Language The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of which Kinshasa is the capital, is French (See: Kinshasa French vocabulary). Kinshasa is the largest officially Francophone city in the world, albeit that the vast majority of people either cannot speak French, or struggle in speaking it.A third factor is simply a demographic one. At least one in ten Congolese live in Kinshasa. With its population exceeding eleven million, it is the second-largest city in sub-Saharan Africa (after Lagos). It is also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, according to Paris (even though only a small percentage of Kinois speak French correctly), Although Lingala is widely used as a spoken language, French is the language of street signs, posters, newspapers, government documents, schools; it dominates plays, television, and the press, and it is used in vertical relationships among people of different social classes. People of the same class, however, speak the Congolese languages (Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba or Swahili) among themselves.While the culture is dominated by the Francophonie, a complex multilingualism is present in Kinshasa. Many in the francophonie of the 1980s labelled Zaïre as the second-largest francophone country, and Kinshasa as the second-largest francophone city. Yet Zaïre seemed unlikely to escape a complex multilingualism. Lingala was the language of music, of presidential addresses, of daily life in government and in Kinshasa. But if Lingala was the spoken language of Kinshasa, it made little progress as a written language. French was the written language of the city, as seen in street signs, posters, newspapers and in government documents. French dominated plays and television as well as the press; French was the language of the national anthem and even for the doctrine of authenticity. Zairian researchers found French to be used in vertical relationships among people of uneven rank; people of equal rank, no matter how high, tended to speak Zairian languages among themselves. Given these limits, French might have lost its place to another of the leading languages of Zaïre – Lingala, Tshiluba, or Swahili – except that teaching of these languages also suffered from limitations on its growth. Kinshasa hosted the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012.
lAnGuage THe OFfiCIal laNGuage Of the DeMoCratic RePublIc of the cOnGo, of WHiCH kinsHaSA Is tHe CapitAl, is fRENcH (see: kinsHASa FreNCh voCAbulaRY). kinShasa iS THe LaRGest OfficIally fRAncoPHone City iN the worlD, aLbEIt tHat the vast maJoriTY of peoPLE eitheR cannot speAk freNch, oR strugGle iN spEakiNg it.a tHird fACtor iS simply a demoGRAphic onE. at Least one in teN congOlEse Live in kinshasa. WiTH ItS PopulatioN EXcEeDinG ElEVeN MillioN, it iS the second-lARGest CiTY In sUb-sahAran AFriCa (aFteR lagos). It is ALso the SecoNd-laRgeST fRENCh-speakIng CiTy iN ThE worLD, acCORdiNg To paRis (EvEN ThOugh oNly A SMall pErcentAGe of kinoiS SPEak french correctlY), alTHOugh LiNgALA is widely Used AS a SPoKen languagE, FreNch is The languaGe of streeT siGnS, pOsTErs, nEWSpApErs, goVerNMent dOcuments, scHooLS; IT DomInates playS, teleVIsIon, and the Press, and IT Is USeD in verTiCAL RelAtIOnsHipS among PeOple OF dIfFerent SociAl claSSes. pEople of tHE samE ClaSs, HOweVer, SpEak ThE congoLeSe lAnguages (KikongO, lInGalA, TshiLuba Or swAhili) among tHeMseLVEs.whiLe the CulTUre is dominAtEd by THE FrAnCoPHonIe, a compLEx multiliNGuALiSM is PresENt iN kiNShAsa. many iN the FranCophonie Of THe 1980s LabeLlEd zAïre as the seCOnd-LArGest fRancoPhoNE couNtry, and kINshasA As The sEconD-LaRGEst FRaNcOPhone cIty. yET zaÏre seemeD unlIKelY tO Escape A cOMPlex mUltIlInGualIsm. linGala was the laNguage OF music, oF presidentiaL AddresSeS, of dAIlY liFe iN gOvernMenT ANd In KInShasA. BuT iF lINGalA wAS tHe sPokeN language Of kInsHAsa, iT made little pRogreSs as A written LaNguagE. FrEnch Was tHe wRitTEn langUage of The city, as seen iN sTrEEt sIgnS, PoStErs, newsPAPeRs And IN goVernment docUmEntS. FrEnch DOMinated PLayS and TeleViSIoN as weLl as THE preSs; french wAs tHE laNguaGe OF The natiONAL aNThem and even for ThE docTrIne of authENTicitY. zaiRian reSEarCherS foUnD FRench tO be UseD in VerTicAl relaTIonsHIps amOng peopLe oF UNEVen RaNk; peOpLE of equal rank, No mAttER How hiGh, TENdeD To SpEaK zairIan LanguAgeS amoNg Themselves. given these lIMITs, frEnCh MigHt HaVE LosT its PlACe to anothER Of THe lEAding languAgeS of zaïre – lingaLa, tShiluba, Or sWahili – Except ThAt TeAcHiNg oF tHeSe LAnGuaGeS aLso SUfFerEd froM LimitatIOns ON its groWtH. kiNshasa hOsted the 14th franCophoNiE suMmIT In oCtOber 2012.