In France, how easy would it be to get by with Arabic?

[Tooting Carmen]

speaking of that,the day is not arrived when english and american will speak french

Many middle-class Brits do still speak French actually, at least to intermediate level. However, as school subjects French and German are in decline while Spanish is on the rise. As for the US, for rather obvious reasons Spanish replaced French as the most widely-taught foreign language in the 60's.

[Dandelion]

Many middle-class Brits do still speak French actually, at least to intermediate level. However, as school subjects French and German are in decline while Spanish is on the rise. As for the US, for rather obvious reasons Spanish replaced French as the most widely-taught foreign language in the 60's.

Some Anglos speak remarkably good French, but they're a minority of course. Anglos and polyglottery, it's not a common thing relatively speaking. One exophonic writer in French is an Anglophone, Jonathan Littel. He's an American from NY who won a French literature price and also was awarded the French nationality as a gesture for his contribution to the French culture. He currently lives in Spain, though.

[Tooting Carmen]

In pred. North African neighbourhoods of French cities, is it commonplace to see Arabic signs in the shops and restaurants, just as in the US it is commonplace to see Spanish in Hispanic neighbourhoods, Mandarin or Cantonese in Chinatowns, Korean in Koreatowns, Japanese in Little Tokyos etc? (Also, in heavily South Asian neighbourhoods of British cities, some shops and restaurants will display signs in Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali etc. alongside English).

[Tooting Carmen]

Some Anglos speak remarkably good French, but they're a minority of course. Anglos and polyglottery, it's not a common thing relatively speaking. One exophonic writer in French is an Anglophone, Jonathan Littel. He's an American from NY who win a French literature price and also was awarded the French nationality as a gesture for his contribution to the French culture. He currently lives in Spain, though.

Yes, in fact I think there's largely an inverse relationship between how widely-spoken a language is around the globe and how good at languages said speakers usually are - the three most widely-spoken languages in the world (when combining both 1st and 2nd language-speakers) are English, Spanish and Chinese. And who tend to be the least likely to speak foreign languages? Why, speakers of English, Spanish and Chinese!

[Phenix]

Situation is nowhere near to USA, most Maghrebis in France speak French even at home, some Arabic is heard here and there mostly used by youths attained with identity problems, a recent change occurred when other minorities like SSA youngsters started using some Arab loan words in the neighborhoods as a sign of recognition between "unassimilated populations".

I'am not sure what is the real level in arab of young french maghrebi.

Old generation emigrants have a pathetic level, totally incomprehensible, they managed to torture two languages at the same time.

[Bellbeaking]

speaking of that,the day is not arrived when english and american will speak french

You may actually be suprised. Although it isn't common anymore and none of the youth speak french, many middle class and middle aged anglos can speak french reasonably, nearly all of my extended family all speak some French with many being very fluent.

edit: tooting carmington got there first, second time this has happened in a week

[MsSPF]

In pred. North African neighbourhoods of French cities, is it commonplace to see Arabic signs in the shops and restaurants, just as in the US it is commonplace to see Spanish in Hispanic neighbourhoods, Mandarin or Cantonese in Chinatowns, Korean in Koreatowns, Japanese in Little Tokyos etc? (Also, in heavily South Asian neighbourhoods of British cities, some shops and restaurants will display signs in Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali etc. alongside English).

You'll find halal butchers or restaurants, most of the time it is written in French and not in Arabic. It happens though and funnily, there are a lot of mistakes when it's written in Arabic just so you can imagine lol most French-Maghrebis don't know how to write in Arabic with few exceptions ! Most of them only speak dialectal Arabic (darija etc...) even and don't speak/understand classical Arabic

[Tooting Carmen]

Situation is nowhere near to USA, most Maghrebis in France speak French even at home, some Arabic is heard here and there mostly used by youths attained with identity problems, a recent change occurred when other minorities like SSA youngsters started using some Arab loan words in the neighborhoods as a sign of recognition between "unassimilated populations".

So do you think that Spanish has a much greater chance of survival in the USA than Arabic does in France then?

[Dandelion]

You'll find halal butchers or restaurants, most of the time it is written in French and not in Arabic. It happens though and funnily, there are a lot of mistakes when it's written in Arabic just so you can imagine lol most French-Maghrebis don't know how to write in Arabic with few exceptions ! Most of them only speak dialectal Arabic (darija etc...) even and don't speak/understand classical Arabic

But Phenix did mention youths with identity problems who do know their Arabic better again or wished they would. Makes sense that the absence of education in the language generates craving for it.

Of course, it's just French all-around and life goes on in France in reality.

[Tooting Carmen]

Makes sense that the absence of education in the language generates craving for it.

That's what mosques are for, aren't they?