In Asia and the Middle East, the French language remains a trace of France’s colonial past in countries such as Laos (190,000 speakers), Vietnam (660,000 speakers) and Cambodia (440,000 speakers), which formerly made up French Indochina.
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Is French widely spoken in Laos?
French is spoken by a significant minority in Laos. Laos has the second largest Francophone community in Southeast Asia, the others being found in Vietnam and Cambodia. French is used as a diplomatic and commercial language and is also studied by over a third of students in Laos.
How much of Laos speaks French?
The French is used as a dialect for business and diploma and a third of students (about 35%) in Laos learn this language. In fact, the spoken French in Laos is based on standard Parisian French but there are some minor differences in vocabulary in comparison to other French dialects of Asia.
What is the largest French-speaking country?
France
With a population of 67 million, France has the largest number of French speakers in the world. It is also the country of origin of the language, and the country most commonly associated with French.
Is French spoken in Southeast Asia?
The French language is spoken throughout Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The French arrived in Asia during the Age of Exploration, while French explorers were making claims in the territory of French Indochina. Since then, French language and culture have had a massive impact on the region.
Why did France go to Laos?
After the acquisition of Cambodia in 1863, French explorers led by Ernest Doudart de Lagrée went on several expeditions along the Mekong River to find possible trade relations for the territories of French Cambodia and Cochinchina (modern-day Southern Vietnam) to the south.
Is Lao a hard language?
Lao does not take really long to learn (compared to other languages that might take many years or decades).Both Lao and Thai are from the Tai-kadai language class, so by learning Lao first as the foundation, you’ll be able to understand a variety of Lao regional dialects and Thai quicker.
Why do Africans speak French?
The French language was brought to the African continent through colonialism. During the 1950s and 60s, France and Belgium lost control of their African colonies, however, French is still spoken in at least 29 African countries.
How many countries speaks French?
29 countries
French is an official language in 29 countries across multiple continents, most of which are members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the community of 84 countries which share the official use or teaching of French.
Which European countries speak French?
In Europe, French is the official language in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco and Switzerland. Home speakers can be found in Italy. It is one of the official languages of the European Union.
What percentage of Africa speaks French?
Africa makes up more than 70% of the world’s total French speaking population. In 2015, a total of 31 independent states around the world reported French as an official language. If territories are included, the total number increases to 42.
French Speaking Countries in Africa.
| Rank | Country | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Seychelles | 92,900 |
Does Haiti speak French?
French in Haiti. The Haitian Constitution states that “Creole and French are the official languages. ” Haiti was a French colony, where French was imposed as the language of commerce. However, Creole remains the one language that all Haitians understand.
What percentage of Senegal speaks French?
French, which was inherited from the colonial era, is the official language of Senegal. It is used by the administration and understood by about 15–20% of all males and about 1–2% of all women. Senegal is a member State of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
Does Madagascar speak French?
The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. Madagascar is a Francophone country, and French is spoken among the educated population of this former French colony.
Why is French spoken in Cambodia?
The French language began its presence in Cambodia in the late 19th century after French explorers and merchants made their way from Vietnam into Cambodia. In 1863, Cambodia became a protectorate of France and was incorporated into French Indochina in 1887.After the war, French again became the sole official language.
Which African country speak French?
French
| Regions | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | Congo | official |
| Ivory Coast | official | |
| Djibouti | co-official with Arabic | |
| Equatorial Guinea | co-official with Spanish and Portuguese |
How long did France control Laos?
French Indochina/Laos (1945-1954)
Was Vietnam a French colony?
Vietnam became a French colony in 1877 with the founding of French Indochina, which included Tonkin, Annam, Cochin China and Cambodia. (Laos was added in 1893.) The French lost control of their colony briefly during World War II, when Japanese troops occupied Vietnam.
Was Thailand a French colony?
Thailand was never colonized by Europeans.
All of its neighbors were controlled by either the British or the French. Burma and Malaysia being British colonies, and Laos and Cambodia being French ones.A row of Buddhas in orange robes at Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Can Laos understand Thai?
The Lao government altered the Lao language to be written in a more phonetical fashion so that non-Lao ethnic groups of people could more easily understand the language and learn.Depending upon the region the Thais in the north eastern region find it easier for them to speak Lao as the dialect is very similar.
Are Lao and Thai the same?
Lao is the language of the country, Laos, a neighbour to Thailand.Lao and Thai languages are very similar to each other. In fact, the two languages are linguistically similar, though their writing script varies a bit. Thai is the native language of Thailand and is spoken in minority in Cambodia.
