Le "Franc̦ais Populaire" and French as a Second Language

Résumé du livre

The French of English speaking students of French as a second language is compared with "francais populaire" (FP) in order to determine similarities in their tendency toward simplified grammar and morphology. Simplifying characteristics that are typical of FP were obtained from French working class sources, while simplification patterns of French as a second language were drawn from 100 compositions written by university students enrolled in intermediate level French courses. Simplification errors found in the student compositions are classified according to corresponding grammatical traits of FP, including general morphology and syntax, articles, substantives, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and prepositions. Research on language simplification processes, data collection and analysis methods, and pedagogical implications are discussed. The data analysis shows that speakers of FP and American students of French employ simplification systems that are similar in many respects. (RW)