There are a number of languages of France, although the French language is the only official language of the country. However, several historical regional languages are still spoken, to some extent. Some of them are sometimes called patois, but this term (roughly meaning dialect) tends to be considered derogatory. Several other languages are spoken by a substantial percentage of the population due to immigration.

In April 2001, the Minister of Education, Jack Lang, admitted formally that for more than two centuries, the political powers of the French government had repressed regional languages, and announced that bilingual education would, for the first time, be recognized, and bilingual teachers recruited in French public schools. The real importance of local languages remains subject to debate.

The 1999 Report written for the French government by Bernard Cerquiglini identified 75 languages that would qualify for recognition under the government's proposed ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Although ratification was blocked by the Constitutional Council as contradicting the Fifth Republic's constitutional provision enshrining French as the language of the Republic, the government continues to recognise regional and minority languages to a limited extent (without supporting them, protecting them or granting them official status) and the Délégation générale à la langue française has acquired the additional function of observing and studying the languages of France and has had "et aux langues de France" added to its title.

Certain of the languages of France are also cross-border languages (for example, Basque, Catalan, Picard, Norman, Franco-Provençal, Flemish, Occitan and others), many of which enjoy a recognised or official status in the respective neighbouring state or territory. The French language is also an official or a minority language in certain states or regions outside France.

The languages of France include:

• Basque, a language isolate spoken primarily in the Basque Country
• Breton, a Celtic language spoken primarily in Brittany
• Germanic languages:
  • Alsatian (Elsässerdeutsch)
  • Dutch or "Flemish"
  • Frankish
  • West Flemish (different from the Dutch variety "Flemish")
• Romance languages:
  • Catalan
  • Corsican (Corsu)
  • Franco-Provençal
  • Oc language family (also Occitan):
    • Alpine Provençal
    • Auvergnat
    • Gascon
      • Aranese (Aranais)
      • Ariegese (Ariégeois)
      • Bearnese (Béarnais)
      • Landese (Landais)
    • Languedocien
    • Limousin
    • Provençal
  • Oïl language family:
    • French
    • Bourguignon-Morvandiau
    • Champenois
    • Gallo
    • Lorrain
    • Norman
    • Picard
    • Poitevin-Saintongeais
    • Walloon

There are migrant languages

• Arabic (dialectal)
• Armenian (eastern)
• Berber languages
• Romany
• Yiddish

There are also several languages spoken in France's overseas areas (see Administrative divisions of France for details)

• Amerindian languages in French Guiana
• Creole languages in French West Indies and Réunion
• 35 Melanesian languages in New Caledonia
• Polynesian languages - 1 in New Caledonia, others in Wallis & Futuna, French Polynesia
• shiMaore and shiBushi in Mayotte

French Sign Language is also recognised as a language of France.

See also

• Language policy in France
• Culture of France
• Félibrige
• Demographics of France
• Gaulish
• Old French
• Anglo-Norman
• Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts
• List of countries where language is a political issue
• Languages of the European Union

External links

• Ethnologue report for France (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=France)
• Délégation générale à la langue française et aux langues de France (http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/dglf/)
• Langues de France (http://www.languesdefrance.com/)
• Ikastola Elkartea (http://www.ikastola.net/) association of bilingual Basque-French schools
• Diwan Breizh (http://www.diwanbreizh.org/) association for promotion of Breton
• Calandreta (http://c-oc.org/calandreta/) association of bilingual Occitan-French schools
• La Bressola (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/.escoles/) Catalan schools
• Amics de la Bressola (http://www.amics-bressola.tk/), association of "la Bressola" friends

fr:Langues régionales de France als:Sprachen in Frankreich