Anglicism refers to the use of English words or words imitating their English equivalents in a French text. This phenomenon is generally not desirable and may lead to a weak linguistic mix called franglais.
Learners often fall into using anglicisms due to the similarities between English and French, whether these similarities are real or perceived. It’s an easy way to speak French and seems to work most of the time. It doesn’t appear to hinder communication much, especially since francophones themselves use anglicisms quite a lot. Watch a Quebecois movie or talk to a Montrealer, and you’ll encounter many words that are either borrowed from English or made to look like English but sound French.
Another reason behind the prevalence of anglicisms is that English is a dominant language in many parts of the world, and many languages borrow from it. French is no exception.
English has an advantage in being able to express long meanings in short words. Communication privileges brevity. Instead of giving a full definition of something, you can just opt for the short English word that everyone knows. For example, weekend instead of fin de semaine, job instead of emploi, cool and exciting instead of more nuanced French adjectives, or chat instead of clavardage.
This phenomenon is especially prevalent in computer and internet-related terminology because these domains were predominantly developed in English or through that linguistic medium.
Now, you might think, ‘That’s all fine. So, I can just go ahead and get comfortable with anglicisms since they’re legitimized by French speakers themselves.’
My recommendation is no, please avoid anglicisms at any cost. Here’s why:
1. Hindrance to Learning Proper Syntax: Anglicisms can prevent you from understanding how French syntax works and how to properly form sentences. They disrupt the French structure, especially if the anglicism is a verb (which won’t be properly conjugated) or an adjective (which won’t agree in gender or number with the noun).
2. Impediment to Effective Communication: Using anglicisms will make you think in terms of individual words rather than building blocks of meaning. Building blocks are more effective for improving your speaking and writing skills.
3. Impoverishment of Vocabulary: Relying on anglicisms will limit your personal French glossary, as you won’t learn or use the French counterparts of these English words.
Lastly, although many francophones do use anglicisms in their everyday interactions, it is always recommended to learn how to express yourself in proper French before opting for an anglicism to convey specific words or ideas.