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Young people's French as lived and seen by students. Surveys in Montpellier, Paris, Lille Under different names that changed over the 80s and the 90s, one can note the irresistible advance of a certain sociogenerational manner of speech, colored by slang, a particular speaking style given much attention not only by the written press but also by specialists of the French language, no doubt influenced by the exaggerated publicity given to the 'crisis of the suburbs' by the media. Based on a limited number of markers well on their way to becoming stereotypes, considered by the author as neological-type variables, the aim here was to evaluate the impact of this way of speaking on a specific population of young people, by surveying several groups of first-year language and literature students variously located, in two series of studies by questionnaire carried out between 1994 and 1998. The results point to the considerable significance of the variables involved among this population, and first and foremost of 'verlanization', seemingly acknowledged as the symbol par excellence of 'young people's French', largely of peripheral (suburban) origin.