REFLECTION OF SPIRITUAL AND VALUE CONCEPTUAL ORIENTATIONS IN BENIN’S FRENCH LINGUACULTURE

Abstract

The article investigates the spiritual and value‑oriented conceptual framework embodied in Benin’s Francophone linguaculture. The empirical material derives from a free‑association test conducted with 100 French‑speaking informants stratified by age and socio‑professional status. Their responses formed six stable clusters: Mutual Aid, Unity, Justice, Family, Filial Responsibility and Work. Comparison with a corpus of proverbs, sayings and aphorisms confirmed the relevance of these dominants and highlighted generational nuances: younger respondents more often emphasise career prosperity and self‑development, whereas older participants stress communal solidarity and respect for elders. The findings refine the description of culture‑specific concepts and can inform the inclusion of value‑based modules in educational curricula, media content and institutional discourse, thereby supporting Beninese cultural identity amid globalisation. The article concludes that the modernization of institutional discourse through the integration of vocabulary representing traditional Beninese values into administrative and business communication. It is recommended to develop communicative protocols that incorporate traditional formulas of politeness and etiquette constructions that reflect hierarchical relations between representatives of different age groups.