International Day of Francophonie

Half a billion Francophones around the world will celebrate International Day of Francophonie on 20 March. This event began in 1998 as a way for the then 49 members of La Francophonie to celebrate their common bond, the French language, as well as their diversity.

What is francophonie? The term was coined by French essayist Onésime Reclus in about 1880 to describe the geographic areas in which French was spoken. A lot has happened since then, and today francophonie refers to the ensemble of people around the world who speak French. A Francophone is a person who speaks French and francophone is an adjective (e.g., francophone country).

Is French important? Yes! French is an official language in 33 countries on 5 continents. French is one of the official languages of a dozen international organizations and is the second most commonly studied foreign language in the world - learn more.

What can I do?

• Learn French
• Have a party
• See what the Alliance française has planned in your area
• Consult the world-wide program for la Semaine de la langue française et de la Francophonie
• Join us in the forum
• Start a French club
• Do your daily French practice
• More ideas

Whatever you do today, be sure to enjoy the beautiful French language.

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