3 ms·
Chauvinism might play a role in some rare cases but it's often just that we don't dare to speak English and risk making mistakes, because of how languages and a
by jraph 3y ago
Chauvinism might play a role in some rare cases but it's often just that we don't dare to speak English and risk making mistakes, because of how languages and actually everything is taught at school here. We also somehow focus a lot on grammar, which I personally loved, but that just blocks a lot of us.
Outside a large city it might also be that occasions to practice English are vanishingly rare and when you have never really practiced outside school, it doesn't quite work out.
Now, I'm still a bit surprised. Many, many people can speak some English just fine here, especially younger people.
Are your experiences recent and where was it?
- jijijijij 3y agoSome years ago. I am not a native speaker either, so both sides would have been struggling a bit. At least back then, people really didn't want to speak English. Though, in Paris random French strangers on the subway were usually fluent.
- sokoloff 3y agoMy French is weak, but I can passably order and do routine tourist comms. In a cafe in Paris, I started to order and the waiter stopped me with the very amusing, “Monsieur, please. We do this in English; it’s easier that way…”