The Elite language as a Mother Tongue in a Multilingual Environment

In the context of Congolese multilingualism, this research was conducted among teenagers and adult children at Plateau des Residents des professeurs. The findings of the survey indicate that French is frequently used by individuals in almost every situation, making it a dominant language at home and school. The attitudes towards other national languages and foreign languages, particularly English, are positive based on the data presented. The study aimed to confirm or refute the hypotheses outlined in previous chapters. The results show that English is considered the most beautiful language by 48.8% of respondents, the easiest language by 43.3%, and the most useful language by 46.6%. French is perceived as the most polite language by 64.4% of respondents. While French remains the predominant language, English holds the second position in the preferences of the participants. The research findings, despite being based on a small sample size, are statistically significant. The teenagers and adult children reside at Plateau des Residents, a residential area in Kinshasa’s Lemba township, which is one of the main cities in the DRC with a diverse linguistic landscape.