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yeah, I was referring to him, not to the people of course. Still, every once in a while someone in England or in the US trolls the French about that and the French newspapers react strongly, as expected.
Thinking of a language as "useful" speaks volumes about someone's interest in culture anyway.
It is very difficult for a French person to understand a foreigner speaking in French. I have rarely understand what tourists were saying when speaking in French except "Bonjour". Therefore I ask them to speak in English.
If you speak French with a French who don't speak English, he will be condescending...He doesn't know what to do or say.
I refuse to speak the French language, the only French words that i use are a la, bonjour, bon appetit, boulevard, bureau, bouquet, cafe, croissant, chef, deja vu, entree, entrepreneur, merci, parkour, madame, mousse, omelette and voyeur.
Not keeping being tolerant to the intolerant, already did that enough in my life and almost each time it costed me something.
It is very difficult for a French person to understand a foreigner speaking in French. I have rarely understand what tourists were saying when speaking in French except "Bonjour". Therefore I ask them to speak in English.
If you speak French with a French who don't speak English, he will be condescending...He doesn't know what to do or say.
lol! Well, at least they tried. Their hearts were in the right place, even if their tongues were clumsy.
I'm French and I find most tourists rude when they visit our country, most of the time they just ask for stuff right off the bat, they don't care if English is not your first language. I answer them because my English is good but it annoys me. If they say Bonjour, Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? and then switch to English it's fine but most don't do that. Imposing your English on French people in France is irritating and irritated people are not always kind. A lot of French people speak very bad English and many will not be bothered to speak the language of our long time enemy (who are still busy bashing our country every week or so in their newspapers) in their own country
I'm French and I find most tourists rude when they visit our country, most of the time they just ask for stuff right off the bat, they don't care if English is not your first language. I answer them because my English is good but it annoys me. If they say Bonjour, Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? and then switch to English it's fine but most don't do that. Imposing your English on French people in France is irritating and irritated people are not always kind. A lot of French people speak very bad English and many will not be bothered to speak the language of our long time enemy (who are still busy bashing our country every week or so in their newspapers) in their own country
Hey, don't blame us for George Bush! You're aware that he stole both elections, aren't you? We didn't elect him.
British Writer and Broadcaster Jeremy Paxman was recently very critical of the French Language. His criticism of the language made the British papers, although personally I have never had a problem with the French or their launguage. I have always found the French to be pleasant and polite, and was surprised by Paxman't article in the Financial Times.
I'm French and I find most tourists rude when they visit our country, most of the time they just ask for stuff right off the bat, they don't care if English is not your first language. I answer them because my English is good but it annoys me. If they say Bonjour, Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? and then switch to English it's fine but most don't do that. Imposing your English on French people in France is irritating and irritated people are not always kind. A lot of French people speak very bad English and many will not be bothered to speak the language of our long time enemy (who are still busy bashing our country every week or so in their newspapers) in their own country
I think you guys should continue pretending not understand English at all when encountering such rude tourists. These people don't deserve anything better.
Well, it's not just in France, right? It's fairly standard in the US, to say, 'Excuse me", before you ask directions of a stranger, or whatever, isn't it? One doesn't just bark one's questions or requests at people, except maybe passing in the street, to ask someone the time.
Oh but people sometimes do.
When I was driving a taxi in London a few years back, I stopped at a set of lights in Whitechapel.
A car stopped on my left and the driver tooted her horn.
I glanced to my left, and she lowered her window and called out, "Mile End?", a district some one and a half miles straight ahead.
I replied, "Stepney Green?"
She looked at me bemused, and said, "Excuse me?"
I said, "Oh sorry, I thought that it was some word association game", then drove off as the light changed.
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