French-speaking Countries in Europe

Learning a new way to communicate is an incredible journey. As a language learner, it's even better to take your studies to the next level. Learning a language isn't limited to grammar and vocabulary. After all, language isn't something made out of thin air. It has a story that can deepen your understanding of its structure.

The Birth of French

French is one of the five Romance languages with Latin roots. It started out in the Gaul region of Europe as a Celtic language. However, Latin took over which influenced how it's spoken today. The term Romance languages come from, "romanica loqui" meaning "Roman fashion," so do as the Romans do.

5 French-speaking countries in Europe

There are 33 countries that have French as their official language. It's also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. In this post, we'll highlight the French-speaking countries in Europe. 

France

It shouldn't surprise you that France is home to the largest number of native speakers in Europe. 60 million people are native speakers with an estimated 3% as non-native speakers. There are also different dialects depending on if you're in the north or south of France. After some time, the Parisian dialect became the standard for the country.

Belgium

Belgium went back and forth between French and Dutch rule. Now, there are 3 official languages. People in northern Belgium speak Dutch, while people in southern Belgium speak French. The main difference between the Belgian dialect versus what you would hear in France is the old-fashioned vocabulary. 

Switzerland

History has proven that Switzerland is the black sheep of Europe. Many countries used a language as a way to unify the people, but Switzerland did the opposite. They decided to have 26 cantons (think states and provinces). That's why Switzerland has 4 official languages. Each language represents the culture and origins of the province. About 23% of people in western Switzerland speak French. The pronunciation and vocabulary are different than what you'd hear in France.

Luxembourg

Here's another, "it's complicated" Facebook status. Luxembourg is a tiny country, but experienced a back and forth between German and French rule. So, the whole establishing a language thing was difficult. Luxembourgish is like standard German and what the government uses. Around 70% of the population speaks Luxembourgish as their first language. Today, there are 3 official languages: Luxembourgish, German, and French. French is used as one of the main modes of communication in businesses and secondary school.

Monaco

Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, and home of the French Riviera. The native people of Monaco are the Monegasque, but they are the minority population. The French take up about 28% of the population. Monaco's native language sounds like Italian, but French is the official language. It's spoken by over half (58%) of the total population.

This list might be a surprise, but now you know that French is worthwhile. Even if you aren't going to France, you can still use your language skills in other parts of Europe.