by Maithreyi Parthasarathy Maithreyi Parthasarathy is a junior in Linguistics at the University of Illinois. Maithreyi's future plans include working as an English as a Second Language instructor and pursuing a career in diplomacy. She wrote this blog post in 418 'Language and Minorities in Europe' in Fall 2021 . At the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, a mini France found a home called Pondicherry. Located in Tamil Nadu, this territory seems out of place in the region with its cobblestone boulevards and French edifices. In this territory, the French language thrives, spoken by over half of the local population and established as an official language. The former French colony hosts a population of local French speakers, both native and second language learners, keeping the language and culture alive. Throughout its centuries long presence, the French language has interacted with and been shaped by various languages in the region, its most extensive contact is with ...