La langue française – va-t-elle disparaître ?

Récemment, j’ai lu un article de BBC concernant la tendance américaine d’utiliser des mots ou phrases typiquement <<britanniques>>. On peut affirmer la même chose de la France en ce qui concerne les anglicismes. Par exemple, best of, sponsor, fast-food, week-end, burn-out, come-back, shopping, prime-time ne sont que quelques exemples d’anglicismes utilisés quotidiennement.  Malgré les efforts de l’Etat et l’Académie Française, l’anglais s’infiltre toujours dans la langue française.

Est-ce qu’il y a une solution pour résoudre cette discussion ou est-elle une tendance qu’il faut accepter ?

Depuis la publication de <<Parlez-vous franglais ?>> dans les années 60, les anglicismes ont été un thème brûlant de la société française.  En 1990, l’Académie Française a publié un dictionnaire des anglicismes qui comprenait au moins trois milles mots. Dix ans plus tard, ce chiffre a augmenté d’environ cinq milles mots en dépit de l’imposition de la loi Toubon. Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas la loi Toubon, en 1994 elle a été créée pour protéger le patrimoine linguistique français. La loi Toubon a mis en place des mesures qui incluent l’obligation de l’emploi du français dans des entreprises exerçant en France ; l’orientation sur l’éducation pour souligner la maîtrise de la langue française et la promotion de diffusion des œuvres culturelles françaises. Cependant, il semble que l’influence de la mondialisation commence à avoir un impact.

Premièrement, les anglicismes occupent une place fondamentale dans le domaine de la technologie et de la science. Selon Bénédicte Madinier (Délégation Générale à la Langue Française), << …  l’anglais est devenu la langue de référence dans le monde globalisé et…si une invention apparaît à Hong Kong, à Rome ou à Buenos Aires, elle sera quasi systématiquement pourvue d’un nom anglais. >>  Par ailleurs, la présence des anglicismes dans les médias les rend << à la mode >> et l’émergence des faux-anglicismes comme  le mobbing, le zapping, un baby-foot, top etc. démontre encore plus l’influence globalisée sur la langue française.  En outre, les Français emploient des anglicismes par contraction, là ou un seul mot en anglais peut exprimer une idée qui nécessite plusieurs mots en français eg. baskets plutôt que chaussures de sport. Les anglicismes sont présents dans la langue française mais ceux qui sont allergiques au franglais n’abandonnent pas la lutte.

L’année dernière, l’Académie Française a introduit une nouvelle section du site-web qui s’appelle, <<Dire, Ne pas Dire. >> La section condamne les anglicismes et les emprunts et elle offre une alternative préférable en français. La liste inclut, par exemple, opportunité, en charge de et pitch en offrant les solutions occasion, être chargé de et idée. Une nouvelle innovation, WikiLF invite les interlocuteurs à participer à l’enrichissement de la langue française. Il s’agit d’un forum où l’on peut proposer un équivalent français pour un concept anglo-saxon, participer aux discussions et voter pour un terme proposé par d’autres internautes. Certains utilisateurs proposent que l’heureureuse puisse remplacer happy-hour, fashionista devienne modamante et  samdim prenne la place de week-end.

Toutes choses considérées, l’émergence des emprunts anglais et anglicismes dans la langue française grandit à un rythme remarquable. Néanmoins parmi les anglophones, en particulier aux Etats-Unis, on emprunte fréquemment des mots français comme au contraire, bon appétit, cliché.  On utilise ces expressions parce qu’il est difficile d’expliquer un concept dans sa propre langue et cela démontre que parfois une langue est plus appropriée à résumer une idée qu’une autre. La majorité des anglicismes courants en français existe parce que le concept est d’origine anglo-saxonne. Par conséquent, je crois que l’Académie Française n’a aucune raison de s’inquiéter !

Qu’en pensez-vous? Les emprunts anglais sont-ils un aide ou un empêchement à la langue française ?

Is it ever OK to bad-mouth a colleague?

Be honest or keep quiet? Image via StreetFly JZ.

Criticising a colleague or ex-colleague during an interview has always been considered a massive no-no in the recruitment world. However, this year has seen the rule being broken numerous times on quite a public scale. From Greg Smith’s infamous resignation letter in the New York Times to the latest resignation letter to go viral in which the author accuses his boss of inappropriate behaviour, bad-mouthing colleagues seems to be the latest fad. But are there circumstances where criticising a professional counterpart is acceptable or should we continue to keep schtum?

From the recruiter’s point of view, the general consensus is no. Bad-mouthing a boss or co-worker in front of a prospective employer gives the impression that you’re not a team player and lack professionalism. Regardless of professional differences, you both work (or have worked) for the same company and a public criticism puts both the company’s and your reputation on the line. Additionally, employing someone who has openly criticised their former boss or colleague means that the employer runs the risk of the same happening again. Criticising a co-worker also has the potential to backfire as your ‘idiot’ boss or ‘incompetent’ co-worker could count your prospective employer as part of their professional network.

However, Jay Goltz (a regular business blogger for the New York Times) argues that an honest answer about a negative job experience allows the recruiter to have a more profound insight of the candidate. If a prospective employee is dissatisfied with their current job, it is important that the recruiter knows why. Should a candidate demonstrate appropriately why they are unhappy with their current professional situation, the recruiter is left with a better idea of what the candidate expects from the job and how the candidate would fit in the company’s work culture.  Nevertheless, there is a fine line between having a legitimate concern and complaining.  Recruiters are looking for people who will find solutions not people who will bring up problems so a response needs to show how a candidate tried to resolve the issue rather than complain.

Whilst Mr. Goltz brings up a valid point, the real problem is the fact that the criticism has taken place in public. It is essential that the resolution to the problem is considered thoroughly and without doubt, it must be done in private on a one-to-one basis. Although it is natural to have professional clashes, making accusations public is too much of a risk. So, as tempting as it may be at times, making a dramatic exit is not the wisest move!

How do you show a negative job experience in a positive light during an interview?

Job Seeker Top Tips

As you embark on your job search, the amount of job search methods on offer may seem daunting. Amongst the plethora of job boards, social networks, agencies and job fairs there are certainly plenty of different leads to choose from. We’ve set out the different tools at your disposal below and encourage you to work with all of them in order to multiply your chances of getting that elusive job offer.

Job Boards

Job boards are a great indicator of the jobs on offer and the state of the job market in general. The concept of job boards is straightforward: you can search for job offers and send in your CV and cover letter or you can post your CV as a speculative application. By registering with a job board, you will be able to save a keyword search tailored to your job search and receive job alerts suited to your profile. Nowadays, most job boards are available online with the big players in the job board domain being Monster, Career Builder, LinkedIn and APEC (for those residing in France).  In order to use job boards effectively, keep in mind to use a variety of job boards, such as broad-based job search engines such as Indeed and sector-specific search engines for example, Village de la Justice for the legal sector, to get the best return of results.

Recruitment Agencies

Many potential employers use recruitment agencies to handle their recruitments so they are an essential medium for you. Recruitment agencies are free for job searchers as it is the clients who pay for the service. The process of recruitment agencies is simple: you apply for a job advertised on their site or send in your CV and if successful, you will be called in for an interview. After the interview, the recruitment consultants will find the candidate suitable job offers and forward the candidate onto the prospective employer. The recruitment consultants should keep in touch with the candidate and deliver feedback to both the candidate and the client. A good recruitment agency will also advise you on your CV, interview technique and job search, potentially becoming  a career partner throughout your professional life. As above, there are broad based recruitment agencies and specialised agencies, for example TM International deals with the recruitment of bilingual admin jobs in Paris, so make the most of the variety of recruitment agencies on offer.

Social Networking

Businesses regularly use social networks to advertise job vacancies. Do your research, look for businesses you wish to target and follow their Facebook and Twitter accounts for their latest job offers.  Furthermore, take advantage of the Twitter hash tag and search for job vacancies that are suited to your profile. Keep your eye on the ball and visit business social network accounts regularly.

Professional Networking Sites

LinkedIn and Viadéo are where the majority of recruiters do their headhunting. In fact, a recent survey has shown that more than 98% of recruiters use LinkedIn, so this is a great way to look for jobs.  Catch HR managers’ attention with a complete profile with all professional experience, skills and recommendations included. Increase your online presence by participating in discussion groups and share articles of relevance in your domain. If you haven’t already got a profile on either of these sites, it is essential you sign up today!

Job Fairs and Networking

Direct contact with employers is a brilliant way to find jobs that aren’t openly on the recruitment radar. Websites such as LinkedIn and Meetup regularly advertise opportunities to meet prospective employers such as conferences, job fairs and after-work networking events. Make sure you sign up for them and come prepared with business cards with your contact details.  Don’t forget to contact your professional connections and friends to get the word out that you are seeking a job. Through your current contacts, you can reach their contacts in turn, one of which could be the key to your new job. To network effectively, it is necessary to chase up contacts, persevere and use all possible avenues!

What job seeking methods have worked for you recently? Which job boards or other job searching methods would you recommend?