La Société Française de St. Louis invites you to a conference in French:
“French – a language on the move: contacts, accents and norms.”
When: Friday, November 6th, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Where: Alliance Française de St. Louis
St. Louis, MO 63132
RSVP: To attend, please send an e-mail to:
Summary
French is on the move, and always has been. From the Oïl and Oc dialects to the emergence of the standard, through the development of North American varieties and French-based Creoles, this language carries the traces of its encounters.
This talk will explore how contact has shaped the diversity of French today, following three distinct paths: that of France’s regional accents, that of North American French, and that of French-based Creoles.
Finally, it will examine the tension between norm and usage, looking at the stigmatization of non-standard forms, the linguistic insecurity that results from it, and the powerful marker of identity that language represents.
Biography
Martin Maillot holds a doctorate in French linguistics (Indiana University, 2022) and a master’s degree in translation (Université d’Anger, 2011). A specialist in French language variation, he has been teaching French language and culture in the United States since 2013 and at the Alliance Française de St. Louis since 2022. Passionate about the history and evolution of the French language, he enjoys sharing his expertise through lectures and workshops that are accessible to everyone.