Francophonie in the 1990s: Problems and Opportunities (Multilingual Matters) - Softcover

Ager, Dennis E

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1853593230 ISBN 13: 9781853593239

Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 1995

Synopsis

This book is intended to make up-to-date information and opinion about Francophonie accessible to English-speaking readers, and to assess how well the international movement of French-speaking nations is placed to face the future. 'Francophonie' can be defined in three ways: as the development and distribution of the French language; as an international movement of nearly fifty countries and regions, similar to, but showing major differences from the Commonwealth; and as a set of cultural and political values which can be shared by other nations for which French is not the only or the main means of communication. Students of French, of international relations, of sociolinguistics and the sociology of language, of politics and economics, and those interested in questions of cultural and linguistic identity will find the book invaluable as a source of reference, as an assessment of the effectiveness of the Francophone approach to world problems, and as an evaluation of France's own role in Europe and Africa.

About this title

Synopsis:

This book examines some of the problems and opportunities facing French-speaking countries in the world in the mid-1990s. After considering the development of French influence and presence outside France, it investigates the nature and diversity of countries and areas of the world where French is spoken. 'Francophonie' can be defined in three ways: by the use of the French language; by membership of a formal, organised community of nations; or by the acceptance and promotion of a set of values and beliefs. The problems facing Francophonie in all three senses are discussed next: the identity and culture associated with French, threats from English and other languages, the opinion of many that France's continuing overseas possessions are little more than the world's last colonies, the disparity between North and South in economic terms, and the as yet unresolved problem of the ideal organisational structure for Francophonie. In a final section are reviewed opportunities open to Francophonie in three different parts of the globe: Africa, the Far East and Europe. Conclusions examine the interdependence of four factors: language, politics, economics and cultural values.

The book is divided into three parts: The development and distribution of Francophonie, problems, opportunities, and is supported by a statistical appendix. The book is intended to make up-to-date information and opinion about Francophonie accessible to English-speaking readers interested in a range of disciplines: French studies, comparative international studies, sociolinguistics, the sociology of language, politics and economics, those concerned with questions of language and identity, and interested general readers. It is also an assessment of how well Francophonie is placed to face the future.

About the Author:

Dennis Ager is Emeritus Professor of Modern Languages at Aston University, UK. His interests lie in the interface between language and society. He is the author of Francophonie in the 1990s: Problems and Opportunities (Multilingual matters, 1996), Language Policy in Britain and France: The Processes of Policy (Cassells, 1996), Language, Community and the State (Intellect, 1997) and Identity, Insecurity and Image: France and Language (Multilingual matters, 1999).

About this edition

• Publisher: Multilingual Matters
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 1853593230
• ISBN 13: 9781853593239
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224