Defending the French Language against Anglicism - Essay Example

Order 353938 Topic: How effective do you feel some French s have been in defending the French language against Anglicism? Before I put-forth my presentation as to how French institutions have been defending the French language against Anglicism, I wish to make it clear that my topic is not French versus anglicisms. It is French and anglicisms and a matter of fact description as to how French Institutions have been defending to protect their language. Every language has its beauty and intrinsic values. May aim is not to downgrade anglicism, but to show how Frenchmen try to maintain the purity of French language. Some of the related issues are: One: Language has different registers. Written language as in its journalistic, technical and business registers. Another form is the literary register. Two: Try to understand anglicism in the wider international context. With the advent of internet revolution and the concept of globalization gaining ground rapidly, influence of one language on the other can not be avoided. Three: The challenge of translation is not only related to French. The translator needs to know how to cross barriers and bridge the cultures. Language importantly, represents a particular culture. Four: The global hegemony of English, due to historical reasons, has made it the master-language. In technological and economic globalization America has taken the lead and majority of the people read, write and speak English. French institutions both of industry and education are impacted by the influence of English language. But mind you, the French are of peculiar type. They smoke, drink and eat more fat than anyone in the world; but they live longer and have less heart problems than Americans. They get 7 weeks paid vacation per year, but are credited with worlds highest productivity index. Five: Christopher Rollason, referring to the global hegemony of English, in his article Language Borrowings in a Context of Unequal Systems: Anglicisms in French and Spanish, states thus: “A representative account of the role of English as hegemonic global language may be found in Tom McArthurs book The Oxford Guide to World English (2002). McArthur sees English, in the version variously known as world English, international English or global English, as the universalizing language of the human race, or the worlds default mode, or, again, the worlds main medium of international expression...A degree of cross-linguistic contamination has always been inevitable between such close neighbors as Britain and France.” (Anglicism in....) Six:Things have changed much during the last few decades with a move towards the new dimension. Another English-speaking country, United States has contributed to anglicisms in French. This trend is seen since 1989, when USA became the worlds sole hegemonic power. US domination in political, economic and cultural fields influences France, and consequently the language. Seven: The proof of pudding is in eating it. Wild guesses were sidetracked. Authentic data was published. “ With the publication in 2004 of the first-ever example of a new lexicographic genre, the anti-anglicisms dictionary, Évitez le franglais, parlez français (Dont speak franglais, speak French). This volume, compiled by Yves Laroche-Claire and graced with a preface by the well-known media personality Bernard Pivot, lists close on three hundred pages worth of anglicisms and offers the user authentic French alternatives to every single one.” (Anglicisms in....)The contents of this publication are of three types. General use, Official use and those invented by the compiler. Eight: Was it an invasion of words from the English language to French? Passions were raised in a section of French intelligentsia. This was termed as an invasion of anglicisms. It was considered as a challenge to the sensibility, identity and imagination. People began to realize that the cultural mutation must be resisted. Problems related to grammar consequent upon accepting new words from English were highlighted. Nine: Specially targeted areas of anglicisms. A strong influence was seen in French writing in the journalistic area, like newspapers, topical non-fiction books and magazines). Words and phrases drawn from English were frequently used. The domains of management and information technology were also affected. Ten: Some of the practical problems. If perfect solution/discipline is not available, carry on with the available discipline! The issue of anglicisms in French has the practical aspect as well. In some of the areas, use of English words can not be avoided. The issue needs to be analyzed from the sociolinguistic perspective and the terminological rigor. An equivalent French word may not exist. A wide-spread paraphrase may be required to explain a phrase or concept. Cultural and institutional specific aspect relating to an English-speaking country are difficult propositions. In the absence of exact equivalent, the ideal option is not to make an attempt to translate such words. Examples: Cricket, Westminster politics. The other areas are sectoral jargon, brevity, comprehensibility, unconscious pro-American reflexes, etc. Eleven: Officially organized hostility to anglicisms: With the growing awareness in France and in those parts of the world, where French is extensively spoken, intensive and specific efforts were made to reduce the use of anglicisms. Quebec is one such example. This part of Canada has kept anglicisms down and out. In the world of computer also, a comprehensive arsenal of French computer terms has been evolved. Twelve: The grass-root reality: The economic, military and mass-cultural power of the US, overrides many other considerations and anglicism continues its dominance over French and other European languages. But reciprocal influence between the languages is proved to be beneficial for the overall growth of the languages. When the concept of cultural diversity is accepted, linguistic diversity, which is the off-shoot of cultural diversity needs to be accepted as well. Not out of compulsion, but as a matter of mutual benefit! Thirteen: Official patronage is not enough! French language enjoys the status as the Atlantic Alliances second language. But it is rarely used in official meetings and information sessions. Anglicisms continues to dominate. The reason is not far to seek. American hegemony continues, as most of the general secretaries were and are anglophone. The number of francophone media correspondents are also limited. Fourteen: The march of anglicisms: “In the largely bilingual Brussels region, where 90% of people speak French, the progressive erosion of the language is not only confined to large international institutions. According to the Maison de la Francité (MdF), an organization, which is financed by the regional parliament, to promote francophone culture, English is making increasing inroads in everyday speech.” (French takes....) Its inevitability is explained by Serge Moureaux, President of the MdF, in a recently published brochure, “ "English enables organizations and companies to escape from the logic of multilingualism, but it also minimizes the real importance of French.” (French takes....) Fifteen: French will succeed in its fight against anglicism, but how far? Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow write about France, the French people and their language, “ But the past was never erased, probably because theres just too much of it. Everything in France is built on layers of other things that existed before. The present in France is only a compromise between the past and the present. So it is with French themselves.”(2003,p.7) It is reasonable to expect that the French will take their fight against anglicism to its logical conclusion. French language will triumph over anglicism. But in countries like America, which is a mufti-cultural, multilingual society, there is going to be problem with the children of any language including French-speaking. As Alice Kaplan points out, “ ..it is amazing to think that in one generation, a language could be come so native, so comfortable, so normal, with no sense whatever of its relative newness.”(1994, p.8) So the French people have no chance to make a federal case against anglicism! *********** Bibliography: Anglicisms in French and Spanish Apr 18, 2004 ... Article by Christopher Rollason. Language Borrowings in a Context of Unequal Systems: Anglicisms in French and Spanish – Retrieved on January 26,2010 French takes leave of Belgium | Presseurop Dec 22, 2009 ... What can the defenders of the language of Voltaire do to stem the rising tide of anglicisms? …. Retrieved on January 26,2010 Kaplan, Alice. French Lessons: A Memoir; University Of Chicago Press; 4th printing edition, October 15, 1994. Nadeau, Jean-Benoit (Author) Barlow,Julie(Author).Sixty Million Frenchmen Cant Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French. Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.; May 1, 2003 Read More