La Francophonie is the vibrant community shared by the 274 million speakers of French across 5 continents. From Africa to the Americas, French is the 5th most spoken language in the world, and the second most learned language after English. With more than 60,000 words, it is a language of international communication used by 80 nations and governments. In the United States, it is estimated that up to 11 million people are Francophone, and 13 million Americans claim French, French-Canadian, or Acadian origin. The majority of Franco-Americans are concentrated in New England, as well as Louisiana. Clearly, French is a rich international language that connects people well beyond the borders of France!