France is known for its rich culture and history, but it’s also home to a variety of regional languages that have been spoken for centuries. While French is the official language, several regional languages in France are still used today, particularly in rural areas and among older generations.
This blog post will explore some of the most prominent regional languages on the country, their significance and how they contribute to the country’s cultural diversity.
What are the regional languages in France?
Regional languages are languages that have traditionally been spoken in specific regions of the country. Although they have declined in everyday use, many people continue to speak these languages, especially in their local communities. Some of the most well-known regional languages include:
- Alsacien in Alsace
- Basque in the southwest
- Breton in Brittany
- Créole variations in most of the overseas territories of France
- Corse in Corsica
- Occitan in the south
Each of these languages has its own unique history and cultural significance, contributing to the rich linguistic diversity of France.
Breton: a Celtic influence
One of the most famous regional languages in France is Breton, spoken in Bretagne Brittany. Breton is a Celtic language, similar to Welsh and Cornish, and is primarily spoken by older generations.
While its use is declining, some efforts are being made to preserve the language through cultural programs and school options. In our podcast, you will hear Mark and Pierre-Benoît discuss:
- Est-ce que les enfants apprennent le breton à l’école ? Do children learn Breton at school?
- Dans certains établissements, les élèves peuvent choisir le breton en option. In some schools, students can choose Breton as an option.
Common Breton phrases include:
- Demat Hello
- Kenavo Goodbye
Breton remains an essential part of the cultural identity in Brittany, and efforts to keep it alive are ongoing.
Would you like to practise your pronunciation in French? In episode 40 of Season 1 of the Coffee Break French podcast, Mark and Pierre-Benoît chat about the different regional languages in France. Listen to it now:
Occitan: a language with many dialects
Occitan is another one of the regional languages and is spoken in the southern parts of the country. Occitan has several dialects, including Provençal and Gascon, which vary slightly depending on the region. While fewer people speak it today, Occitan still holds an essential place in southern France’s cultural heritage:
- L’occitan se compose de différents dialectes. Occitan is made up of different dialects.
Common Occitan phrases include:
- Adieu Hello/Goodbye
- Mercé Thank you
If you visit cities like Perpignan, Marseille, or Nice, you may hear locals speaking in Occitan or one of its dialects.
Basque: unique and isolated
The Basque language, spoken in the southwest of France near the border with Spain, is unlike any other language in Europe. Its origins are still a mystery, and it is not related to any other language family. Basque remains an important part of the identity for people in the Basque Country:
- Le basque est parlé dans le sud-ouest. Basque is spoken in the southwest.
Common Basque phrases include:
- Kaixo Hello
- Agur Goodbye
Although fewer people speak Basque today, efforts to preserve it through schools and cultural institutions continue.
France is a country rich in linguistic diversity, and regional languages in France offer a glimpse into the country’s complex cultural heritage. Whether it’s Breton in the north, Occitan in the south, or Basque in the southwest, these languages are vital to the identity of the regions where they are spoken.
While their use is declining, efforts to preserve and promote these regional languages in France continue, ensuring that future generations can appreciate and maintain this important aspect of French culture.
Do you want to keep improving your French skills? Then it is time to move on to Season 2! In our first lesson, we revise the present tense in French.
10 thoughts on “Exploring regional languages in France”
There’s one section I just can’t quite make out. After Mark’s friend tells him the two words he knows in Breton, Mark asks him what they mean. He says something that sounds like “et ça viere quoi?” or “et savierre quoi?” What’s the word/words between “et” and “quoi”? I’ve been stumped for ages. The friend says it too a moment later, when he’s explaining that “yec’hed mat” means “santé” or “cheers.”
Emma, are you also in this episode? Me too. Enchante¡ J’adore CBF. Hugs¡
I am! And I just figured out what the phrase is. It’s “Et ça veut dire quoi?” which translates to “And what does that mean?” Literally, “And that wants to say what?”
I am having trouble accessing the information on the premimium tools. I click to get the info, but the webpage never loads. Any suggestions on how to sign up for a premimium account?
Sorry you’re having trouble finding the courses. You can click here to choose from our French courses on our Coffee Break Academy. Hope that helps.
Really frustrating with these conversation episodes with words we never learned, people talking too fast, and people running everything together. I get that we eventually have to learn this but I feel it is way too soon. I was doing really well up to these conversation episodes and now I am about ready to just give up and quit. I don’t understand why instead of building our confidence you feel the need to prove to us how dumb we are and how little we have learned. Worst is when you tell us something we never heard is a very common expression in French. Then why didn’t we learn it and how am I supposed to remembet when instead of teaching it to us and having us tepeat it several times lije the regular lessons, you just tell us once in these conversation lessons. am glad I didn’t waste money on the Premium version, which I was considering.
Hi Lenny. Apologies for the slow reply – our notifications were not set correctly so we missed your comment. We’re sorry that you find that the conversations in lessons 31-40 are a big jump from the rest of the course. It’s true that there is an increase in the difficulty level, but we wanted to introduce a more challenging level at the end of the course because when learners are exposed to “real French” when travelling then this is not slowed-down, easy French – it’s how people really speak. The conversations in lessons 31-40 build on what has gone before and we feel that they represent a fair progression from the earlier lessons, while offering learners the chance to be challenged more. As you progress onto Season 2 you’ll see that for lessons 1-30 we return to the similar pace of the earlier lessons, always growing and moving forward. Then lessons 31-40 of Season 2 have a similar more challenging nature. I hope this helps to explain.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the beginner episodes of this podcast and to thank you for putting up such high quality content for free! I am re-learning French (I was fluent as a kid but lost it as an adult) and I really appreciate the emphasis on pronunciation, providing a framework for constructing sentences vs. just memorising phrases, and that you’re (mostly) leaving the grammar for season 2. I came here to improve my aural comprehension so I especially loved the last episodes. You prepared us well enough in previous episodes to understand a lot of what people were saying during the trip to France but there was always something new to learn. I was surprised by how well I understood people speaking at conversational speeds and with less-than-crisp enunciation. Looking forward to the intermediate classes!
Thank you for your kind comments!
I have built a fair level of confidence having gone through the season 1 episodes. I have been taking french classes for some time now but constructing sentences has been very challenging partly due to fear of mistakes. However, after these episodes I find that I have been able to improve on my vocabulary which gives me confidence to bring words together and form sentences. I have learnt so much for free and I really like your teaching style. Thank you for this.