French Language Facts

French is second only to English for the number of countries where it has official status.

French is also the only language, with English that is taught in every country of the world with 100 million students and 2 million teachers.

Kinshasa is the world's largest French speaking city, after Paris and before Montreal and Brussels.

The number of French Speakers has tripled since 1945 largely since most former French and Belgian colonies kept French as their language of goverment, education and science after decolonisation.

Between 6 and 11 million Americains speak French, as does half the population of Algeria, and 15 % of Israelis.

France is the most visited country in the world with 75 million tourists every year.

At the time of the French Revolution 75% of French citizens did not speak French as a mother tongue.

About a third to half of basic English words come from French.

French has more than a million words and 20,000 new ones are created every year. 

There are eight million Francophones living in North America, and most are descendents of only 10,000 original French colonists.

In the US, half of foreign films watched, and 30% of foreign books are read in French.

French is the main foreign language taught in the United Kingdom.

Norman French is still used in the Houses of Parliament for certain official business between the clerks of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and on other occasions such as the dissolution of Parliament.

French is spoken as a first language by 76 million people and by 153 million people as a second language.

Most English words that end in "tion"are from French


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