Language profiles in Manchester

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French

Language French
Language name transliterated français
Language name original script
Distribution France, North and Central Africa, Madagascar, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Haiti
Estimated number of speakers worldwide 67m (native), 130m (total)

 

Language classification Indo-European; Romance
Related to which languages Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Distinctive features in sounds Liaison (linking of consonant from the end of word to beginning vowel of another); nasality (use of nasal cavity for pronunciation); word-final stress; French rhotic [R]
Distinctive features in grammar Words are inflected
Writing system Roman script
Distinctive graphemes î, ï, é, è, ê, ë, à, â, ô, œ, ç
Status Official language in France, several African countries, Madagascar, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Haiti
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in England & Wales (Census 2011) 147,099
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in Greater Manchester (Census 2011) 4,924
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in City of Manchester (Census (Census 2011) 2,351
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in Greater Manchester as percentage of total in England & Wales (Census 2011) 3%
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in City of Manchester as percentage of total in England & Wales (Census 2011) 2%
Proficiency in English, self-reported in City of Manchester (Census 2011)* Can speak English very well (49%), Can speak English well (40%), Cannot speak English well (10%), Cannot speak English (1%)
Distribution in City of Manchester (Census 2011) Ardwick (176), Hulme (145), Bradford (140), Cheetham (132), Harpurhey (130)
Distribution in Greater Manchester (Census 2011) Salford (841), Trafford (338), Bolton (274)
First language of pupils in Manchester schools (2015) 811
Distribution in City of Manchester schools (2015) St. Peters RC High School (40), St. Willibrords R.C. Primary (29), St. Anne’s RC Primary (Ancoats) (21), St. Brigid’s R.C. Primary (19), Our Lady’s R.C. High School (19)
Total interpreter requests in Manchester’s GP practices (2014/2015) 202
Library loans (2012/2013) 93
Library acquisitions (2012/2013) 13
M-4 interpreter requests (2012/2013) 218
Other home language common among speakers African languages (Akan, Fulani, Mandinka)
Supplementary schools Ensemble French School

*Percentages rounded to nearest whole number