(University of Oregon, 1998-06) Scheel, Sonya Lynn
An impulse to protect the French language and exclude foreign languages, specifically English, has become prominent throughout France in the last two decades. This movement for linguistic purism, rooted in historical encounters with foreign languages and cultures, is motivated more by nationalistic sentiment and cultural pride than linguistic concerns. By consulting numerous French articles and commentaries on the recent developments in France, French language purism can be seen most prominently as a ancient cultural struggle to preserve French national identity. A discussion of the passage of the loi Toubon in 1994 and the surrounding controversy illustrates the current national attitudes concerning French culture and the French language.
