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Nancy Roti

September 10,1999

Reading B: “Franglais” by Marie-Noelle Lamy

The article Franglais discusses the French attitude toward the English language in the French culture. “Franglais”, a type of borrowing (mixture of English and French), although popular among the younger generation, is regarded by many as a threat to the French culture and economic power.

Borrowing can be described as a word or phrase that “feels” foreign until it has time to become integrated. Lamy defines borrowing as what occurs when “language A uses and ends up absorbing a linguistic item or feature which was part of language B, and which language A did not have” (Graddol, Leith and Swann 33). There are several degrees of borrowing. The least integration occurs when words retain their original pronunciation, spelling and meaning (un one-man show), while the highest form of borrowing occurs when the word loses its spelling and pronunciation (Graddol, Leith, and Swann 33). Borrowings can also be abbreviated, change meaning, or retain their spelling but change their pronunciation. Fake English words can also be invented such as le footing, which means jogging (Graddol, Leith, and Swann 34).

Although, English may be seen as trendy among young people, many view English as an intrusive neighbor. Many linguistic projectionist or purists argue on cultural and aesthetic grounds that the encroachment of the English language is a threat to the purity of the French language. Lamy states that the Dictionanaire de Linguistique (Dubois et al. 1973) “makes a clear link between attitudes toward borrowing and economic and political power by saying that borrowing is necessarily linked to the prestige enjoyed by a language or the people who speak it or conversely, to the contempt in which the language or people are held”(Graddol, Leith, and Swann 34). Therefore, it is not surprising that the French Minister for Culture has called for resistance to the English language prompted by fears that English would demote or even eliminate the French language.

Two approaches have been utilized by the French to curb the impact of English on their language: the legislative and the advisory approach. Legislation intended to control the spread of English was enacted in 1975 (Bas-Lauriol), but was not effective. However, a more effective intervention, The Toubon Law (1995) states, in part, that consumer goods must not be sold without a set of instructions in French; all -English advertisements must not be shown in French cinemas; bilingual advertisements must not display the French part of their message in characters smaller than the English part (Graddol, Leith, and Swann 35). However, there is resistance to the law. For example, according to Lamy, the Academy of Science is prepared to disobey the law in order to test it, stating that it is too costly to translate abstracts from English into French (Graddol, Leith and Swann 35).

However, the most effective tool seems to be the advisory approach via the creation of the Commissariat, which publishes and updates the Dictionnaire des neologismes officiels. Lamy states that the dictionary is both prescriptive and constructive because although it prohibits English borrowings it also offers French words as alternatives (un baladeur instead of un Walkman)(Graddol, Leith, and Swann 36).

Graddol, David, Dick Leith, and Joan Swann. English: History Diversity and Change. New York: The Open University, 1996.

Study Questions

1. Does the Government have the right to control language?

2. Do the French have a legitimate concern in regarding English as an intrusive language?

3. If you were told that French was now the official language in the United States, how would you react?

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