While Standard French is the official and most widely spoken language in France, many regional dialects continue to shape the country’s linguistic landscape. Some are closely related to French, while others are linguistically unrelated. Learn more about dialects spoken in France in this article. Historical background The shift toward a single national language began in 1539 with the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, which established French as the official language of legal and administrative documents, replacing Latin....