French language in the United States

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French language in the United States. Counties and parishes marked in yellow are those where 6-12% of the population speak French at home; brown, 12-18%; red, over 18%. The census response "Cajun" and French-based creole languages are not included.

The French language is spoken as a minority language in the United States. French speakers are particularly located in southern Louisiana and in northern New England. French is the second most-spoken language in four states: Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Cajun French and Louisiana Creole French is spoken in some parts of Louisiana (a colony of France from 1682 to 1762 and again from 1800 until it was sold to the United States in 1803). Cajuns are descendants of Acadians who were deported by the British in 1755 from Nova Scotia. Canadian French is spoken in parts of northern New England, a legacy of significant immigration from Canada, especially in the period of the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. More than 13 million Americans claim some French ancestry, and 1.6 million over the age of five speak the language at home, ^[1] making French the third most-spoken language in the country, behind English and Spanish. It would fall to fourth place if Chinese languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese are grouped together; but, if French Creoles were added to the numbers of French speakers, then it would still be third. Some Americans of French heritage who have lost the language are currently attempting to revive it, with varying degrees of success^{[citation needed]}. The city of Miami is home to a large Francophone community, consisting of French expatriates, Haitians, and French Canadians (although the Haitians mainly speak French as their second language, their first being Haitian Creole); there is also a growing community of Francophone Arabs in and around Orlando. Many retired individuals from Quebec have moved to Florida or winter there.

Until the 1980s, French was the most popular foreign language studied in the United States. (French has traditionally been the foreign language of choice for English-speakers across the globe.) That distinction has since been claimed by Spanish — likely a consequence of increased interest in Latin America and Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. French is currently the second-most studied foreign language in the country, behind Spanish and ahead of German. Most U.S. high schools and universities offer French-language courses, and degree programs in the language are common.

1 Francophone communities
2 Counties and parishes with the highest proportion of French-speakers
3 Seasonal migrations
4 French Place-Names
5 French schools in the United States
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Francophone communities

More than 1,000 inhabitants

Madawaska, Maine (pop. 4,534) - 84% French-speaking
Fort Kent, Maine (pop. 4,233) - 61% French-speaking
Van Buren, Maine (pop. 2,631) - 79% French-speaking
Frenchville, Maine (pop. 1,225) - 80% French-speaking

Fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

Eagle Lake, Maine (pop. 815) - 50% French-speaking
St. Agatha, Maine (pop. 802) - 80% French-speaking
St. Francis, Maine (pop. 577) - 61% French-speaking
Grand Isle, Maine (pop. 518) - 76% French-speaking
Saint John Plantation, Maine (pop. 282) - 60% French-speaking
Hamlin, Maine (pop. 257) - 57% French-speaking

[edit] Counties and parishes with the highest proportion of French-speakers

Note: speakers of French-based creole languages are not included in percentages.

St. Martin Parish, Louisiana (pop. 48,583) - 27.44% French-speaking
Evangeline Parish, Louisiana (pop. 35,434) - 25.71% French-speaking
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana (pop. 53,807) - 24.89% French-speaking
Aroostook County, Maine (pop. 73,938) - 22.37% French-speaking
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana (pop. 89,974) - 19.12% French-speaking
Acadia Parish, Louisiana (pop. 58,861) - 19.04% French-speaking
Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana (pop. 41,481) - 17.64% French-speaking
Assumption Parish, Louisiana (pop. 23,388) - 17.58% French-speaking
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana (pop. 87,700) - 16.70% French-speaking
Coos County, New Hampshire (pop. 33,111) - 16.17% French-speaking
Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana (pop. 31,435) - 16.15% French-speaking
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana (pop. 190,503) - 14.37% French-speaking
Androscoggin County, Maine (pop. 103,793) - 14.29% French-speaking

[edit] Seasonal migrations

Florida, and a few other resort regions (most notably Old Orchard Beach, Maine and Cape May, New Jersey) popular are visited in large numbers by francophone Quebecers during winter and summer breaks.