Globalisation, internet and the French-speaking diaspora

The article begins with a study of the French-speaking diaspora worldwide, consisting of students, entrepreneurs, employees, and tourists, describing the relationships between such "transnational communities", their countries of origin and their host countries: what do they talk about, with what kind of accent, and with whom, where do they go to school, where do they buy wine, how to cope with time differences, how mobile phone technology has transformed the lives of expats, and above all how internet has become a major tool in maintaining relationships. Jack Kessler, writing from a bench in San Francisco, explores the influence all these aspects have had on the French-speaking diaspora: the future, he writes, "will always be complex and full of surprises".
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