On the picture: Inside view of the Cite internationale de la langue française in Villers-Cotterets, France, 26 October 2023. The Cite internationale de la langue française is dedicated to the French language and French-speaking cultures, in the castle of Villers-Cotterets. French President Macron officially unveiled the building on 30 October and it opened to the public on 01 November 2023. EPA/YOAN VALAT EMBARGOED
French, the fifth most spoken language in the world according to most estimates, is undergoing a transformation—possibly not in the opulent corridors of the Parisian institution that publishes its official dictionary, but in Africa.
More than sixty percent of French-speaking individuals worldwide reside in Africa, and 85 percent is projected to increase to by 2060, according to demographers. There is currently an increasing influence of foreign words and expressions on the French language.
The transformation is being incited by the rapid growth of youth populations in West and Central Africa. By utilising social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, individuals from countries that were formerly colonised by France are reshaping the language. /BGNES
