Languages French is the dominant language of the country’s 66 million residents, but there are a number of variants based on region. French, the official language, is the first language of 88 percent of the population, according to the BBC. French is the second most widely learned foreign language in the world, with almost 120 million students, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development. Those living near the border of Italy may speak Italian as a second language, and Basque is spoken by people living along the French-Spanish border.