French, an inspiring language for many. A story too, to discover beyond the borders of France. The French language has traveled, is implanted in the four corners of the world.
Even today, if the French colonial empire is no more, the language of Molière, it is still present in the whole world.
Learning French will allow you to visit to France, but also to travel everywhere around the globe, to gain excitement in your journey by making you understand by the locals, to open you to others and to enrich your knowledge of the culture of each French-speaking country crossed.
As Nelson Mandela said,
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, you’re talking to him. If you speak to him in his language, you speak to his heart “
If you want to learn French and become multilingual to travel, quickly find a French language course in a language school (or a teacher of FLE or French courses online) to take French language courses. And why not learn French in France? french language
Learn French to travel in French-speaking countries
If France includes French territories overseas, it is linked to its history. Simply put, these former colonies have become French territories in their own right. Other French colonies have regained their independence, while retaining the use of the French language. Thus, many countries in the world are linked to France by their history.
France is also one of the founding members of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), which brings together 75 countries and aims to promote the French language in the world, but also democratic values and human rights. According to the OIF, French is the 5th most spoken language in the world, with 274 million speakers. 85% of these speakers are in Africa. french language
The French-speaking countries thus group the countries where French is the choice, official language, working language, language of use, language of work, administrative language … Simply put, all countries use the French language in a common way. . It is therefore useful to improve your French skills before going on a trip so that you can communicate in French. By mastering the French language, you will be able to travel more easily in a large number of countries. Not only will you find countries where French is an official language, but French can also be the majority language of some territories located in non-French speaking countries.
Difficult to make an exhaustive list of all the countries where French is commonly used, but by giving some examples, one quickly realizes the range of this language in the world and the possibilities of traveling on the five continents thanks to the language of Molière.
In Europe: before going too far and embarking on a world tour, French is of course a very present language in Europe. Apart from France, you can visit Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, but also the Principality of Monaco.
In Africa: French is a language that holds an important place in Africa. You can easily communicate if you travel to Benin, Senegal, Guinea, Gabon, Togo, but also Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia …
In Asia: if French has not completely disappeared from the former French Asian colonies, it is not really the most used language, however, the old ones still masters French. It is therefore an asset to know French when you travel for example to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, the countries that used to make up French Indochina.
In North America: Quebec, a Canadian region is obviously the destination to discover to speak French. You will also find in Louisiana many references to French language and culture. Take a look at the French Quarter in New Orleans. french language
In South America: it is mainly in French Guiana that you speak French, but in the Caribbean, you will also find many islands where French is the language used daily. Outside Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, you can visit Haiti, where French is the official language. In St. Lucia and Dominica, although the official language is English, Creole is of French origin. The Indian Ocean: Reunion and Mayotte are not only French-speaking islands in the Indian Ocean: the Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius are also French-speaking territories to discover.
Top 10 must-see destinations where to speak French
Now that you know a little better about the destinations where you will not have to go through the language barrier if you speak French, the most difficult thing will be to choose what will be your next dream destination for the holidays. Do not panic, we made our small selection that will allow you to choose from different Francophone territories according to your expectations and aspirations: french language
- The Aosta Valley in Italy: a small French-speaking corner in the middle of the mountains a few kilometers from the border and yet, you are not dreaming, you are in Italy,
- Algeria: for treks in the desert … An incredible experience and a change of scenery guaranteed,
- Mauritius: for its paradisiacal landscapes, the warm welcome of the Mauritians and its multiculturalism, or why not its “little sister” Rodrigues Island, still preserved from mass tourism,
- French Guiana: to discover the Amazon rainforest, an incredible fauna and flora,
- Saint-Pierre and Miquelon: Small piece of France in North America where you will discover a wild nature and will be able with a little luck to observe the whales, seals and birds,
- Djibouti: for its amazing and amazing landscapes, but also for diving in the Red Sea,
- Senegal: for its beaches, lush forests, varied landscapes, historical and cultural sites, not to mention its dynamism,
- Tahiti: to go to the end of the world and discover the sweetness of the tropics and the charm of these islands that have seduced many artists like Gauguin,
- Quebec: discovering the great outdoors in summer and winter, to visit the major national parks, but also to discover a history closely linked to France. Acadians are the direct descendants of French,
- Louisiana: There are also Acadians in Louisiana, more commonly known as Cajuns. And they too still speak French today. Discovering Louisiana is also about discovering bayous and this French-speaking minority. Just take a trip to the Lafayette Festival to dive into the heart of Cajun culture.