In this comprehensive introduction, Henriette Walter provides the reader with a panoramic view of the development of the French language in the past, present and future.

Preface, Acknowledgements, Graphic conventions, INTRODUCTION, 1 WHERE DOES FRENCH COME FROM?: TEN LANDMARKS IN THE HISTORY OF FRENCH, 2 DIALECTS AND PATOIS: THE REGIONAL LANGUAGES, 3 FRENCH IN FRANCE: REGIONAL VARIETIES, 4 FRENCH OUTSIDE FRANCE: THE STATUS OF FRENCH AND INTERNATIONAL DIVERSITY, 5 WHAT IS FRENCH?: SPECIFICITY AND STRUCTURE, 6 WHERE IS FRENCH GOING?: PRESENT TRENDS, References, Indexes