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The language of young Parisians is considered here by contrasting the actual practices of young speakers from the banlieue and their representations of language and languages, particularly their insecurity. Their ideologies, revealing as many prejudices and stereotypes as those held by the general population, demonstrate a much better adaptation to French society than is generally thought. As for their forms of speech, when compared to the ordinary ways of speaking of other French citizens, there is little evidence to support the idea of a drift away from the French language.