Worries about the French language

The ombudswoman of the national daily paper Le Monde analyses readers' worries about the decline of the French language: "Protecting the language, the neglected task of the French ombudsman, is misunderstood abroad. Our colleagues mock this 'craze', which they see as a symptom of our touchy nationalism. However the abundant mail we receive from readers shows no sign of this. What one finds, however, are major concerns about the relentless decline of the French language, replaced by English not only internationally but also in France, where fashion and a sort of childish snobbism result in the spread of 'Frenglish' both in the suburbs and in so-called intellectual circles. ... When more and more readers write in to call this trend to our attention, it means they are convinced that the press in general and Le Monde in particular bear responsibility for this decline."

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