and learners to enter a competition and invent a new French word and its definition. See what you come up with!
Vocabulary
- Un mot: a word
- La francophonie: the promotion of the French language
- Francophone: French-speaking
- Un concours: a competition
- Inventer: to invent
- Participer: to participate
- Un défi: a challenge