French

French (like all Romance languages) descended from Vulgar Latin, the language of soldiers, settlers and merchants of the Roman Empire.  When the Romans invaded what is now France, they brought with them the Latin language, which over a long period of time split into two groups, the langue d’oil and langue d’oc, so named for how people say "yes".  Langue d’oil was spoken in Northern France and eventually became what we know as modern French.

In recent years French has been heavily influenced by English.  You will find that words like le shampooing and le parking are accepted.  The Académie Française is a group of intellectuals who work to preserve the French language and designate what is considered correct.    

There are many different dialects of French, just as there are many different dialects of English.  People from France do not speak with the same vocabulary and intonation as people from Cameroon or Québec, but they are still able to understand each other. 

Concordia Language Villages has taught language and cultural immersion for over 50 years. French language instruction is offered to learners of all ages and skill levels.