We are in France so we must speak French...why?

[Wendy]

Okay, I am going to open a can of worms with this topic but I would be interested in contributions from those who have been here for donkeys.

I have just been reading a post on the Health forum from a newcomer who wanted to know where they could get a dentist who spoke some English, or was English speaking. They got shot down...we are in France, so why should they expect a dentist to speak English to them?...as if communicating in English was a crime here!..

I am of the opinion that we should all make an effort to communicate with our fellow man no matter what language we speak, no matter what country we are in, and if we are in France, and if we dont speak great French, and if our doctor/dentist/whatever can speak even SOME English then why should they NOT make the ruddy effort? I think this attitiude...we are in France so we ALL have to speak French to the French just encourages the already exisiting discrimination and racism that exists here. And believe me, I have witnessed it here first hand.

My partner speaks fluent (above degree level)  french, and yet, we still get ignorant shop assistants who wave their hands in our face and call for someone 'qui parlez anglais!'  to deal with us. We still get electricians, plumbers, etc, on the phone who refuse to try and understand him and assist us.

I have lived in several countries around the world but it is only in France that I have encountered the attitude of  'our language or nothing' ...it is racist and it is ignorant. Look what is happening in England right now...a young female English celebrity is being lambasted for mocking the way an Indian actress speaks English. If only I  had a euro for the times that has happened here to us with our attempts to communicate in French!. But, this is allowed isn't it because this is France? And only French will do, won't it?.

This attitude only perpetuates the ignorance of the French people and the hypocrisy of the English who live here.

In my eyes anyway.

God that's a lot off my chest.

[Dick Smith]

My french is way below graduate level fluency, but I have never, ever had anyone 'refuse to understand me' or call for 'quelqu'un qui parle anglais'.

Perhaps it's all in the attitude?

[Wendy]

No Dick, you are suggesting we are rude to everyone here and we most certainly are not.  In no way, shape, or form. We always speak French, in all our dealings here, but of course they can suss out you are not French. This is where we  have had trouble.  In which part of French utopia do you live?. Besides that of where you state?.

[chrisb]

[quote user="wen"]

it is only in France that I have encountered the attitude of  'our language or nothing' ...

[/quote]

I can't think of many people in England who expect to communicate in any other language but English.

We've certainly had those conversations in France where we're trying hard to manage in French and the French person is trying to use their rusty English - the end result is usually both parties collapsing in giggles. Most French people seem to appreciate even the poorest attempts to master the language.

[Dick Smith]

Sorry? "Besides that of where you state" What does that mean?

I believe that if you approach people openly they, by and large, respond openly. That isn't living in Utopia (proper noun), that is getting on with people, something which I am not sure your frequent rants illustrates...

[TWINKLE]

Sorry wen but I've lived here for 18 years and I've never seen this sort of response to anyone whether English, American or Dutch bravely making an effort to speak the local lingo.  On the contrary - they love it and it's greatly appreciated.  The people I meet in general are in awe of the Brits who make a new life in a foriegn country.  The French are very 'chauvin' and they rarely travel outside of the French/Spanish border for fear of not being understood.  They understand the difficulties of learning a foreign language to be able to get by.  Please stop this strange myth that the French hate the Rosbifs. 

When I moved here there was no such thing as bi-lingual dentists and doctors.  This has developed due to the growth of British people coming to live here.  How many British French speaking, Romanian speaking, Polish speaking dentists and doctors are currently operating in the towns and rural parts of Great Britain?

NB

I'm not normally so confrontational but I've had half a bottle of very good Fitou this evening[:)]

I'm off to watch a film about a greedy ginger cat speaking English now with my 7 year old[:-))]

[cooperlola]

Like Dick, I have never encountered the attitude of which Wen speaks.  Only today when setting up a new 'phone line for some newly arrived Anglais mates, I had the usual friendly conversation with a French functionary, whom, when I said "I find French numbers the most difficult", said to me "I wish my English was as good as your French"; to which my response was: "Well, I live here, I should try to speak the language." Sure, I see no  problem when dealing with things such as health issues, in trying to find somebody who will understand you - or taking a competent French speaker along with you (shades of Mr Cooperlola sitting in the dentists's chair while I translate!), but I still feel that it is I who have come to their country and therefore the onus is on me to try to communicate with them in their language, not the other way round. 

[opas]

Passed through Fitou yesterday and didn't see any adverts for a any films featuring a ginger cat let alone one speaking English![:D]

 

[Dick Smith]

Perhaps she means Garfield?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356634/

[Christine Animal]

I'm also one who has been here for donkeys and have never encountered the slightest problem whatsoever.  As already mentioned on other threads, I've always felt perfectly at home here and although I still have an awful English accent, I'm often told with a smile how well I speak their language.

And I haven't had any Fitou... yet. [;-)]

 

[opas]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Perhaps she means Garfield?


[/quote]

Is that an AOC or VdP ?[Www]

[Dick Smith]

I have it on authority, Christine, that many French people find an English accent as charming as many English people find a French one (when speaking English). The authority was a Frenchman working in England who had, as it were, a very successful record of attracting the attentions of English women, and had no intention whatsoever of working on his accent!

[cooperlola]

Yes Dick, Mr Cooperlola is determined to hang on tight to his English accent since the attractive lady in the baker's told him it was sexy![:D]

[Bugsy]

[quote user="wen"]

 Look what is happening in England right now...a young female English celebrity is being lambasted for mocking the way an Indian actress speaks English.

[/quote]

Question:   "We are in France so we must speak French...why?"

Answer:      It's called common courtesy.

Given your description above of that ignorant useless moron probably speaks volumes on your views on this subject.

[Dick Smith]

[quote user="cooperlola"]Yes Dick, Mr Cooperlola is determined to hang on tight to his English accent since the attractive lady in the baker's told him it was sexy![:D][/quote]

Do anything for an extra croissant?  Good man.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Dick Smith"][quote user="cooperlola"]Yes Dick, Mr Cooperlola is determined to hang on tight to his English accent since the attractive lady in the baker's told him it was sexy![:D][/quote]

Do anything for an extra croissant?  Good man.
[/quote]I don't think it's her croissants which interest him!

[Dick Smith]

A few years ago I acted as a chauffeur for a famous, but old, historian who was taking the grandson of a MOST famous WW1 general round the Picardy battlefields. He (the general's grandson) had a good standard of working French, but made absolutely no attempt whatsoever at a French accent. We went to several vins d'honneur in his honneur and his speeches went down a treat! I'm certain I heard some maire (or marie, of course) call him 'milord'!

So perhaps the trick is that there isn't a trick...

[Dick Smith]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="Dick Smith"][quote user="cooperlola"]Yes Dick, Mr Cooperlola is determined to hang on tight to his English accent since the attractive lady in the baker's told him it was sexy![:D][/quote]

Do anything for an extra croissant?  Good man.

[/quote]I don't think it's her croissants which interest him![/quote]

So not the religieuses, either, then?

(If she is an Anglo-groupie does that make her a tart au pom?)

[Beryl]

If I want to spend money, everyone can understand me even if it takes a while.

If I want to complain - forget it [:D]

[cooperlola]

I feel like the rabbits in "The Wind in the Willows" now, I'm sure there's a response to the tart au pomme joke somewhere, and it will no doubt occur to me in an hour or two.   Anyway "ouch". [:P]  Onion sauce.

[Llantony]

You seem to have been very unlucky Wen, perhaps that's why someone asked you where you are in France (perhaps to avoid the area if local are so rude!)

The only one who refused to understand me in our area was the man whose house we were looking round (bad sales pitch).  Funnily enough we bought it anyway and he's been back a couple of times and overstayed his welcome, now seems able to understand me perfectly....

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I've never been mocked. Met with smiling incomprehension sometimes. More than once presented with the wrong items ("no, no. I don't want a dead badger, half-a-dozen choir boys, a flatulent gargoyle and a street map of Lima with the sites marked. It was one of those long thin bready things I wanted!")

I rather feel that since I am in France, and French is the official language, I'd better speak it out of courtesy if for no other reason.

[Weedon]

I don't know exactly what passes for donkeys years, but having been here for five I am still not much further than first base when speaking French except I have more confidence now and can get by.  Without exception I have found everybody to be very helpful and friendly with my experiences being very similar to others who have posted.  Lucky for me I have come across some particularly friendly locals who like to practice their English on me and who have helped me out with reading some tricky official letters for me.  I just find that most people are just..... people, treat them in the correct manner and they respond well.  That is except for the bloke in the DIY when I asked him for help with some product I wasn't sure of.  I couldn't believe it when he said he was too busy to help and walked off, mind you it was the busy time at Christmas in Bexhill, luckily he couldn't speak French and didn't understand the rude words I was taught by my ancient neighbour.

[tj]

Hi

I find the worst for their ignorance, are the service helplines, infact yesterday Orange helpline announced proudly," we do not offer a service in English". Happy to take your money though! What a business, take your money for their mediocre services and then are not obliged to offer any customer support.

I now resort to calling 3 or 4 times until I get someone who is actually interested to try their english with my french.

Lets not forget, they do hate the brits generally, never forgiven us for helping them out in the war, go figure!!

But, I have also found many to be very helpful, certainly at a social level, or when your about to spend a large sum of money:)

Nevermind, it could be worse, you could be in Holland........if you dont like it here, you'll hate it there!

[Sunday Driver]

The original poster's diatribe about the failure of the French to understand them might be a reflection on their own attitude, given the concluding comment about "the ignorance of the French people".

Being able to speak the language adds to the experience of living here and not being able to do so must put so many obstacles in your way, even when sorting out simple, everyday problems. 

Mind you, I once got chatting to a slightly drunken French passerby in La Roche sur Yon.  We talked about this and that for a while, then he then proceeded to give us a ten minute potted history of the town.  Halfway through, he paused, then asked "So you'll be Belgians, then?". 

I didn't know whether to be pleased or insulted...[;-)]