French in Pondicherry

A prominent language of Pondicherry, French bears relics to the diversified historical ancestry and cultural legacy of the state. The Union Territory of Pondicherry was under the French rule for a long time. One can experience the influence of French architecture, social customs and cultural traditions in every nook and corner of Pondicherry.

A vast majority of the indigenous local inhabitants of Pondicherry speak French. Most of the schools in Pondicherry encourage the students to take up French as one of the subjects. Many educational institutions have also introduced French as the first language. Upholding the traditional legacy, most people have retained French as an important language of the Union Territory.

The introduction of French as a subject at the school level is an added advantage for the students who have an edge over students from other states on the ground that they have a mastery over one of the important foreign languages. Pondicherry also boasts of numerous schools where the medium of instruction is French.

Representing the multilingual nature of Pondicherry, the French language occupies a predominant position in the field of foreign literature and language. The fact that the local inhabitants of Pondicherry attach much importance to French as a language becomes evident from the observation that even though French is not the official language, a vast majority of the native population do speak the foreign language.

The adoption of French as one of the major languages in Pondicherry reflects the strong bond of the local inhabitants towards the colonial legacy of the French rule. While the French rulers have left India, they have left behind some of their social and the cultural customs that have become synonymous with the local tradition of Pondicherry.