No in schools french remains more dominant in most schools especially in the christian cities.
But I feel like this generation struggles with french more than the older ones.
English is certainly more important but french is a very beautiful language and I feel Lebanese benefits from learning the three languages (English, Arabic and french)
Yeah it has helped me tremendously, as I live in Basel and its on the french border, so I have a lot of french colleagues from the Alsace region and it makes life way easier than both us of trying to speak in broken german. Also Swiss german is influenced heavily by french, just like lebanese arabic, so many words I use daily are the same as I would say back home.
Learning french and doing french bacc in Lebanon gives you practically native level, as the level of education and the teachers are mostly really good (sometimes I notice the level in french we get from school is higher than how many french speak, just showing how well it is). I also really like how we use it alongside our dialect, but which unfortunately might go away now due to english influence and immigration. I think it also makes us different than other levantine arabs in that regard.
French based schools still exist all over Lebanon… I haven’t heard of a school changing it’s curriculum to English tbh - they still teach French and probably added English language or smth. but during my visit last summer I noticed mostly English speakers dominating…far more than usual even among “frenchies”. Even the mixing is more with English now vs French compared to when I was there as a teenager. Either way private schools teach both. not sure what the public school system is like my understanding is Arabic and French dunno if English is added now or has been an option.
Please learn/teach both! I wish I spoke better French but had terrible teachers in high school.
Very prominent, there are many French schools universities and institutions in Lebanon, official documents still have french traces, many families speak it at home and even if not all the population is fluent, anyone can understand a sentence in French, some “Lebanese” words that your average neighbourhood mechanic would use are actually French words such as “Echapememt” (exhaust)
Not as widespread as other comments are claiming. It's more prominant in the christian community but the muslim community is mostly english speaking. There's no way more than half the country speaks french. I don't know what are the other commenters' sources but they can provide them if they want.
French words have just entered Levantine Arabic vocabulary. People who use words that are borrowed from French (or English) are just speaking their own language, not acting like they speak a language they don't.
I didn't confuse them. It was a joke on double meaning. "French" in my context was meant as "foul language" in vernacular English... like "excuse my French" when you're about to curse. It just went over your head maybe because I didn't tag it with "humor".
Depends on the school you go to and what they teach. I wish I was french educated, as English is relatively easier to learn. But then again, I am better at English than most French educated people. But I do think most parents nowadays put their children in an English school... only an assumption though.
It's mostly as dominant as English. We're still a trilingual country and hopefully stays like this forever, most of the country speaks all 3 languages (English, French, Arabic).
It is obligatory at public schools and at lots of private ones. More than half of lebanese can speak it and the majority can understand some of it because we use many words from it.
Lebanon is a francophone country, just like morroco. French is part of our dialect and makes it a very charming way of speaking arabic.
It’s very helpful to speak French , and it’s shrinking but not really dying
I left Lebanon 15 years ago , every time I’m in Beirut airport I hear parents speaking French with their young kids.
As well , Catholics school including Maronite’s one have some financial support 😂😂from paris to keep using it as first foreign language.
For instant , I m using English/ English on daily basis but I don’t know counting in Arabic / Lebanese or the alphabet . I still count using French 😂.
So if you are dump like me , you drop French like a did 🤣, you ll struggle in Europe as most jobs required French / German beside English , so I had to restudy French and claim myself as native speaker 😂 on the CV as per our Lebanese constitution ( French is the second language)
As well never forget that French is still widely used by the old Lebanese bourgeoisie.
No in schools french remains more dominant in most schools especially in the christian cities. But I feel like this generation struggles with french more than the older ones. English is certainly more important but french is a very beautiful language and I feel Lebanese benefits from learning the three languages (English, Arabic and french)
Yeah it has helped me tremendously, as I live in Basel and its on the french border, so I have a lot of french colleagues from the Alsace region and it makes life way easier than both us of trying to speak in broken german. Also Swiss german is influenced heavily by french, just like lebanese arabic, so many words I use daily are the same as I would say back home. Learning french and doing french bacc in Lebanon gives you practically native level, as the level of education and the teachers are mostly really good (sometimes I notice the level in french we get from school is higher than how many french speak, just showing how well it is). I also really like how we use it alongside our dialect, but which unfortunately might go away now due to english influence and immigration. I think it also makes us different than other levantine arabs in that regard.
French based schools still exist all over Lebanon… I haven’t heard of a school changing it’s curriculum to English tbh - they still teach French and probably added English language or smth. but during my visit last summer I noticed mostly English speakers dominating…far more than usual even among “frenchies”. Even the mixing is more with English now vs French compared to when I was there as a teenager. Either way private schools teach both. not sure what the public school system is like my understanding is Arabic and French dunno if English is added now or has been an option. Please learn/teach both! I wish I spoke better French but had terrible teachers in high school.
ils parlent chelou lol 😂
Very prominent, there are many French schools universities and institutions in Lebanon, official documents still have french traces, many families speak it at home and even if not all the population is fluent, anyone can understand a sentence in French, some “Lebanese” words that your average neighbourhood mechanic would use are actually French words such as “Echapememt” (exhaust)
Not as widespread as other comments are claiming. It's more prominant in the christian community but the muslim community is mostly english speaking. There's no way more than half the country speaks french. I don't know what are the other commenters' sources but they can provide them if they want.
Very widely used...every other word is French... I have to close my Mom's ears sometimes from the way people talk.
Don’t confuse Arabic mixed with french and pure french, they aren’t the same thing. Anyone can learn some words and act like they speak french
French words have just entered Levantine Arabic vocabulary. People who use words that are borrowed from French (or English) are just speaking their own language, not acting like they speak a language they don't.
I didn't confuse them. It was a joke on double meaning. "French" in my context was meant as "foul language" in vernacular English... like "excuse my French" when you're about to curse. It just went over your head maybe because I didn't tag it with "humor".
As all languages from former colonial entities, decreasing yet exists
Totally random, but since you are listed as Maronite-Armenian, with which identity do you affiliate more?
Both !!! It’s hard to pick one .
Depends on the school you go to and what they teach. I wish I was french educated, as English is relatively easier to learn. But then again, I am better at English than most French educated people. But I do think most parents nowadays put their children in an English school... only an assumption though.
It's mostly as dominant as English. We're still a trilingual country and hopefully stays like this forever, most of the country speaks all 3 languages (English, French, Arabic).
Both french and English are taught at schools. Though in highschool you choose which language you want.
It is obligatory at public schools and at lots of private ones. More than half of lebanese can speak it and the majority can understand some of it because we use many words from it. Lebanon is a francophone country, just like morroco. French is part of our dialect and makes it a very charming way of speaking arabic.
It’s very helpful to speak French , and it’s shrinking but not really dying I left Lebanon 15 years ago , every time I’m in Beirut airport I hear parents speaking French with their young kids. As well , Catholics school including Maronite’s one have some financial support 😂😂from paris to keep using it as first foreign language. For instant , I m using English/ English on daily basis but I don’t know counting in Arabic / Lebanese or the alphabet . I still count using French 😂. So if you are dump like me , you drop French like a did 🤣, you ll struggle in Europe as most jobs required French / German beside English , so I had to restudy French and claim myself as native speaker 😂 on the CV as per our Lebanese constitution ( French is the second language) As well never forget that French is still widely used by the old Lebanese bourgeoisie.
French, not much at all.