Languages in Mauritius

The Constitution makes mention of no official languages in Mauritius. It only makes a statement in Article 49 that "The official languages in Mauritius of the Assembly shall just be English, but any member can address the chair in French, implying that English and French are the two official languages in Mauritius of the National assembly.

Mauritius Official languages

However, the language of majority and lingua franca of the country is the French-based Mauritian Creole. English is used as the prime medium of communication in public schools while French is also a pervasive language in education and the dominant language in media. According to the Organisation Internationale, 72.7% of the Mauritians used to speak languages in Mauritius i.e. French in 2005. Mauritius shares this distinction of being both English- and French-speaking with other countries such as Canada, Vanuatu, Rwanda, Seychelles, and Cameroon. Both French and English are common languages of Mauritius. Being both an English-speaking and French-speaking nation at the same time, Mauritius is a member of both Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie. Mauritian Creole, which is widely spoken by an estimated 90% of the population, which is considered to be the native language of the country and is used most often in informal settings as well. It was developed mainly in the 18th century by slaves who used a creole to communicate with others as well as with their French masters too. It is in the Parliament that the official language of Mauritius is English, but anyone can still address the chair in French. English and French are accepted as the official languages in Mauritius. 

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