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Speaking French with French people

  Tags: Speaking | French
 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages Post Reply
37 messages over 5 pages: 1 2 35  Next >>
Le dacquois
Diglot
Groupie
France
Joined 5647 days ago

54 posts - 69 votes 
Speaks: English*, French
Studies: Spanish, German

 
 Message 25 of 37
25 June 2009 at 10:04am | IP Logged 
anytram wrote:

I'm not sure if it isn't just a Parisian thing, but you don't know service, especially in bars and cafés -


Hehe, no, it's not just a Parisian thing. Don't worry, you'll get used to it, just like me :D
1 person has voted this message useful



vientito
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 6338 days ago

212 posts - 281 votes 

 
 Message 26 of 37
05 July 2009 at 2:07pm | IP Logged 
une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps, comme on dit.
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Le dacquois
Diglot
Groupie
France
Joined 5647 days ago

54 posts - 69 votes 
Speaks: English*, French
Studies: Spanish, German

 
 Message 27 of 37
08 July 2009 at 8:17am | IP Logged 
Or you could say there's no smoke without fire.
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Rhoda
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5600 days ago

166 posts - 196 votes 
Speaks: English*, French
Studies: Latin, Swahili, Ancient Greek, German

 
 Message 28 of 37
27 July 2009 at 5:59pm | IP Logged 
I've been to France several times (mostly in the south, not yet Paris) and have not encountered any rudeness or snobbery. Some shopkeepers will switch to English if they realize you are American (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they mean to be helpful, not insulting haha). In general though, the people with whom I spoke French (in bakeries, at flea markets, asking for directions, etc.) would reply in French. If they saw my family in the background though, speaking very loud English, they might switch over :)
1 person has voted this message useful



Anekantavada
Newbie
United States
Joined 5734 days ago

11 posts - 18 votes
Speaks: English*
Studies: German, Spanish, French

 
 Message 29 of 37
28 July 2009 at 11:35pm | IP Logged 
Most of the stories of 'Francophone snobbery' seem to involve Parisians, who, likely as not, are simply tired of dealing with tourists. My Québécois friends are very generous and supportive of my efforts to communicate with my (mostly passive) knowledge of French, despite my poor accent and inadequate speaking/writing abilities.
1 person has voted this message useful



Albin
Tetraglot
Newbie
Sweden
Joined 5941 days ago

13 posts - 14 votes
Speaks: Swedish*, English, German, French

 
 Message 30 of 37
04 August 2009 at 12:40am | IP Logged 
I find the French somewhat insecure about speaking English. Mastering the language means to have power and for French nationals who often like to tell jokes or to win an argument they'll lose an advantage towards the others if they'd give up le français. On the other hand, otherwise the English speakers have this enormous advantage which is so beneficial to them.

I've been at a great number of meetings and conferences where either French or English was the dominant langugage and where many knew both of them. To my experience, those who mastered the at that time dominant language would be able to push through more things; they were simply recieved with more respect as their ideas sounded more convincing.

And then we've got category no. 3: us who speak insignificant languages like Swedish. We can only try being the second best and seldome we'll be able to express ourselves in the language in which we feel most confident. At the same time, in this effort to be second best, we'll so often be treated as if say English actually were the language we feel most comfortable in speaking. Well it isn't, it is just that is usually better for us than say French!

But I do have some respect to the French in that they seem to protect their dignity, that they aren't submissive to English language imperialism like us northerners, as someone said in a different thread.

To sum up: I think that self-confidence and the power of language in social situations should not be underestimated. Perhaps the best solution to this inequality would be that everyone had to speak a second language. That would put everyone at the same level. And wouldn't it then be for the best if we agreed on Esperanto as the lingua franca, at least in larger international meetings?
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^veganboy^
Groupie
United Kingdom
Joined 5919 days ago

51 posts - 51 votes 

 
 Message 31 of 37
26 September 2009 at 2:10am | IP Logged 
wow Albin, I've just talked to a friend about what you are saying. I agree with you 100%.
1 person has voted this message useful



administrator
Hexaglot
Forum Admin
Switzerland
FXcuisine.com
Joined 7376 days ago

3094 posts - 2987 votes 
12 sounds
Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian
Personal Language Map

 
 Message 32 of 37
26 September 2009 at 6:50am | IP Logged 
Guys, if you ever doubt the cultural impoliteness of Parisians, I think I have the ultimate proof. The local newspaper for Paris is called "Le Parisien", and they run many TV commercials all making fun of the negative perceptions of Parisians and of their legendary rudeness. Have a gander on youtube.


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