Catastrophe et Langage : Les Nouveaux Usages du Français en Temps de COVID-19

Disaster and Language: New Uses of French in Times of COVID-19

With the recent development of big data, disaster management provides access to a lot of information as well as a variety of language services. Natural and man-made disasters have global repercussions, like the current coronavirus pandemic. In view of the increase in disasters and the development of information and communication technologies, it seems opportune to conduct a study on the evolution of language related to disasters. We will first focus on the theories which relate catastrophes and language and we will take a particular interest in the analysis of the linguistic network. This theoretical basis will allow us to approach the way in which the French language to integrate or reject, transform and then shape a series of terms conjunctive to COVID-19. Eleven new uses will then be selected - according to criteria of frequency of use, disciplinary convergence, association with other neologisms and cultural relevance - then analyzed. The results of our research will show that it is possible to teach these new words to French language learners. To this end, the last part of our study will propose a course model structured around five stages: identification of new uses, polysemy of terms, association of ideas, words in networks and narration.