The Francophonie as a cultural and economic reality
The term Francophonie encompasses a vast cultural, linguistic and sometimes geographical group defined by the use of French as an official language, or the main/mother tongue among populations. In 2023, the French language has more than 300 million speakers in the world according to the OIF (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie), thus being the fifth most spoken language on the planet.
Francophonie in 2023 is characterized by a strong cultural diversity, being spoken in more than 50 countries. As such, the French speaking world constitutes an economic and diplomatic force, hence many people around the globe choose to learn its language.
his cultural aspect of the Francophonie is reinforced by the Francophonie Summit which takes place every two years, bringing together representatives of every member-states of the OIF around topics such as education, human rights, democracy and promotion of French language.
By maintaining a bond between all French-speaking countries, this summit ensures that Francophonie remains a living diplomatic tool, making French an essential language on the international scene.
The learning of French language around the world
Thanks to this worldwide presence and its status as an official language in several states (and of course within the United Nations), French is among the most learnt languages around the globe.
Still according to the OIF, at least 93 million people are learning French in 2023 whether for personal or professional reasons. In several areas such as diplomacy, international relations, science and culture, mastery of French language is indeed synonymous with strategic advantages.
For multinational companies and firms, knowledge of French can promote better commercial relations with French-speaking countries and companies, international students and workers being able to access a job market that is expanding in several countries.
Given this context, learning French with a recognized institution such as the Cours de Civilisation Française de La Sorbonne (CCFS) is an opportunity to benefit from high quality teaching and courses, giving you sought-after skills if you wish to boost your career.
This is especially true regarding the rise of digital economy. According to a study carried out by the Council of Europe in 2018, French is indeed the third most used language on the Internet after English and Chinese. The number of websites in “. Fr” has also increased by 7% in 2020 according to Afnic (Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération), thus attesting to the importance of French language today.
