Misplaced Pages

#240759

152-465: Sonic Underground ( French : Sonic le Rebelle ) is an animated television series co-produced by DIC Productions, L.P. , Les Studios Tex S.A.R.L. and TF1 . It is the third Sonic the Hedgehog animated series, and the last to be produced by DIC. It follows a main plot separate from all other Sonic the Hedgehog media, where Sonic has two siblings , Sonia and Manic, that are collectively part of

304-466: A jazz standard such as "Now's the Time") with an ensemble. Similarly, in a rock or blues band, auditionees may be asked to play a rock or blues standard. An auditionee for a rhythm section role (rhythm guitar, electric bass, drumkit, etc.) will be asked to play a range of standard styles or "feels" which are used in a given style. For example, a drummer applying to play in a jazz band might be asked to play

456-568: A royal family who were forced to separate from their mother, Queen Aleena, upon Doctor Robotnik 's takeover of Mobius due to a prophecy told by the Oracle of Delphius. Along the way, they encounter other resistance groups against Robotnik and powerful artifacts that could wreak havoc on the world, all the while searching for their long-lost mother, Queen Aleena. The series first aired in France from January to May 1999 on TF1 , and then premiered in

608-547: A "headshot" and a full-body photo of the applicant in a dancing pose. The clothing that auditionees need to wear at auditions varies. At some auditions, particularly Classical auditions, there is a strict dress code: applicants wear dance leotards and pointe shoes , and long hair is tied back. Other dance auditions specify loose clothing. For some contemporary dance auditions, applicants must dance barefoot. In some music theater roles, applicants need to bring tap shoes to demonstrate their tap dancing skills. Some auditions where there

760-550: A Disney-themed channel, with the first being Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog on Toon Disney (the predecessor of Disney XD) from 1998 to 2002. The series aired in Canada on Teletoon . In Australia, Sonic Underground premiered on The Seven Network during The Big Breakfast in 1999. The show was broadcast by KidsCo in regions the channel broadcast from. In the United States, Sterling Entertainment released

912-744: A French official to teachers in the department of Finistère , in western Brittany, included the following: "And remember, Gents: you were given your position in order to kill the Breton language". The prefect of Basses-Pyrénées in the French Basque Country wrote in 1846: "Our schools in the Basque Country are particularly meant to replace the Basque language with French..." Students were taught that their ancestral languages were inferior and they should be ashamed of them; this process

1064-655: A VHS/DVD titled "Dr. Robotnik's Revenge" in July 2003, containing three episodes, and a bonus Super Mario Bros. episode on the DVD release. It was re-released by NCircle Entertainment in March 2007 without the bonus Mario episode. The Sterling versions of the Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 "King Koopa Katastrophe" and The Legend of Zelda "Ganon's Evil Tower" DVDs also included 1 and 2 episodes respectively as DVD bonuses which

1216-668: A chat at the Sonic Amateur Games Expo 2008 that only 40 were planned to be produced from the beginning. Sonic Underground first premiered in France on 6 January 1999 and aired on TF1 on the TF! Jeunesse block on Wednesdays and Sundays. The show made its English premiere in the United Kingdom on 2 May 1999, airing on ITV 's GMTV strand, on the Disney-produced block Diggit , which was programmed by

1368-413: A choir or as solo performers. In classical music, auditions are also used to screen candidates for entry to training programs, university or Conservatory programs or degrees, and training festival activities (e.g., classical summer camps). In comparison with some types of pop music auditions, classical auditions tend to be much more formal. The performer may, by tradition, wear a tuxedo or a formal dress, and

1520-431: A comprehensive academic study entitled "The World's 10 most influential languages". In the article, Weber ranked French as, after English, the second-most influential language of the world, ahead of Spanish. His criteria were the numbers of native speakers, the number of secondary speakers (especially high for French among fellow world languages), the number of countries using the language and their respective populations,

1672-431: A dancer may only get several days of work from a movie or TV show, there may be residual payments. Most auditions specify what type of dance skills are required (e.g., Classical, pointe, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, etc.). In the case of modern dance, some dance companies ask applicants to demonstrate their ability to improvise dance moves. Many dance auditions test the ability of applicants to learning new choreography in

SECTION 10

#1732782597241

1824-425: A dramatic Shakespearean monologue ready, and not perform a monologue from an Oscar Wilde comedy , or a contemporary playwright. Some auditions involve cold reading, or performing a script that the actor is not familiar with. Auditions often involve monologues or speeches, but not always. In some cases, an auditionee is asked to read a scene (with a second person reading the other character). For most auditions, it

1976-433: A few pages of the script with the roles that they are auditioning for. These sides are often given to the actors 1–3 days before the audition. In 2015, the widespread availability of relatively inexpensive video cameras has made video recordings of auditions feasible. To find their talent, casting directors are able to request video auditions from actors and actresses from a different state or country. Self-tapes have become

2128-555: A foreign language. Due to the rise of French in Africa, the total French-speaking population worldwide is expected to reach 700 million people in 2050. French is the fastest growing language on the continent (in terms of either official or foreign languages). French is increasingly being spoken as a native language in Francophone Africa, especially in regions like Ivory Coast , Cameroon , Gabon, Madagascar , and

2280-434: A half, two minutes, or three minutes, depending on the company. At this point, the auditionee is expected to stop and leave to free up the stage for the next auditionee. Right before the audition, the casting director may give new instructions that were not in the advertisement; for example, due to time constraints, the time limit for the monologues might be cut in half, or the vocal selections might be cut. Actors know that it

2432-547: A panel that includes the conductor , the Concertmaster , and a number of Principal players from the orchestra. In the United States since WWII, professional orchestra auditions often include a musician's union representative, who ensures that the audition is being run in a fair manner. A cloth screen may be used at some stages of the audition process, to protect the audition panel from allegations of favouritism or sexism. In Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland,

2584-907: A particular character; instead, the first audition is a chance for the performer to show off the songs she does best. There are many types of dance auditions for different performance venues. Dance companies hire employees for ballet and modern dance shows. Broadway companies hire dancers for traditional musicals (Rodgers and Hammerstein) and more modern dance musicals (e.g., Fame and Grease ). Casinos, resorts, amusement parks, and cruise ships hire dancers for revue-style shows that can range from jazz dance to hip-hop. For these shows, some backup singing skills or acting skills may be required. Pop music concert producers and pop music video producers recruit dancers to perform onstage during concerts or during videos. For live pop concerts, onstage dancers may be required to perform simple backup singing. Movie and TV producers also hire dancers for short term shoots; even though

2736-1151: A performer's discipline, the audition may last an hour, a day or even two days. Depending on a performer's discipline, he or she might have to perform a solo presentation in front of the group of participants and/or participate in individual and group exercises following the solo presentation. Auditions for Cirque du Soleil are filmed. Modelling agencies and other organizations that are looking for models, such as fashion designers and advertising agencies also use auditions to screen and select potential candidates. Aspiring female models for most fashion industry roles need to be in their teens or early twenties and be tall and slim. Although there are "niche markets" for non-svelte models ("plus size models" and "real life models" who model clothes for middle-market clothing catalogues), most female models need to be slender and between 108 and 125 lbs. Young men who are aspiring models should be between 18 and 25, tall, and fit. While male models who are selected at modelling auditions may well end up having careers that last till beyond age 25 (even into their 40s), modelling agencies prefer to recruit new models in

2888-747: A performing opportunity may be for a single performance (e.g., doing a monologue at a comedy club), for a series or season of performances (a season of a Broadway play), or for permanent employment with the performing organization (e.g., an orchestra or dance troupe). Auditions for performing opportunities may be for amateur, school, or community organizations, in which case the performers will typically not be paid. As well, auditions are used to select or screen candidates for entry to training programs (ballet school or circus school); university programs ( B.Mus , M.Mus , MFA in Theater); performance-related scholarships and grants; or to be considered for representation by

3040-652: A period of prosperity and prominence among European nations. Richelieu established the Académie française to protect the French language. By the early 1800s, Parisian French had become the primary language of the aristocracy in France. Near the beginning of the 19th century, the French government began to pursue policies with the end goal of eradicating the many minorities and regional languages ( patois ) spoken in France. This began in 1794 with Henri Grégoire 's "Report on

3192-629: A popular widely used and requested tool for casting directors in the theatre, TV, and film industries. While recording a self-tape, it is important to ensure that the camera quality is clear and not grainy or blurry, and that the space used has good natural lighting. It is crucial to follow any instructions provided, as failing to do so could result in your self-tape being immediately rejected. In some styles of music, such as jazz-oriented stage bands, instrumentalists may be asked to sight read printed music at various levels of difficulty. In jazz groups, auditionees may be asked to perform standard pieces (e.g.,

SECTION 20

#1732782597241

3344-484: A reference letter from a dance teacher or dance company director (especially in the case of young dancers with little professional experience). At some auditions, applicants are asked to make a short verbal statement about their dancing goals or why they wish to join the troupe. Auditionees should ensure that they know the major dance terms, because the judges may request that certain dance moves be demonstrated. Dancers are often asked to bring one or two photographs, such as

3496-494: A relic of the old nominal case system of Latin longer than most other Romance languages (with the notable exception of Romanian which still currently maintains a case distinction), differentiating between an oblique case and a nominative case. The phonology was characterized by heavy syllabic stress, which led to the emergence of various complicated diphthongs such as -eau which would later be leveled to monophthongs. The earliest evidence of what became Old French can be seen in

3648-415: A role in a musical theatre production would not, unless instructed otherwise, need to sing opera or country music , and a musician auditioning for a seat in an orchestra would not perform rock . Occasionally a musical theatre audition may require the performer to sing a song in the genre to which the musical pertains. For instance, a singer auditioning for Destry Rides Again may be asked to sing

3800-410: A second audition. At a major audition for a professional company, the time limits are strictly enforced. A musical theater performer may be given a moment to tell the piano accompanist the tempo, and state their name and audition number to the audition panel. Then, once the auditionee starts acting or singing, the clock starts running. A buzzer sounds when the time limit runs out, which may be a minute and

3952-587: A second language. French is the second most taught foreign language in the EU. All institutions of the EU use French as a working language along with English and German ; in some institutions, French is the sole working language (e.g. at the Court of Justice of the European Union ). French is also the 16th most natively spoken language in the world, the sixth most spoken language by total number of speakers , and

4104-526: A second language. However it has also become a native language in a number of urban areas, especially in regions like Ivory Coast , Cameroon , Gabon, Madagascar , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . In some North African countries, though not having official status, it is also a first language among some upper classes of the population alongside indigenous languages, but only

4256-941: A second one among the general population. In 2015, approximately 40% of the Francophone population (including L2 and partial speakers) lived in Europe, 36% in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean, 15% in North Africa and the Middle East, 8% in the Americas, and 1% in Asia and Oceania. French is the second most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union . Of Europeans who speak other languages natively, approximately one-fifth are able to speak French as

4408-489: A second or third round of auditions, which allows the conductor and the panel to compare the best candidates. Performers may be asked to sight read orchestral music. If a candidate is successful in passing the audition, typically a Trial period of several months to a year takes place allowing the Chief Conductor and Principal players to see if the individual can function well in an actual performance setting. There

4560-399: A short time period, rather than showcasing a prepared work. In other cases, a short prepared solo piece may also be required (about 90 seconds long). Applicants will be instructed in a technical routine or pattern in a group session. Some auditions require applicants to have completed training at a recognised dance school or conservatoire, and in some cases, auditionees may be requested to bring

4712-436: A slow ballad , a medium "standard", and an up-tempo swing style. A bassist auditioning for a pop band might be asked to play in a Motown style bassline , a syncopated 1970s funk "slapping" style line, and a reggae -style bassline. A person auditioning for a role as a rhythm section member in some styles of music may be expected to be able to demonstrate the ability to perform as a backup singer. A performer auditioning for

Sonic Underground - Misplaced Pages Continue

4864-518: A solo or "lead" instrument role will typically perform prepared solos that showcase a range of skills, including the ability to perform a melody with sensitivity and expression; the ability to play virtuosic passages; and, in some styles (e.g., fusion jazz or blues), the ability to improvise a melody over a chord progression. In some popular genres, there is relatively less emphasis on "stage presence" and movement onstage, such as classic jazz or traditional 1950s-style country music. In these styles, there

5016-404: A standard country-western song. A person auditioning for The Rocky Horror Show may be asked to sing a standard rock song. As well, in some cases, an audition may require a performer to demonstrate pieces in several styles. A hard rock band auditioning a new singer may request that the individual perform songs from heavy metal and related styles such as blues rock . A pop or rock band that

5168-419: A talent agency or individual agent. For actors in theater, film, and TV, the "audition is a systematic process in which industry professionals make final casting decisions. Industry professionals may consist of casting directors, producers, directors or agency representatives". In film and television, the audition is called a screen test , and it is filmed so that the casting director or director can see how

5320-547: A variant of Canadian French , is spoken in parts of New England . Missouri French was historically spoken in Missouri and Illinois (formerly known as Upper Louisiana ), but is nearly extinct today. French also survived in isolated pockets along the Gulf Coast of what was previously French Lower Louisiana , such as Mon Louis Island , Alabama and DeLisle, Mississippi (the latter only being discovered by linguists in

5472-437: Is 95%, and in the French collectivity of Wallis and Futuna , it is 84%. In French Polynesia and to a lesser extent Wallis and Futuna, where oral and written knowledge of the French language has become almost universal (95% and 84% respectively), French increasingly tends to displace the native Polynesian languages as the language most spoken at home. In French Polynesia, the percentage of the population who reported that French

5624-779: Is a Romance language of the Indo-European family . Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire . French evolved from Gallo-Romance , the Latin spoken in Gaul , and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl —languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French ( Francien ) largely supplanted. French

5776-428: Is a large number of applicants require the performers to wear a number pinned to their shirt, in a similar way to marathon runners. This way, if the casting director sees an exceptional dancer, he or she can take note of the number. Unless jewellery or make-up is an expected part of a dancer's appearance in a certain dance style, dance auditionees generally avoid jewellery and makeup. In music theater and pop music, there

5928-402: Is a lot of crossover between dancing and singing roles. Almost all dancers in music theater and many dancers in pop music will be expected to have some singing ability as a backup singer (singing harmony parts to accompany the solo vocalists). In rarer cases, dancers will be asked to demonstrate the ability to play a musical instrument (e.g., guitar), because there are some shows in which some of

6080-471: Is a music-based medium and (as such) it requires a proficient level of musical, acting and dance competence. A musical theatre audition consists of two to three separate auditions culminating in one audition experience: vocal audition, dance audition, and (less common) monologue preparation. For musical theatre, a standard audition consists of two 16-32 measures of selected songs, usually contrasting in some way (style, intention, characters, time period, or all of

6232-418: Is a standard repertoire of vocal literature for each voice type (e.g., soprano, alto) that is used at auditions for singers. Each sub-type of vocal activity has a separate standard audition repertoire (e.g., choirs, operas, etc.). A person auditioning for a role in a choir will be expected to be able to sight read choral parts. In auditions for opera, a singer will be expected to demonstrate the ability to act out

Sonic Underground - Misplaced Pages Continue

6384-472: Is a widespread second language among the Lebanese people , and is taught in many schools along with Arabic and English. French is used on Lebanese pound banknotes, on road signs, on Lebanese license plates , and on official buildings (alongside Arabic). Today, French and English are secondary languages of Lebanon , with about 40% of the population being Francophone and 40% Anglophone. The use of English

6536-489: Is also a working language in nonprofit organisations such as the Red Cross (alongside English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Russian), Amnesty International (alongside 32 other languages of which English is the most used, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Italian), Médecins sans Frontières (used alongside English, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic), and Médecins du Monde (used alongside English). Given

6688-430: Is among the top five most studied languages worldwide, with about 120 million learners as of 2017. As a result of French and Belgian colonialism from the 16th century onward, French was introduced to new territories in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. French has a long history as an international language of literature and scientific standards and is a primary or second language of many international organisations including

6840-420: Is an electric guitar ; Sonia's medallion is a keyboard that functions as a smoke machine ; and Manic's medallion is a drumset that can be used as an "earth controller" with cymbals that can deflect laserfire . All of the medallions can be used as laser guns . The three use the medallions not only to fight Robotnik's forces but also as instruments for their underground rock band , "Sonic Underground." It

6992-462: Is an official language in 27 countries , as well as one of the most geographically widespread languages in the world, with about 50 countries and territories having it as a de jure or de facto official, administrative, or cultural language. Most of these countries are members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the community of 54 member states which share

7144-548: Is clean and of good quality. Auditionees know casting directors are also considering "whether or not the actor will be easy to work with, that they know what they are doing and can take direction well". Audition pieces are not always from the show the actor is being considered for; an actor wishing to be cast in Hamlet may not do a monologue from that play. Most performers do have a range of audition pieces and select something appropriate; an actor auditioning for Hamlet would have

7296-401: Is close to their own age. They may wear neutral clothing that allows freedom of movement. Auditionees may avoid going over the stated time limit. By convention, some actors choose to not direct their speech to the audition panel if they are doing an on-stage audition. In some cases, the audition panel may request that the auditionee interacts with them (e.g., a director may ask the actor to speak

7448-652: Is enacted only in New Brunswick, where about one third of the population is Francophone. French is also an official language of all of the territories ( Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon ). Out of the three, Yukon has the most French speakers, making up just under 4% of the population. Furthermore, while French is not an official language in Ontario , the French Language Services Act ensures that provincial services are available in

7600-418: Is expected that auditionees will bring a professional 8"x10" photo called a "head shot" and a resume that indicates their acting experience and training. Actors may bring additional copies of the head shot and resume, in case there are additional members of the casting team present at the audition. The casting agent or company may "call back" an auditionee days, weeks, or even months after the initial audition for

7752-503: Is growing in the business and media environment. Out of about 900,000 students, about 500,000 are enrolled in Francophone schools, public or private, in which the teaching of mathematics and scientific subjects is provided in French. Actual usage of French varies depending on the region and social status. One-third of high school students educated in French go on to pursue higher education in English-speaking institutions. English

SECTION 50

#1732782597241

7904-412: Is important that they follow these last-minute instructions, and not be "thrown off balance" by these changes. At an audition, a director may ask for changes in the delivery of the lines or in other aspects of the performance. The goal may be to see if the auditionee is versatile or because the director disagrees with the initial approach used by the auditionee. In either case, the behavior of the auditionee

8056-465: Is important; if the auditionee is cooperative in making the changes, it shows that he or she will be easy to work with. If a script is provided beforehand, actors often try to memorize as much as possible, because this shows that they have prepared and it allows them to look up from the script and show their facial expressions more. Film auditions are different from theatre auditions. For film auditions, actors and actresses are given "sides" which are often

8208-404: Is known as Old French. The period of Old French spanned between the 8th and 14th centuries. Old French shared many characteristics with Latin. For example, Old French made use of different possible word orders just as Latin did because it had a case system that retained the difference between nominative subjects and oblique non-subjects . The period is marked by a heavy superstrate influence from

8360-404: Is more of a focus on the sound of the music and the expressiveness of the performer with their voice or instrument. In other genres, such as heavy metal " shred guitar " or hardcore punk , it may be very important that a performer can move about in a dramatic fashion onstage. One of the differences between instrumentalist auditions in rock music styles and Classical styles is that in a rock context,

8512-539: Is often claimed that the newly Sega of America CEO Shoichiro Irimajiri contacted DIC CEO Andy Heyward to make a new Sonic cartoon, which would help gain interest in buying their new console, the Dreamcast . Sonic Underground started production in early 1997, around the same time the development of both the Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure had started. The show bible was written as early as March 1997. The show

8664-469: Is often considered to be a useful skill by business owners in the United Kingdom; a 2014 study found that 50% of British managers considered French to be a valuable asset for their business, thus ranking French as the most sought-after foreign language there, ahead of German (49%) and Spanish (44%). MIT economist Albert Saiz calculated a 2.3% premium for those who have French as a foreign language in

8816-828: Is one of the official languages of such major international and regional courts, tribunals, and dispute-settlement bodies as the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights , the Caribbean Court of Justice , the Court of Justice for the Economic Community of West African States , the Inter-American Court of Human Rights , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for

8968-451: Is part of the performance (e.g., hip hop), singers who are doing a vocal audition may also be required to demonstrate that they can dance while singing. In some popular music groups, such as a rock band, a backup singer may be expected to be able to play an instrument while singing, such as strumming a simple rhythm guitar part or playing a percussion instrument (e.g., tambourine or congas). While an ability to sing in multiple languages with

9120-532: Is selecting a new lead singer that has whittled the number of applicants down to the top two or three singers may test out how the singers perform in live shows by performing a few live concerts with each guest singer. This allows the band to see how the singer performs in a full multi-hour concert, including how well the singer can develop a rapport with the audience, deal with the inevitable problems that occur in live music (e.g., microphones failing or stage lights malfunctioning), and maintain their vocal endurance until

9272-576: Is taught in universities around the world, and is one of the world's most influential languages because of its wide use in the worlds of journalism, jurisprudence , education, and diplomacy. In diplomacy, French is one of the six official languages of the United Nations (and one of the UN Secretariat 's only two working languages ), one of twenty official and three procedural languages of the European Union , an official language of NATO ,

SECTION 60

#1732782597241

9424-553: Is the language of business and communication, with French being an element of social distinction, chosen for its emotional value. French is an official language of the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu , where 31% of the population was estimated to speak it in 2023. In the French special collectivity of New Caledonia , 97% of the population can speak, read and write French while in French Polynesia this figure

9576-483: Is the native language of about 23% of the Swiss population, and is spoken by 50% of the population. Along with Luxembourgish and German, French is one of the three official languages of Luxembourg , where it is generally the preferred language of business as well as of the different public administrations. It is also the official language of Monaco . At a regional level, French is acknowledged as an official language in

9728-492: Is the second-most spoken language (after English) in the states of Maine and New Hampshire . In Louisiana , it is tied with Spanish for second-most spoken if Louisiana French and all creoles such as Haitian are included. French is the third most spoken language (after English and Spanish) in the states of Connecticut , Rhode Island , and New Hampshire . Louisiana is home to many distinct French dialects, collectively known as Louisiana French . New England French , essentially

9880-424: Is the sole official language in the province of Quebec , where some 80% of the population speak it as a native language and 95% are capable of conducting a conversation in it. Quebec is also home to the city of Montreal , which is the world's fourth-largest French-speaking city, by number of first language speakers. New Brunswick and Manitoba are the only officially bilingual provinces, though full bilingualism

10032-764: The Aosta Valley region of Italy where it is the first language of approximately 50% of the population, while French dialects remain spoken by minorities on the Channel Islands . It is also spoken in Andorra and is the main language after Catalan in El Pas de la Casa . The language is taught as the primary second language in the German state of Saarland , with French being taught from pre-school and over 43% of citizens being able to speak French. The majority of

10184-462: The Aosta Valley region of Italy; and various communities elsewhere. French is estimated to have about 310 million speakers, of which about 80 million are native speakers. According to the OIF, approximately 321 million people worldwide are "able to speak the language" as of 2022, without specifying the criteria for this estimation or whom it encompasses. In Francophone Africa, it is spoken mainly as

10336-481: The DIC Kids Network E/I strand. It, alongside fellow DIC series Mummies Alive! were the only two programs on the strand to not fulfill E/I requirements. On 19 January 2006, CBS announced a multi-year deal with DIC to broadcast some of their shows on the "CBS's Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party" segment, including Sonic Underground , however, the block would not end up running the show in

10488-539: The Democratic Republic of Congo . There is not a single African French , but multiple forms that diverged through contact with various indigenous African languages . Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the French language is most likely to expand, because of the expansion of education and rapid population growth. It is also where the language has evolved the most in recent years. Some vernacular forms of French in Africa can be difficult to understand for French speakers from other countries, but written forms of

10640-485: The European Union , French was the dominant language within all institutions until the 1990s. After several enlargements of the EU (1995, 2004), French significantly lost ground in favour of English, which is more widely spoken and taught in most EU countries. French currently remains one of the three working languages, or "procedural languages", of the EU, along with English and German. It is the second-most widely used language within EU institutions after English, but remains

10792-559: The Francien dialect is one that not only continued but also thrived during the Middle French period (14th–17th centuries). Modern French grew out of this Francien dialect. Grammatically, during the period of Middle French, noun declensions were lost and there began to be standardized rules. Robert Estienne published the first Latin-French dictionary, which included information about phonetics, etymology, and grammar. Politically,

10944-877: The International Olympic Committee , the Council of Europe , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , Organization of American States (alongside Spanish, Portuguese and English), the Eurovision Song Contest , one of eighteen official languages of the European Space Agency , World Trade Organization and the least used of the three official languages in the North American Free Trade Agreement countries. It

11096-626: The Oaths of Strasbourg and the Sequence of Saint Eulalia , while Old French literature began to be produced in the eleventh century, with major early works often focusing on the lives of saints (such as the Vie de Saint Alexis ), or wars and royal courts, notably including the Chanson de Roland , epic cycles focused on King Arthur and his court , as well as a cycle focused on William of Orange . It

11248-530: The Sci-Fi Channel which BKN also had a broadcast deal with at the time, however, the episodes that were supposed to air on Fridays were skipped because Double Dragon and later King Arthur and the Knights of Justice were airing instead, therefore only 32 of the 40 Sonic Underground episodes aired on that channel. In 2004, the show returned to syndicated television stations on weekends as part of

11400-1012: The United Nations , the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , the World Trade Organization , the International Olympic Committee , the General Conference on Weights and Measures , and the International Committee of the Red Cross . French is a Romance language (meaning that it is descended primarily from Vulgar Latin ) that evolved out of the Gallo-Romance dialects spoken in northern France. The language's early forms include Old French and Middle French . Due to Roman rule, Latin

11552-404: The "Council of Four" and overthrow Robotnik. Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik establishes an autocratic government by appointing bounty hunters Sleet and Dingo to do his dirty work, legally turning anyone who stands against him into robots devoid of free will , and forcing the nobles into paying large amounts of money to him as tribute. When Sonic, Manic, and Sonia grow up, the Oracle of Delphius reveals

11704-454: The 18–25 age range. Most models work with an agent who arranges auditions, bookings, and negotiates fees. At an audition, casting agents will ask the model to demonstrate different poses, which a photographer may record with a digital camera. For high fashion auditions, the model may be asked to demonstrate the " catwalk " style of modelling clothes on a raised runway. At most modelling auditions, models wear fairly simple clothes that will allow

11856-506: The 1990s) but these varieties are severely endangered or presumed extinct. French is one of two official languages in Haiti alongside Haitian Creole . It is the principal language of education, administration, business, and public signage and is spoken by all educated Haitians. It is also used for ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations, and church masses. The vast majority of the population speaks Haitian Creole as their first language;

12008-773: The 20th century, when it was replaced by English as the United States became the dominant global power following the Second World War . Stanley Meisler of the Los Angeles Times said that the fact that the Treaty of Versailles was written in English as well as French was the "first diplomatic blow" against the language. During the Grand Siècle (17th century), France, under the rule of powerful leaders such as Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIV , enjoyed

12160-703: The Canadian capital, is also effectively bilingual, as it has a large population of federal government workers, who are required to offer services in both French and English, and is just across the river from the Quebecois city of Gatineau . According to the United States Census Bureau (2011), French is the fourth most spoken language in the United States after English, Spanish, and Chinese, when all forms of French are considered together and all dialects of Chinese are similarly combined. French

12312-917: The Caribbean that are collectively referred to as the French West Indies , namely Guadeloupe , Saint Barthélemy , Saint Martin , and Martinique . French is the official language of both French Guiana on the South American continent, and of Saint Pierre and Miquelon , an archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland in North America. French was the official language of the colony of French Indochina , comprising modern-day Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia . It continues to be an administrative language in Laos and Cambodia, although its influence has waned in recent decades. In colonial Vietnam,

12464-538: The Empire, this local elite had been slowly abandoning Gaulish entirely, but the rural and lower class populations remained Gaulish speakers who could sometimes also speak Latin or Greek. The final language shift from Gaulish to Vulgar Latin among rural and lower class populations occurred later, when both they and the incoming Frankish ruler/military class adopted the Gallo-Roman Vulgar Latin speech of

12616-484: The Germanic Frankish language , which non-exhaustively included the use in upper-class speech and higher registers of V2 word order , a large percentage of the vocabulary (now at around 15% of modern French vocabulary ) including the impersonal singular pronoun on (a calque of Germanic man ), and the name of the language itself. Up until its later stages, Old French , alongside Old Occitan , maintained

12768-453: The Hedgehog media. Queen Aleena, the ruler of Mobius, is overthrown by Dr. Robotnik , who seizes control of the planet with his army of Swat-bots and forces Queen Aleena into hiding. To preserve the dynasty , Queen Aleena separates her three children: Sonic, Manic, and Sonia after the Oracle of Delphius tells her of a prophecy proclaiming she would one day reunite with her children to form

12920-546: The Hedgehog. The Sonic Universe spin-off comic was originally scheduled to feature an epilogue to the unfinished Sonic Underground for its 50th issue. However, for unknown reasons this was replaced with a story focusing on one of Sonic's long-running enemies, Metal Sonic . The Underground Epilogue was put on hold indefinitely, due to Sega not permitting the show be featured in the comics. French language French ( français [fʁɑ̃sɛ] or langue française [lɑ̃ɡ fʁɑ̃sɛːz] )

13072-560: The NCircle reissues of both releases excluded. Sterling Entertainment's VHS/DVD release of Sonic Christmas Blast also included 3 episodes (2 on the VHS). Shout! Factory and Vivendi Entertainment have released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 (NTSC) in two volume sets. Volume 1, simply entitled Sonic Underground , was released on 18 December 2007. It contains the first 20 episodes of

13224-695: The Taiwanese animation studio Hong Ying Animation with the storyboards and main title animation done in Madrid, Spain by Milimetros, S.A. (also responsible for the animation in the Saturday morning Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon and some of the storyboards in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog ), pre-production services provided by Le Studio Ellipse , layout services by Arles Animation and video and audio post-production services by Les Studios de Saint-Ouen. According to Robby London, Sega of Japan had an active role in

13376-528: The United Kingdom in May 1999 on ITV on the GMTV strand and finally in the United States in the syndicated children's block BKN Kids II from August to October 1999. It also aired on the Sci-Fi Channel on weekday mornings starting October 1999, lasting until October 2000. The show ran only for one season, consisting of forty episodes. The show takes place in a separate canon and continuity than any other Sonic

13528-444: The above). When listed, there can also be a monologue portion where the actor is asked to perform a one-minute monologue . A headshot and résumé are almost always required. Although auditions vary depending on the theatre, program, or show, this formula is considered "the norm" in the musical theatre world. The purpose of an audition is two-fold. Practically, performers audition to get a callback. "Callbacks", or callback auditions, allow

13680-509: The actor appears on screen. Auditions are advertised in major media outlets (such as newspaper or radio), industry magazines and newsletters (e.g., auditions for musicians are advertised in the American Federation of Musicians newsletter), audition websites, and through a talent/casting agencies. Some performers hire an agent, to be able to draw on the agent's connections with casting directors and performing arts companies. However,

13832-405: The agent will take a cut (often 10–20%) of the performer's earnings. Although an actor's talents are crucial criteria in the casting process, an almost equal amount of attention is given to an actor's "type", (a combination of personality, looks and general casting intuition) as required for a particular production. Actors who are selecting an audition piece may select a monologue by a character who

13984-585: The appropriate diction and pronunciation is more associated with Classical music than popular music, there are some popular styles where multiple languages are expected, including Latin jazz styles such as Bossa Nova (Portuguese songs may be requested); Tango (Spanish songs may be requested); folk music (French songs may be requested); and Celtic music (Irish songs may be requested). In classical music, auditions are used to screen candidates for positions as instrumentalists in chamber groups or orchestras or as soloists, and to screen singers for positions as members of

14136-564: The approval process for Sonic Underground , going so far as to force DiC to reanimate the characters with five fingers instead of the usual four due to the Japanese association of four fingers with the yakuza . While it was once believed that 65 episodes were made of which only 40 aired, Ben Hurst, a main writer from Sonic the Hedgehog (dubbed SatAM by fans), who was also involved in Sonic Underground' s production, stated in

14288-406: The artistic team to assess a performer's skills in accordance with specific characters. During the callback, the panel has shortlisted a candidate, because they have noted his or her potential for particular parts. As such, during a callback audition, the candidate is asked to sing the songs performed by certain characters or read their lines. The first audition is not a platform for selling oneself as

14440-515: The auditionees ability to project a strong, room-filling vocal tone. In classical music, in addition to judging singing ability (e.g., tone, intonation, etc.), the audition panel will be judging the applicant's ability to use the appropriate diction and pronunciation of the major languages used in Art music: German, Italian, and French. Other languages that the applicant may be asked to sing in include English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin. Musical theatre

14592-642: The bonus features from the Shout! Factory DVD boxset. Delta Home Entertainment also released the four discs separately, with Disc 1 and 2 being released as "Beginnings" and "Who Do You Think You Are" in August 2008, and Discs 3 and 4 being released as "When in Rome" and "Country Crisis" in September 2008. Sonic Underground received mixed reviews: it was criticized for its complex plot and large amount of differences from

14744-470: The company director ahead of time. Performers auditioning for amusement parks worldwide are generally viewed by one or more casting directors in a rehearsal hall or a large facility. Most theme park auditions, like other auditions, are closed to the public. This means that no one is allowed into the audition room who is not auditioning. Vocalists for Disney auditions are asked to prepare two separate vocal selections of contrasting styles. The singers do not sing

14896-450: The complexities of its story" criticizing its complex plot but complimenting its low violence and ability to entertain children. The Sonic the Hedgehog comic from Archie Comics featured a story in one of its special issues in which the Sonic Underground continuity was featured. According to the comics' plot, the reality in which Sonic Underground takes place is one of many parallel universes that share elements with Sonic's own. In

15048-471: The country near French-speaking Quebec, however, it is the foreign language more commonly taught. Vowel phonemes in French Cattle call The audition is a systematic process in which industry professionals select performers, which is in some ways analogous to a job interview in the regular job market. In an audition, the employer is testing the ability of the applicant to meet the needs of

15200-503: The dancer-actors have to play instruments onstage, such as the Threepenny Opera . In music theater, there is also often crossover between dancing and acting roles. Dancers may be expected to be able to take on an acting role and speak lines (often in a supporting role). Some major dance companies have "open calls" once a year, in which any or almost any applicant can come to demonstrate their dancing skills. At these open calls,

15352-519: The demographic prospects of the French-speaking nations of Africa, researcher Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry wrote in 2014 that French "could be the language of the future". However, some African countries such as Algeria intermittently attempted to eradicate the use of French, and as of 2024 it was removed as an official language in Mali and Burkina Faso . Significant as a judicial language, French

15504-448: The economic power of the countries using the language, the number of major areas in which the language is used, and the linguistic prestige associated with the mastery of the language (Weber highlighted that French in particular enjoys considerable linguistic prestige). In a 2008 reassessment of his article, Weber concluded that his findings were still correct since "the situation among the top ten remains unchanged." Knowledge of French

15656-594: The elites primarily spoke French, while many servants who worked in French households spoke a French pidgin known as " Tây Bồi " (now extinct). After French rule ended, South Vietnam continued to use French in administration, education, and trade. However, since the Fall of Saigon and the opening of a unified Vietnam's economy, French has gradually been effectively displaced as the first foreign language of choice by English in Vietnam. Nevertheless, it continues to be taught as

15808-542: The end of the evening. For smaller roles in a large musical theater production, mass auditions are held at which many inexperienced or aspiring performers, most without agents , show up. These are popularly known as "cattle calls", since the hopefuls are often kept together in one large room. The musical A Chorus Line depicts this type of audition. American Idol also auditions its aspiring vocalists using this technique, since there are so many auditions. In musical theater and in pop music styles for which onstage dancing

15960-466: The end. In 2009, reruns of Sonic Underground aired on Firestone Communications' Sorpresa , a Hispanic children's station (Channel 850 on Time Warner Cable ) in the United States, broadcasting the audio-dubbed Latin Spanish dub. Re-runs of the series aired on Disney XD starting 11 June 2012 and ending on 14 December 2012. This marked the second time a Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon has aired on

16112-534: The entire group of applicants are taught a dance routine by a choreographer, and then the group of dancers performs the routine while judges assess their performance. It can be hard for a good dancer to get noticed by the judges in such a large group of dancers. For this reason, some dance coaches encourage their students to wear outgoing clothes and bright things to stand out, so that the dancer will get personal attention during his or her audition. For any audition interviews, dancers should send their resume and headshot to

16264-401: The entire orchestra (every tenured member) votes on the musicians auditioning, with the section the musician would join (and sometimes the conductor) having a veto. An orchestral audition will normally set out a list of orchestral excerpts which each performer has to prepare. As well, each performer plays a movement from a Sonata or Concerto which may be performed with piano accompaniment. When

16416-488: The entire songs; instead they just need to sing the best 16 bars of each song. Disney provides a piano accompanist for all vocal auditions, and so singers have to bring sheet music in the correct key. Disney does not allow any pre-recorded accompaniment. The casting directors may also ask auditionees to learn additional music or learn a movement combination. Disney Parks & Resorts casts performers for theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships. At Cirque du Soleil , depending on

16568-494: The episodes themselves are uninspired - but acknowledge the simple fact that it scores well with its target audience." GamesRadar called the show as one of "the absolute worst Sonic moments", criticizing the extra characters and the complex plot. Patrick Lee of The A.V. Club panned the series, calling it one of the most artistic failures to ever end up on television and "the result of several unrelated ideas forcibly squashed into one project". Comedian Chris Hardwick commented on

16720-516: The first government authority to adopt Modern French as official was the Aosta Valley in 1536, while the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts (1539) named French the language of law in the Kingdom of France . During the 17th century, French replaced Latin as the most important language of diplomacy and international relations ( lingua franca ). It retained this role until approximately the middle of

16872-915: The former Yugoslavia , International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea the International Criminal Court and the World Trade Organization Appellate Body . It is the sole internal working language of the Court of Justice of the European Union , and makes with English the European Court of Human Rights 's two working languages. In 1997, George Weber published, in Language Today ,

17024-440: The games, although some critics have defined the music as catchy. David Cornelius of DVD Talk said, "While many Sonic fans did not take too well to all the changes, preferring the original 'Sonic' cartoon to this stranger, sometimes darker, sometimes sillier incarnation, the series did win a small but loyal cult following. I fall more on the side of disappointment - for all the cleverness that went into crafting an all-new backstory,

17176-829: The gender of the corresponding word in Gaulish. The estimated number of French words that can be attributed to Gaulish is placed at 154 by the Petit Robert , which is often viewed as representing standardized French, while if non-standard dialects are included, the number increases to 240. Known Gaulish loans are skewed toward certain semantic fields, such as plant life ( chêne , bille , etc.), animals ( mouton , cheval , etc.), nature ( boue , etc.), domestic activities (ex. berceau ), farming and rural units of measure ( arpent , lieue , borne , boisseau ), weapons, and products traded regionally rather than further afield. This semantic distribution has been attributed to peasants being

17328-513: The job and assess how well the individual will take directions and deal with changes. After some auditions, after the performer has demonstrated their abilities in a given performance style, the audition panel may ask a few questions that resemble those used in standard job interviews (e.g., regarding availability). Auditions are required for many reasons in the performing arts world. Often, employing companies or groups use auditions to select performers for upcoming shows or productions. An audition for

17480-442: The judges may sit behind a desk and write comments on clipboards. In classical music, each instrument or vocal type has a standard repertoire of music which is commonly requested at auditions. Instrumentalists in an orchestral context are typically asked to perform excerpts from the orchestral literature, including both exposed solos and "tutti" parts which are particularly demanding. Orchestral auditions are typically held in front of

17632-401: The language are very closely related to those of the rest of the French-speaking world. French is the second most commonly spoken language in Canada and one of two federal official languages alongside English. As of the 2021 Canadian census , it was the native language of 7.7 million people (21% of the population) and the second language of 2.9 million (8% of the population). French

17784-479: The language, although it has now given way to Tamil and English. A former French mandate , Lebanon designates Arabic as the sole official language, while a special law regulates cases when French can be publicly used. Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that "Arabic is the official national language. A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used". The French language in Lebanon

17936-612: The language. The Act applies to areas of the province where there are significant Francophone communities, namely Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario . Elsewhere, sizable French-speaking minorities are found in southern Manitoba, Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island and the Port au Port Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unique Newfoundland French dialect was historically spoken. Smaller pockets of French speakers exist in all other provinces. The Ontarian city of Ottawa ,

18088-479: The last to hold onto Gaulish. The beginning of French in Gaul was greatly influenced by Germanic invasions into the country. These invasions had the greatest impact on the northern part of the country and on the language there. A language divide began to grow across the country. The population in the north spoke langue d'oïl while the population in the south spoke langue d'oc . Langue d'oïl grew into what

18240-423: The lines while looking directly at the director). An actor who is doing an audition may warm up before the audition, like an athlete would, although with an actor, a warm up might include vocal exercises in addition to stretching. Just as with any interview outside of the performing arts world, an auditionee may dress well. Even if the auditionee does not have expensive clothing, simple clothing may be acceptable if it

18392-518: The most promising candidates based on the experience and training indicated in the applicants' CVs (and, in some cases, based on the performing ability demonstrated in a recording of the applicant). This first "cut" of auditionees then perform in front of the audition panel. Typically in a professional orchestra, this would require the performance of excerpts representing stylistic and technical challenges drawn from repertoire typical to that orchestra. The most promising candidates are invited to return for

18544-433: The movements that are associated with the lyrics of the aria, which may include pretending to be dying from a stab wound, miming an activity (e.g., pouring wine), or doing a simple dance routine. Both choral and opera singers are expected to be able to follow the gestures of a conductor in regards to expression and tempo. Since microphones are not used in most classical music performances, the audition panel will be assessing

18696-420: The necessity and means to annihilate the patois and to universalize the use of the French language". When public education was made compulsory , only French was taught and the use of any other ( patois ) language was punished. The goals of the public school system were made especially clear to the French-speaking teachers sent to teach students in regions such as Occitania and Brittany . Instructions given by

18848-513: The next two were released on 16 August 2004. There were plans for the remaining six volumes to be released separately, but they were instead released in a 10-DVD boxset in October 2004. In July 2005, Avenue Entertainment released two budget DVDs containing two episodes each. Delta Home Entertainment released the complete series again on DVD in June 2008 as a 4-disc set, with the fifth DVD containing

19000-589: The official use or teaching of French. It is spoken as a first language (in descending order of the number of speakers) in France; Canada (especially in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick); Belgium ( Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region ); western Switzerland (specifically the cantons forming the Romandy region); parts of Luxembourg; parts of the United States (the states of Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont); Monaco;

19152-543: The other Sonic cartoons, the series began to air on Pop , and by 2012, was airing on its sister channel Kix! In January 1999, it was announced that Bohbot Entertainment had acquired the North American broadcast rights to the series to air on their BKN syndicated strand. The series premiered in the country on 30 August 1999, on the company's then-new BKN Kids II on weekday mornings at 6:00 AM Central Time ., and ran until 22 October 1999. The series also aired on

19304-534: The other main foreign language in the Vietnamese educational system and is regarded as a cultural language. All three countries are full members of La Francophonie (OIF). French was the official language of French India , consisting of the geographically separate enclaves referred to as Puducherry . It continued to be an official language of the territory even after its cession to India in 1956 until 1965. A small number of older locals still retain knowledge of

19456-404: The performer plays the orchestral excerpts, he or she may be given a tempo, or asked to follow the gestures of the conductor. Orchestral auditions are often run in several stages, in order to screen candidates and reduce those who are less likely to meet the needs of the job. A large number of applicants typically apply for a professional orchestra job. The orchestra personnel manager then selects

19608-437: The performers will be expected to have memorized most or all of the music. In a Classical context, most or all of the music is read from sheet music (with the exception of a solo Bach suite movement or a solo concerto movement). For rock, country, and other forms of popular music, auditions are used to test the ability of an instrumentalist or singer to perform a specific style of music, or several styles. A singer auditioning for

19760-471: The preferred language of certain institutions or administrations such as the Court of Justice of the European Union , where it is the sole internal working language, or the Directorate-General for Agriculture . Since 2016, Brexit has rekindled discussions on whether or not French should again hold greater role within the institutions of the European Union. A leading world language , French

19912-511: The prophecy to them. After that, Sonic, Manic, and Sonia go on a quest searching for Queen Aleena throughout Mobius. Dr. Robotnik, with the assistance from Sleet, Dingo and the Swat-bots, tries constantly to capture the royal hedgehogs and prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled. The Oracle of Delphius assigns the three siblings powerful medallions that can change into musical instruments , and can also be used as weapons : Sonic's medallion

20064-471: The rest largely speak French as a first language. As a French Creole language , Haitian Creole draws the large majority of its vocabulary from French, with influences from West African languages, as well as several European languages. It is closely related to Louisiana Creole and the creole from the Lesser Antilles . French is the sole official language of all the overseas territories of France in

20216-452: The series. From 2007 until 2010, NCircle Entertainment released several single-release DVDs containing four episodes each: NCircle also re-released Volumes 1 and 2 in 2013 and 2017, respectively. On 25 July 2023, they released the complete series as a four disc set. In 2004, Anchor Bay UK obtained rights to distribute several DIC cartoons, including Sonic Underground on home video. The first two volumes were released on 31 May 2004 while

20368-411: The show on three discs, with disc three also including interviews with DIC's Robby London, Mike Piccirillo, an opening title animatic, and concept art. A bonus fourth disc is an audio CD containing eight songs from the series, including the opening theme. Sonic Underground: Volume 2 was released on 17 June 2008, featuring the remaining 20 episodes and another bonus audio CD featuring eight more songs from

20520-470: The show's theme song , composed by Mike Piccirillo , claiming that "that guy sounds like he's trying to win his exwife back." Susan Arendt of Wired said "The songs are actually kind of catchy in a Saturday morning cartoon kind of way, but the band thing still seems a bit out of place, especially when the instruments turn into weapons." Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media said " Sonic Underground has some good things to offer kids, but only if they're ready for

20672-515: The show's distributor Buena Vista International Television and had also aired other programmes produced by DIC Entertainment at the time. ITV aired the first 18 episodes of the series on Sunday mornings before the series was removed from the Diggit schedule. In 2005, DIC pre-sold the series to GMTV, and so the series reran on ITV2 in 2005 as part of the GMTV2 Kids strand. By 2006, alongside

20824-465: The story, Sonic Prime—hailing from the main universe in the comic series—joins forces with his counterpart and siblings to stop Dr. Robotnik, who has managed to assemble a monstrous battle machine known as the Giant Borg. Robotnik obtained the pieces for this machine due to being mistaken for one of his own counterparts by Evil Sonic, an evil counterpart of Sonic's who later came to be known as Scourge

20976-412: The studios to learn about the established characters and brainstorm possible plots for episodes, after which about one or two would be selected. According to Mike Piccirillo, when he was writing songs for the show, there were no storyboards done yet, so he could only work off of the scripts, which often said what moral or lesson the song should be about in each episode. The show's animation was outsourced to

21128-425: The talent agents to imagine the model in different garments. Typically, a model wears fairly body-hugging clothes, so that the judges can see the body type of the model. Some modelling agencies audition a large number of aspiring models in an "open call", in which agents consider applicants for under a minute or so each. Some agencies hold model searches, which is a type of beauty contest in which applicants audition for

21280-414: The total number of French speakers will reach approximately 500 million in 2025 and 650 million by 2050, largely due to rapid population growth in sub-Saharan Africa . OIF estimates 700 million French speakers by 2050, 80% of whom will be in Africa. In a study published in March 2014 by Forbes , the investment bank Natixis said that French could become the world's most spoken language by 2050. In

21432-679: The two official languages—along with Dutch —of the Brussels-Capital Region , where it is spoken by the majority of the population (approx. 80%), often as their primary language. French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian, and Romansh , and is spoken in the western part of Switzerland, called Romandy , of which Geneva is the largest city. The language divisions in Switzerland do not coincide with political subdivisions, and some cantons have bilingual status: for example, cities such as Biel/Bienne and cantons such as Valais , Fribourg and Bern . French

21584-508: The urban intellectual elite. The Gaulish language likely survived into the sixth century in France despite considerable Romanization . Coexisting with Latin, Gaulish helped shape the Vulgar Latin dialects that developed into French contributing loanwords and calques (including oui , the word for "yes"), sound changes shaped by Gaulish influence, and influences in conjugation and word order. Recent computational studies suggest that early gender shifts may have been motivated by

21736-485: The use of French in official government publications, public education except in specific cases, and legal contracts; advertisements must bear a translation of foreign words. In Belgium, French is an official language at the federal level along with Dutch and German. At the regional level, French is the sole official language of Wallonia (excluding a part of the East Cantons , which are German-speaking ) and one of

21888-536: The workplace. In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business, after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese . In English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, French is the first foreign language taught and in number of pupils is far ahead of other languages. In the United States, French is the second-most commonly taught foreign language in schools and universities, although well behind Spanish. In some areas of

22040-402: The world's French-speaking population lives in Africa. According to a 2023 estimate from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie , an estimated 167 million African people spread across 35 countries and territories can speak French as either a first or a second language . This number does not include the people living in non-Francophone African countries who have learned French as

22192-417: Was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the ( Germanic ) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to the French colonial empire , there are numerous French-based creole languages , most notably Haitian Creole . A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French. French

22344-819: Was during the period of the Crusades in which French became so dominant in the Mediterranean Sea that became a lingua franca ("Frankish language"), and because of increased contact with the Arabs during the Crusades who referred to them as Franj , numerous Arabic loanwords entered French, such as amiral (admiral), alcool (alcohol), coton (cotton) and sirop (syrop), as well as scientific terms such as algébre (algebra), alchimie (alchemy) and zéro (zero). Within Old French many dialects emerged but

22496-400: Was gradually adopted by the inhabitants of Gaul. As the language was learned by the common people, it developed a distinct local character, with grammatical differences from Latin as spoken elsewhere, some of which is attested in graffiti. This local variety evolved into the Gallo-Romance tongues, which include French and its closest relatives, such as Arpitan . The evolution of Latin in Gaul

22648-652: Was known in the Occitan-speaking region as Vergonha . Spoken by 19.71% of the European Union's population, French is the third most widely spoken language in the EU, after English and German and the second-most-widely taught language after English. Under the Constitution of France , French has been the official language of the Republic since 1992, although the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts made it mandatory for legal documents in 1539. France mandates

22800-399: Was publicly announced as early as December 1997. When the show was in development, two episodes per week were produced, and the writers felt that they were not given enough time to "tie everything together" in the plot, being limited to a three-part "Origins" saga for coherency. DIC used cattle calls to generate episode plots. Periodically, about twenty unaffiliated writers were brought into

22952-594: Was shaped by its coexistence for over half a millennium beside the native Celtic Gaulish language , which did not go extinct until the late sixth century, long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire . The population remained 90% indigenous in origin; the Romanizing class were the local native elite (not Roman settlers), whose children learned Latin in Roman schools. At the time of the collapse of

23104-437: Was the language they use the most at home rose from 67% at the 2007 census to 74% at the 2017 census. In Wallis and Futuna, the percentage of the population who reported that French was the language they use the most at home rose from 10% at the 2008 census to 13% at the 2018 census. According to a demographic projection led by the Université Laval and the Réseau Démographie de l'Agence universitaire de la Francophonie ,

#240759