Image copyright AFP Image caption Children in Francophone Africa often learn to read, write and count in French - not their own language"The practice of French is increasing on the African continent. French is mixed with local phrases in every African country where it is spoken, creating a rich new vocabulary from the continent that diverges considerably with the French spoken back in "L'Hexagone" (France). "Children learn to read, write and count in a language, which is not their native language," explained Francine Quéméner, programme specialist at the French language observatory of La Francophonie. Chief among them is the Académie Française, a Paris-based institution which issues edicts about French language usage that often run counter to familiar usage. You may also be interested in:"The French language is not going to wait in all these [African] countries for the Académie to decide before it evolves," noted Ms Quéméner.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 07, 2019 23:37 UTC