France regularly claims it: it is said to be “the country of human rights”. A beautiful and noble ambition that nevertheless comes up against this slight contradiction: when it comes to linguistic rights, our country deserves a dunce’s cap. And it is not me who says it, but the very authoritative Fernand de Varennes, a Canadian who was from 2017 to 2024 UN rapporteur on issues relating to minorities. Read his testimony; it is edifying.
Are linguistic rights really human rights?
Fernand de Varennes There is no doubt about this. Freedom of expression, for example, protects the private use of a language. Similarly, the right to privacy allows any person to have their first and last name expressed in a minority language. When a government fails to implement one of these provisions, it is violating a fundamental human right.
From your point of view, does France respect linguistic rights?
Unfortunately, no. In the linguistic field, it undermines freedom of expression and multiplies discriminatory measures against its linguistic minorities. [NDLR : le gouvernement et le Conseil constitutionnel français interdisent par exemple le prénom breton Fañch, avec un “n” tildé, comme le prénom catalan Martí, avec un “i” accent aigu].
In this regard, what mark would you give to France?
Unfortunately, I would say it deserves 2 out of 10, because there are so many limitations in your country regarding the use of regional or minority languages.
When you were in charge of these issues at the UN, did you contact France on this subject?
Yes, especially in 2021, after the Constitutional Council censored the Molac law in favor of regional languages. With my colleagues, we also intervened in 2023, when the courts almost banned the use of Corsican by the Corsican Assembly.
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These institutions explain that they were content to follow article 2 of the Constitution: “The language of the Republic is French.”
That French is the language of the Republic is one thing. But in most countries, the existence of a national language does not entail the complete exclusion of other languages. Considering that Article 2 prohibits the use of any other language is an interpretation that seems to us to be unreasonable and disproportionate – and therefore probably discriminatory in international law. Moreover, Article 2 does not say that French is the “only” language of the Republic. And I would point out that this sentence was added in 1992 in order to counteract the growing influence of English, and English exclusively. It is therefore ironic to note that the Constitutional Council is using it today to limit the use of regional languages when English seems to have free rein in France.
How did the French government react to your arrests?
France has never responded. Radio silence! It is still sad to see that a country that claims to be at the origin of human rights does not respond when fears are expressed on this subject by the UN.
Are there countries where minority languages have rights that are denied to regional languages in France?
Of course! Switzerland, for example, recognizes four national languages and takes measures in favor of immigrant languages.
But isn’t Switzerland an exception?
Not at all! Look at Italy. In the German-speaking province of Alto Adige, you can access education and some public services in German. In Belgium, a country with a Flemish majority, measures are taken in favour of the minority languages French and German. The United Kingdom protects Irish, Welsh and Scottish. In northern Germany, it is possible to receive bilingual education in Danish and German.
Other states like Canada and Australia even favor immigrant languages. In hospitals, for example, we communicate if necessary in Turkish or Albanian because it is a matter of individual health. I could go on for a long time, but you get the idea: when it comes to linguistic rights, France is the exception.
However, in our country, languages such as Occitan, Basque or Breton benefit from bilingual teaching. The Constitutional Council has simply set a limit: no more than half of the courses in a regional language.
When we limit the use of a minority language to half of the courses, we are unreasonably excluding it because, in a totally French-speaking society, this does not allow us to train good speakers of these languages.
“During the Revolution, some believed that regional languages were the enemies of new ideas.”
Moreover, this decision is not based on any solid educational foundation. On the contrary! Numerous UNESCO studies have shown that not only does teaching in the language of a minority not prevent learning the national language, it actually facilitates it because the brains of bilingual children are accustomed to complexity. I am also surprised to see that, at the same time, some school programmes are offered almost exclusively in English.
How so?
French grandes écoles and universities offer masters only in English, while to my knowledge there are none exclusively in Corsican or Breton. The police headquarters also offers documents in English for tourists. This does not bother me, but why not do the same in Occitan or Alsatian? Why always favor English to the detriment of the languages of France?
Where do you think this resistance comes from?
Your phobia of regional languages has historical origins. During the Revolution, some believed that they were the enemies of new ideas. But we are in 2024! Perhaps it is time to recognize that this analysis was wrong and that human rights have evolved since the 18th century. This would also be in France’s interest, because the denial of the rights of linguistic minorities represents a stain on its image.
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Read elsewhere
Why French is not the official language of the Paralympic Games
You may have noticed: French was almost completely absent from the Paralympic Games. And for good reason. In this competition, only English has the status of official language, probably because it was launched in 1948 by a British doctor in the suburbs of London. Added to this regulatory inequality was the – voluntary – promotion of English during the opening ceremony. An option that sparked the anger of a number of associations defending the French language.
What is the origin of human language?
How and why did man learn to speak? Linguist Philippe Barbaud attempts to answer these questions. He explains how our distant ancestors ended up giving meaning to certain sounds and how speech played a fundamental role in the cohesion of the first human groups. His thesis: man was an animal that lost his language before becoming the brilliant inventor of speech.
The instinct of meaning. Essay on the prehistory of speechby Philippe Barbaud. Edition of the authors of the books.
Villers-Cotterêts: from myth to reality
The legal historian Charles Baud has just published his thesis from the École des Chartes devoted to the Villers-Cotterêts ordinance. In this scholarly work, he recalls that its famous article 111, supposed to have imposed French in the administration, actually includes the word “maternal” (“in the maternal language françoys and not otherwise”) and has one main objective: the clarity of court decisions. He also shows how this text has been the subject of a real mythification, including by republican regimes eager to eradicate other languages from the national territory. And yet, this ordinance published in 1539 by François I remains today the only text of the Ancien Régime “regularly invoked by contemporary courts”.
Myth and Accuracy. The Villers-Cotterêts Ordinance in Modern Timesby Charles Baud. Garnier Classic.
Should Morocco prioritize English over French in schools?
According to some experts, the transition from French to English as the first foreign language in Moroccan schools and universities would be a necessity.
The 99 Mistakes All Children Make
“Lison is not ready (and not “ready”) to forget this rule”. “When I am in 5th grade” (and not “will be”). “I share my photo with you” (and not “I share my photo with you”). RTL proofreader and columnist Muriel Gilbert is publishing a small educational book for this new school year to help children better master the very capricious French spelling. It is not forbidden to think that parents will also find some valuable reminders there.
The 99 Mistakes All Children Makeby Muriel Gilbert. Editions Vuibert.
It’s time to take Provençal lessons…
Frédéric Comba gives weekly Provençal lessons in Ramatuelle (adult beginners), in La Garde-Freinet (adult beginners) and in Plan-de-la-Tour (for children and adult beginners). Information: [email protected]
Until the end of September, the Institut franco-català tranfronterer de Perpignan, known as “fac de catalan”, welcomes candidates for bachelor’s or master’s degrees in person or remotely, for first registration or dual registration (history and Catalan, English and Catalan, etc.).
“500,000 euros short”: Diwan schools launch appeal for donations
The network of schools for bilingual education in Breton by immersion has drawn up an alarming financial inventory this fall. With a deficit of several hundred thousand euros and in the absence of rapid solutions, Diwan could be in cash flow default by the end of October. A situation that leads the network to alert the public authorities and communities, but also to launch an appeal for donations.
Tintin translated into Champagne
The Champagne region did not yet have a version of the Tintin albums. This will soon be done. In November, it will appear in this langue d’oïl which had its hour of glory in the Middle Ages The Oreries of Lai Castafiore (The Castafiore Jewels). Originally from Tournai (Belgium), Hergé, the father of Tintin, was in favour of these multiple translations. He himself had asked Casterman for a version in another langue d’oïl, Picard.
To listen to
When Joan de Nadau denounces glottophobia
The singer Michel Maffrand, aka Joan de Nadau, is a monument of Occitan culture, capable of filling Zéniths and even the Olympia. But he is also an excellent sociolinguist. The proof is in this interview given to the podcast The Tiein which he denounces the punishments inflicted on children “guilty” of speaking a regional language in the school of the Republic. “Behind the repression of a culture, a language and a way of life, it is the contempt for the province that is exercised”, he emphasizes. And he continues: “When you are shamed for your way of being, you have two solutions. Either you accept and it is guilt. Or you decide to resist.” He, with his songs, has been resisting for fifty years.
TO WATCH
Why so many anglicisms in French companies? by Thomas Wiesel
Work shop, brainstorming, asap… Swiss comedian Thomas Wiesel is surprised by the profusion of anglicisms in French companies and questions the underlying causes of this phenomenon. Would speaking Globish save time? On the one hand, this is not always true, he notes: conf call is not really shorter than “call.” And even if it were, would it be useful? “What are you going to do with the four-tenths of a second you gained at the end of your day? One more conference call?” he asks.
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