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The only way I knew you were French is that you're saying 'we'. Your English is fine. As is the English of nearly every French person who I've coaxed into speak
by wilfra 14y ago
The only way I knew you were French is that you're saying 'we'. Your English is fine. As is the English of nearly every French person who I've coaxed into speaking it with me.
I had to visit a hospital in France and even my doctor refused to speak English! I know she was fluent or close to it because she would nod yes or no when I asked complicated questions with big words, but she wouldn't utter a single word.
Why this is, I don't understand, but lack of skill is not the problem. You're all taught English in school, right?
- jvzr 14y agoYou have hit a sensible chord: yes we are taught English in school, oftentimes starting very young. However, our children are also very good at pointing fingers at others: should one make a little mistake or have a decidedly french-sounding accent, she is instantly laughed at and pointed at. We learn very quick to be embarrassed and seldom use spoken English as a result.
- nodata 14y agoBut understanding a language, even understanding complicated sentences is very different from speaking it.
- vidarh 14y agoHere's a "trick" when dealing with speakers that lack confidence in your preferred language: Try to speak their own language. Badly. I have French people falling over themselves to speak English to me after trying to speak French to them. It works elsewhere too. It often only takes a few halting words to get someone to accept that their own language skills are just as good or better, and want to meet you halfway, or switch fully to English.