Francophile

A Francophile (or Gallophile) is a person who has a strong interest in French culture. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc. The opposite of a Francophile is a Francophobe (or Gallophobe) -- someone who dislikes all that is French.

Francophilia often arises in former French colonies where the élite spoke French and adopted many French habits—although places where resentment against French customs is often fresh in the mind of the population (such as Algeria and Vietnam) might instead want to dispense with French culture. In some countries such as Romania, French culture has also long been popular among the educated classes. Even in the United States, the French language is still one of the main foreign languages taught in school. French Canadians who have adapted French culture could also be considered Francophiles.

Historically, Francophilia has been associated with supporters of the philosophy of French Enlightenment during and after the French Revolution, where democratic uprisings challenged the autocratic countries of Europe.

Francophilia in Belgium

Francophilia or Reattachment is a marginal current political calling in some parts of Belgium. Reattachment would mean the incorporation of French speaking Belgium, Wallonia (and sometimes Brussels; more rarely of the entire Belgium.) into France. This movement started since the Belgian state came into existence in 1830.

The Manifesto for Walloon culture of 1983,^[1] relaunched in 2003,^[2] and a series of discussions witnessed a will of emancipation.

Francophilia in Canada

With the inception of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the institution of French immersion in its public school system over 25 years ago, many Canadians of English heritage have developed a greater appreciation for the French culture that is a part of the Canadian identity. English and French are the two official languages of Canada and two of its founding languages. The Province of Quebec holds the greatest population of francophones in Canada. Francophilia is a growing trend in Canada in its younger generations believing that Canada must be more than just the sum of its parts.

Online resources

• Francophilia.com is the world's only English-speaking social network for Francophiles.
• FrPhilia.com.

See also

Look up francophile in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Francophobia
• Francophonie
• Alliance française
• List of French phrases used by English speakers

References

1. ^ http://www.larevuetoudi.org/en/story/manifesto-walloon-culture-1983
2. ^ http://www.larevuetoudi.org/en/story/second-manifest-2003

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