tommytwojags
Well-known member
Firstly, I have to say I love the French language and the way the French speak it with such emphasis and clarity of each word. What could be more attractive than a French woman pouting those beautiful phrases? But the French government is unhappy about the creeping use of English in advertising, music and film and has taken steps to keep the coming Olympics free from anglicisms. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the lower house of Parliament has directed organisers of the Paris games as well as athletes, trainers and journalists to use French instead of English.
French lawmakers introduced a law 30 years ago, the 1994 Toubon Law, which made French mandatory for advertising, product-labelling, and public announcements and it stipulated that radio stations had to play a minimum of 40% of French language songs. Unfortunately for them, the use of English continued to creep into the daily lives of the French. They failed to compete with the use of English in films, sport, advertising etc due mainly to American imports. Even the French rugby team had "Rugby World Cup" on their jerseys which angered many.
Taking the above into account, the fuss in France around the use of English seems a little excessive to me. You don't hear Germans whining about English being used. And Scandinavians have embraced English as a language. Maybe French does not have that je ne sais quoi that the world finds compelling about our language.
French lawmakers introduced a law 30 years ago, the 1994 Toubon Law, which made French mandatory for advertising, product-labelling, and public announcements and it stipulated that radio stations had to play a minimum of 40% of French language songs. Unfortunately for them, the use of English continued to creep into the daily lives of the French. They failed to compete with the use of English in films, sport, advertising etc due mainly to American imports. Even the French rugby team had "Rugby World Cup" on their jerseys which angered many.
Taking the above into account, the fuss in France around the use of English seems a little excessive to me. You don't hear Germans whining about English being used. And Scandinavians have embraced English as a language. Maybe French does not have that je ne sais quoi that the world finds compelling about our language.