French is both a global and a local language—spoken by over 300 million worldwide, but also an American language. While French has been part of our American identity since the earliest days of the European era in North America, it is also spoken by new arrivals from France and from around the world. The current status of French in the US is complex, both within and beyond the classroom, and Francoresponsabilité, the intentional use of French in our daily lives, in the workplace, and in our society, is essential to support the vibrancy of French both as an additional world language and as a heritage language in the US. The good news is that Francoresponsabilité, like language advocacy and activism, can be practiced at the individual, regional, or global level—in the classroom and beyond.
The mission of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) is “to promote the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity; to promote peace, democracy, and human rights; to support education, training, higher education, and research; to foster economic cooperation to bolster sustainable development,” and TV5Monde, a worldwide French language TV network providing programming from around the Francophone world, is among their most high-profile Francoresponsabilité initiatives (OIF).
In North America, the Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques (CFA) is an initiative of the Québec government to “help forge links among the 33 million Francophones and Francophiles in the Americas, fostering mutual understanding between French-speaking communities,” and its Bibliothèque des Amériques, an online French language library. In the US, the AATF has as its mission “to promote throughout North America the teaching and learning of the French language and French speaking cultures and civilizations” (AATF).
While French is the second most learned language in our schools and educational institutions, enrollment has declined in our colleges and universities, and programs at all levels are potentially subject to cuts and even elimination. For these reasons, it is essential for French language speakers, stakeholders, and supporters to wholeheartedly support language educators and programs at all levels.
Beyond the classroom, however, it is also important to focus on the learning and use of French—in our communities, in the media, and in personal, social, and professional contexts. Again, the status of French is complex—while there are many organizations and initiatives to encourage both the learning and the use of French beyond the classroom, people may be unaware of them. We need both to be sure to make known those resources that currently exist and to work to expand the possibilities of being able to use and to be surrounded by French language and Francophone culture.
Francophone and Francoresponsable: What Is Francoresponsabilité?
Francoresponsabilité is a concept that originated in Québec and describes the shared responsibility to preserve and promote French language and Francophone culture in North America and beyond. While French language and Francophone culture have long been discussed in terms of literature, the arts, and culture, generally, Francoresponsabilité approaches French language advocacy and activism from the perspective of the workplace, professional life, and business and business services. The French language and Francophone culture are often discussed in terms of culture, but Francoresponsabilité is envisioned within an economic framework and throughout society and our daily lives. Defined as the responsibility to promote the French language in all its diversity and in all its forms, Francoresponsabilité is based on three principles of action—as often as possible, in all the ways possible, and in all possible forms within our society including business, technology, and communications.
In addition, three social conditions— connectedness, reciprocity, and networking—are essential (Château Laurier). However, it is interesting to consider Francoresponsabilité from a variety of perspectives—in our communities, in our schools and educational institutions, in business and social life, and in our personal lives.
In our communities, examples of Francoresponsabilité include organizations, programs, and events in French relating to French and Francophone culture, as well as more general events considered from a French and Francophone perspective. A few examples, including the Nous Foundation, the Franco-American Centre in Manchester, NH, the Franco Center in Lewiston, Maine, and PoutineFest, are just a handful of many wonderful Francoresponsable initiatives. In addition to ongoing programs, theater and concerts featuring French or Francophone artists, and art exhibits like the recent Degas/Manet and Sargent & Paris at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, are events worthy of support and attendance. Museums like the Met even offer daily tours in French, another way of supporting French in various sectors of the community.
In our schools and educational institutions, French language programs at all levels are key to developing language skills and business language proficiency. In addition, immersion programs—supported by parent and community partnerships— and community-based programs develop language skills in libraries, adult and experiential education programs, and summer and after-school programs, along with a sense of the importance and usefulness of languages beyond the classroom. There is even a French soccer initiative in New York City.
As far as the use of French in business, internships and services in French focus attention on the fact that other languages are spoken and understood in business and organizations of all types. CODOFIL’s Oui! Initiative and French job fairs held both on site and virtually in the US are among the best-known examples.
On an individual basis, we can all choose to speak and to use French throughout our daily lives. Examples of individual action range from making known that services are available in French and even that someone in a business or office speaks French to surrounding ourselves with French throughout the day—in our social conversations, in the media we access and enjoy, and in connecting with others who speak French, either in person or online. The concept of a French bubble in our personal and professional lives is easier than ever to achieve today thanks to online media and communication, the globalized world, and the increasing importance of heritage languages including French in our society and to a growing number of Francophones in the US. Examples include advertising and providing business services in French, participating in in-person and virtual events related to French language and Francophone culture, and creating a personal French-language environment through media, music, TV, and reading in French. A simple first step can even be just changing the language on one’s phone.
There are wonderful French language programs and Francoresponsable initiatives taking place across the US, and all of us who are French language stakeholders and supporters need to encourage and support them.
Francoresponsabilité: Current Trends and Future Directions
With origins in Québec’s commercial sector, Francoresponsable initiatives can be found within businesses and in educational institutions, as well as in our communities and in the media. The Château Laurier Hotel in Québec City is among the best known examples of Francoresponsabilité, having first used the term to describe the intentionality of using French in conducting business and providing services to guests and other clients.
The Oui! Initiative of CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana), a program where businesses in Louisiana promote the fact that they provide services in French, is an example of Francoresponsabilité in action and is in alignment with the CODOFIL mission “to support and grow Louisiana’s Francophone communities through scholarships, French immersion, and various other community and language skill-building programs” (CODOFIL).
The CFA adopted Francoresponsabilité as the theme for its 2022 Forum des jeunes ambassadeurs de la Francophonie des Amériques, highlighting the need not only to educate future generations about the importance of Francoresponsabilité but also to create opportunities for networking, partnerships, and collaboration.
The phrase bilingual revolution has been used to describe the role of parents and communities as language activists in the development and implementation of immersion programs in the New York City Public Schools and beyond (Jaumont, 2017). The CinéSchool initiative, offering teachers the opportunity to provide French media to their students beyond the regular school day, is an example of Francoresponsabilité in action.
Online and in-person initiatives including French after-school programs, summer camps, and conversation groups are among opportunities available to encourage all-day (or most-of-the-day) French.
Next Steps for French and Applicability to Other Languages
Francoresponsabilité is an innovative and strategic approach to French language advocacy and activism, sorely needed as French language education programs face challenges, while French as both a heritage and additional world language faces challenges of assimilation and language loss. Its inherent strength lies also in its applicability to other languages—whose speakers can adapt the practices of Francoresponsabilité to their own languages and environments.
French is both a global and local language. As a global language, French is used around the world, and French and Francophone culture are known for global and humanistic values. On the other hand, the learning and use of French in the US are at a crossroads. Despite more Francophones than ever in the US, the opportunities to learn and to use French are limited and potentially at risk.
There are wonderful French language programs and Francoresponsable initiatives taking place across the US, and all of us who are French language stakeholders and supporters need to encourage and support them. In addition, there are individuals, groups, and organizations across the US that are developing additional opportunities to learn and to use French through podcasts, internships, and everything in between.
Current and potential opportunities to strengthen and highlight French language and Francophone culture in the US deserve our support. We need Francoresponsabilité in the US, and the future is up to us.
Links
www.francophonie.org
https://francophoniedesameriques.com
www.frenchteachers.org
www.mla.org/Resources/Guidelines-and-Data/Reports-and-Professional-Guidelines/Enrollments-in-Languages-Other-Than-English-in-United-States-Institutions-of-Higher-Education
https://france-amerique.com/franco-responsibility-louisiana-rises-to-the-challenge
www.ledroit.com/2014/03/20/developper-la-franco-responsabilite-1623884390495c5121195a998c511021
https://hotelchateaulaurier.com/francoresponsabilitepour-une-francophonieeconomique-vigoureusedurable-et-decomplexee
www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/acadiana/2015/03/26/philippe-gustin-announced-codofil-language-award-winner/70495938
https://fffacademy.com
https://francopresse.ca/francophonie/2022/08/08/apprendre-la-francoresponsabilite-en-six-jours/
www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/codofil/en/oui-initiative/index
www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/lafayette-area-businesses-encouraged-to-just-say-oui-to-keeping-french-language-alive/article_b96e8628-4db4-11e9-b987-8f521cb8f779.html
www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/codofil
www.crt.state.la.us/cultural-development/codofil/en/index
www.amacad.org/publication/americas-languages
www.americancouncils.org/language-research-fle-state-language-us
https://france-amerique.com/who-are-the-francophones-in-the-united-states
https://www.languageconnectsfoundation.org/programs-initiatives/research/making-languages-our-business
Kathy Stein-Smith, PhD, is associate university librarian and adjunct faculty in foreign languages and related areas at Fairleigh Dickinson University–Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, New Jersey. She is chair of the AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) Commission on Advocacy.
She is Officier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques and a member of Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society. She is the author of three books and several articles about the foreign language deficit.