Sabaidi, bonjour !

We are Lao-Falang living in France....We have learned English at schools as little French students did, we've tried to practice English language as possible as we can here; we try to be open-minded as much as possible !

We want to know if there're some Lao-Americans who have learnt or been interrested by learning French language .....

We all know that speaking American is widely enough in Earth though !

"For the past three decades, the francophone organization has been dedicated to the cause of peace and mutual cooperation in the world," said Lao President Choummali Saignason in his opening speech at the two-day meeting.

The main task of the meeting, which has attracted delegates from 55 French-speaking countries and 13 observer states of the International Francophonie Organization, is to prepare for the group's summit next year in Quebec, Canada.

Radio Vientiane, in a broadcast monitored in Bangkok, said Laos would use the conference to promote French as a "friendship language in the world."

French is still widely spoken among the Lao senior communist leadership, many of whom are in the 70s and 80s and studied in France in their youth. The landlocked country became a French colony in 1893 and stayed under colonial control until 1954.

Today, Lao youth and government officials are more inclined to study English, which has become the main international language for diplomacy and business in South-East Asia.

Source: eux.tv

Anonymous wrote:

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Francophony sucks

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Do you really need to insult francophony? Insult my language and all the countries that still use it?

Can't you just say : "Learning french is not very usefull nowadays... you would better learning english"? That would be smarter, more polite and respectfull, don't you think?

If learning/speaking french is too difficult for you, don't do it (yes, french language is complex), but don't look down to people who appreciate and/or use this language.

-- Edited by paris_vientiane at 10:34, 2007-11-20

Well said. Lao people need to be realistic, but not just do for doing. Otherwise we  will be poor until our next life.

Regards,
..........

Yop Tvoù M !, What's up in Vientiane ? Francophonia or Francofolie ? .....
Some laotians prepare to speak French with frenchmen. But in Vientiane no have any frenchmen to speak with them. Only africans men to speak with, But Africans before arriving in Laos prepare and learnt chineese. They’re a little understanding each others because pronounciation and grammatical form and worst some thai just outside the door hearing the discussion they don’t understand anything. What’s up in Vientiane ? Francophonie ? You’re crazy to pretend to do speak French better than french français !

In France no one know that you organinize the Francophonie Conference. In France, no body interest the Francophonie, They all learn English or chineese, but they only know and interest the Francofolie de la Rochelle. You know, in the same time the French men will go to Pékin, not to Vientiane !…. You’re completely the foullish lao and Africans  !!!

Kioda !

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Francophony sucks !!!
Not many people speaks french anymore.
A lot of private schools opened in Vientiane now, to study english,
not french.

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Only stupid and low-rate-educationed people use to use this kind of dirty words, really ! Unfortunately, these bunches of people are very strong to watch their TV, drinking dozens of bottles of Buzz or Cokes, proud of their big belly of obesity, widely convinced they are in the Earth center, or into the Hearth of the Promise Land, they speak only Ugly Englo-American, they are as smart as their President Bush even not capable to swallow propely Bretzels, this guy believes the Middle-Age was in 17th century ! Americans look down on French people ? they are jealous because they are not ABLE to speak French definitely, French people can learn and speak English (not Slang American)...

Suck is not a bad word like **** or ****. SUCK just mean it is not popular by a group of people or expression you don't like something.

I don't see any comments on this thread even remotely or implying anyone looking down on French people.

Just because someone speak English doen't mean they are American and or President Bush supporter.

You said it yourself..."Only stupid and low-rate-educationed people
You criticize how them but yet you speak like or worst then them.

 

 

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I will repeat and say again and again that english is universal language, not french.
With due respect to all french speaking community, I had NO INTENTION to insult nobody !!!... If you go to international meeting, that's very likely they use english, but there is no doubt that they use french, russian, and other languages too.

What Laos will benefit from this Phony?..Mostly from increase tourist activity? The delegates will go home, and most of the Lao younger generation students will continue to study english (not french) at various private schools in and around Vientiane.

In the future, they'll further their education in Australia, Japan, Singapore (study in english), some will go to France (for sure) or United States..etc..

My point here is, french speaking or studying in Laos is fading or dissappearing.

This is the fact, whether you like it or not.

Comprenez vous ? 
Merci beaucoup.   

Anonymous wrote:

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WOW ! Presidential Palace looks nice in this photo.

An echo of a quite and peaceful nation of Laos.

I think it's impossible to stage an outdoor gala dinner like this in Baghdad, Iraq,
or Kabul, Afghanistan.

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 Obessive about War in Iraq, Afghanistan, President Bush, English, and America is not good for your health and mental well being.

Now, if the discusion was about War in Iraq, Afghanistan, President Bush, English, and America I have no problem. But it this case it totally not related. You have an issue. Only you can solve it yourself.

The photos are very nice. More photos please

Waouh !

Do you believe this is the francophonia gala in Vientiane ?
I think it's the last ASEAN Summit gala were participated Australian,New Zealand,Russian, Japan, China, India and Others..........). Do you see somewhere the french's head Sarkozi. I see the head of Lao and african.
No, No, and No, I don't heart and see The french' media show and talk about this event of Francophonie even 1 time, no time( I know french media TV5,France24) No french body,no one know this event.
If really you Lao organized, i think this conference is not for you, because France don't love you like francophonic. francophonie is for africans, You knows everytimes Conference francophonie organized the french's head were everytimes in Africa or otherwhrer !
Lao, you should learn more english, japaneese,  Chineese, russian and French like other  !
kioda

No, we don't have a lot of news about this in France... maybe journalists don't care a lot this subject. But i don't read a lot newspapers or watch TV.... personaly my main information source now is Internet.... so maybe i missed some news about this.

My feeling is that francophony is something important but "very political". It's very important for relationship between countries, cultural exchange, etc... but don't touch directly people who are living in France.

http://www.francophoniedc.org/

How do you spell organiZation ?  z not s

French language is less and less spoken around the world, English is a universal used language then Spanish.  Lao students prefer to study in English spoken countries, some students even turned down the scholarship to study in France.     

Saffron wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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How do you spell organiZation ? z not s

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American spelling is different than the way British or Australian.

American use the Z while they use the S.

 

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And Americans can keep using the 'z' as long as they like, but they should not be telling me that I cannot use 's' because I am from England, and if I remember correctly, the English language came from a place called England.

 

Anonymous wrote:

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Saffron wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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How do you spell organiZation ? z not s

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American spelling is different than the way British or Australian.
American use the Z while they use the S. 

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And Americans can keep using the 'z' as long as they like, but they should not be telling me that I cannot use 's' because I am from England, and if I remember correctly, the English language came from a place called England. 

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 Who was telling you?

paris_vientiane wrote:

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French and english languages are the only ones to be spoken on the 5 continents.

More than 200 millions people can speak french in the world. That's much less than english or spanish, but still much more than many many other languages.

-- Edited by paris_vientiane at 10:30, 2007-11-22

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Just 200 million people can speak French, that means less than Chinese or even Hindo language. Is it right?

However, in terms of secondary speakers, Weber submits the following list:
(number of speakers in parentheses)

French (190 million)
English (150 million)
Russian (125 million)
Portuguese (28 million)
Arabic (21 million)
Spanish (20 million)
Chinese (20 million)
German (9 million)
Japanese (8 million)

Yes, so sad. I think, that not only language people around the world would think or are thinking all things which are Lao properties are Thai such as Kean. Even Lao sinh which no single Thai person wear is also Thai.

Lao government should rethink about this matter.