5 MAJORLY WRONG MYTHS ABOUT FRENCH PEOPLE + the actual TRUTH!
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- I’ve heard all kinds of assumptions about French people via my blog and CZcams comments as well as in person. They range from stereotypical things both positive and negative to more off the wall assumptions… and many times the people saying these things have never been to France and don’t actually know many French people or anything about French culture. Go figure. Let’s put these French people myths to rest once and for all!
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Salut! I'm Diane, an American who has lived in France since 2012 and the creator of the blog/CZcams channel Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond." I make videos on French culture topics, France vs. US culture comparisons, with a sprinkling of food, travel, and language topics and give you my thoughts about what it's like living in France as an American in the Loire Valley. Thanks for being here and if you enjoy this sort of thing, please share with friends and subscribe!
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Merci !
Thank you so much for your support!
Thanks for the one about French people speaking English. My wife an I moved to France 18 months ago. We speak a little French and find that sometimes some people here seem to not speak english until we hit the limits of our French; then they chime in with some English to be helpful. They invariably apologize for their English, even when it is better than our French. I love the French; they are like New York City people (where I am from): direct, no nonsense, funny, helpful when you need it, and leave you alone when you don't.
I, as a french guy, had these great experiences in NYC when people came to me offering their help when I looked lost. I think french people are a bit more "shy", they will help you kindly but you have to ask. Maybe we have different habits regarding social interactions and intimacy.
Quand on a atteint 18 ans , le gouvernement nous envoie une lettre pour nous dire de faire comme si on ne comprenait pas l'anglais. On applique tous la coutume du "je speak pas l'english" 🤫🤫
🤣🤣@@Lostouille
@@Lostouilleou i speak just le français ! 😂
Hello Michael, agreed, many years ago , i m french , parisian, i went to New York, and i was by feet, bus, metro underground, in museum , restaurant, bar etc… i told to my friends : New yorkers look like us … in any case it seemed to me.
In my limited experience as an American who has visited France just once, a small knowledge of French and modest effort to conform to local customs get a very positive reaction from the French. Even in Paris, even during the major summer vacation period.
C'est tout à fait exact.
A former girlfriend of mine visited France and said that same things you did. She had wonderful experiences in France.
So... exactly the same thing for any place in the world.
Moi aussi
The basic rules when visiting another country. It's not specific for France but everywhere.
I moved to Nice in December. My French is pitiful and I am starting with a tutor next month. The French I have encountered have been so kind and gracious to me as I struggle to acclimate. So happy I made the decision to move here. They do appreciate that I am making the effort to speak French. If anyone has been rude to me here, it has been other Americans.
Come to the vieux nice!!
welcome in our beautiful city of Nice ! I hope you acclimatize well with us.
welcome ! and here there is people from many countries, many of them are also bad in French, but well, there is gestures, smile, we make it work ^^
Also, many things are still written with English subtitle.
I trust your channel more than any other re France because you clearly understand that people all over the world are just trying to live their lives as best they can, and for the most part do not behave purposefully to upset others. Complainers need to remember that when they point a finger at someone else, there are three more and a thumb pointing back at themselves.
Thank you ;-) What you said sums up one of my main points in life, that people are just trying to live their lives as best they can!
It often happens that the complainers are in a “Disneyland/guided tour” state of mind. Where they think everything is made on purpose for them, and they often forget that they are in a foreign country with different cultures and habits. Thus they might find people rude for not being on their standards, but people find them equally rude for coming and treating everyone as if they were hotel personnel at their disposal.
I'm not particularly well travelled, but I've been to most of the states in the USA, Also been to Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Iceland, Amsterdam, Paris, Lisbon and Porto and I've noticed that people are people no matter where you are.
I have a lovely French neighbor who loves to chat with me. It’s all in French and she helps me along the way. Yesterday, she saw me and complemented my flowered shirt and then told me this-she said she so appreciated me speaking French. She thought the Americans were better at trying where the people from England don’t try as much. I found this funny as the English in my village don’t really try where as the fewer Americans make the effort to speak French.
As an American, I feel completely comfortable making mistakes when trying to speak French (mine is very bad). It has led to some hilarious and embarrassing situations. I'm not sure what the English are taught, but I was taught that the easiest way to fail is not to try. Probably explains all the participate awards I have even though only a few 1st. 2nd, 3rd place awards.
The British these days can barely speak English, let alone French.
😅
@@dev5963 To me this illustrate a thing about people in France and English proficiency. We're a bit more like the Brits, in the way that unless we reached a pretty decent level in a foreign language we're probably going to be scaredy cats and not even try to have a conversation.
That's pretty sad because there's a vicious circle embedded in it: you don't dare speaking the language because you suck. But you suck because you didn't dare to speak the language as well (i.e. no training)
I've lived in mainland Europe for most of my life (though I was born in England) and I've met a lot of other English speakers around Europe. By far the Americans are the ones with the lowest French output. It's nothing to do with ability, but the position of the language in the U.S. where the geographical distribution percentage is tiny, by comparison the UK has more French speakers than Canada (though surely less active). I could already speak French because of a French parent, but I needed a certificate when I lived in France. I can tell you now that among the people getting those certificates were plenty of English people (and Americans). With others like Spaniards or Germans sometimes failing the first time round. There's a lot of mythology around who can speak what. E.g. in Spain you mostly meet Spanish speakers with middling or low or even no English who can't speak French even if they live near the border. Same on the upper French border with lots of French and Germans not knowing one or the other language. Also people who want to be friendly tell you things you want to hear. I live in the Netherlands currently and 'friendly' people tell foreigners there Dutch is great, even if it's an exaggeration, and that some group or other are worse. Then they'll say the opposite to someone else.
French person here. I used to work in an international company with many people from abroad. The company offered French lessons to those that needed it, and it’s true that people from the UK told me that they had a really hard time trying to learn it and couldn’t understand why their American colleagues seemed to progress much easier than them.
I think the first factor when you learn a language is how much fun you have learning it. I have the impression that a lot of people in UK have very bad memories of how they were taught to learn it at school when they were younger, that may be why some people from England have a hard time learning French, because of this « trauma ».
I'm Swedish, and used to teach English here in France (please don't laugh). One of my students said "in Sweden, they teach languages differently, people learn English so easily". I told them that the principles of teaching are very much the same (grammar, vocabulary etc), but the relationship between teachers and students was different. There used to be a LOT of shaming in French schools. Luckily, this is changing.
Insightful!
I remember as a teenager in high school taking advantage of a few weeks of immersion I benefited from during an English class. There was a bit of a "who does he think he is?" vibe as I was trying to get closer to a native accent. The shaming thing often comes from the students. That's really sad.
@@syntheretique385 That's exactly what my students told me about, the others making fun of them... And I guess the teacher let them. It's a very efficient way to stifle a young person's wish to learn and improve. So sad, indeed!
When i was in my "lycée" we had to wait the terminals years to get a decent english teacher the teachers we got before since the seconds were leaving after 3 days and so that did let us without any english teacher for two whole years so when we got a teacher in our last year he had to make us learn 3 whole year of english in one poor year and he did it cuz he lived in england half of his life
I think it's better to get a teacher who lived where the main language is the one you teach than teacher who never used the teached language outside school
I've an other theory. It struck me when i visited norway. Movies were all in original langage (so mostly english) with subtitles. Even books for children like manga or "bande dessinée" are in original langage! So maybe the lack of translation in culture from foreign content is a huge help in learning. I remember when i was a kid here in France it was almost impossible to watch a movie that wasn't dubbed in french!
@@lucasvivante8988 That's a huge factor, too!
I have to admit it... I already pretended not to speak English when somebody didn't say the magic word: "bonjour"... 😳😢🤭
good to know!
difficult to motivate yourself to speak in another language when you don't even receive the minimum level of politeness xD (I do the same too when people are like that)
@@soldierblack5032 🤭👍🏻
Not me.
that is just rude on your part. The Japanese have a lot more social rules then we do. Yet, they are gracious to foreigners even though the foreigner might be annoying. I think its crap from the French to treat visitors badly when they don't know the rules of your country. Unless they are being rude on purpose. If they are trying to be polite by their understanding. Thats just being a dick.
I just moved from NorCal to Strasbourg 2 months ago. I find the French, so far, to be very polite and most are very kind and helpful. There may be a generational gap as I think the older French seem to be a bit more kind. Whereas the kids are just interested in their phones just like anywhere else and don't bother with the random "bounjours" when walking past. As for them speaking English I find that the French are a bit shy about their level of English. When I ask a French person if they speak English, most will say "a little". But, for most, as it turns out, it's really a lot!
Only two month here and you already noticed the issue of the young generation having a lack of education (we have 4 apprentice in our restaurant and they are unable to use polite terms or even to just smile at our client)
And the older generation is indeed mainly polite but i don't feel like we have a good level in english (i'm putting myself in the 10% most fluent in english and i'm still afraid to speak english due to my lack in certain point and my Lisping)
Little trick here: if you want a place in France to walk around and say "hello" to everybody, and to have a response AND a smile, you need to go in any little village, not in town, where you look like a happy crazy random people. I don't know why that's not normal in big town, but I know why I prefer to live in a little place!
people make fun of our accent. many American people (young ones) were very rude about that, while I am speaking their language to speak with them and they no nothing about French, or juste "baguette baguette".
So, I know I am bad when speaking, and the idea is also to apologize before the other gets mad ?
Also many American consider this is a duty to speak English, and can get mad, even violent :'(
About the young French : we don't know what to do with them either :/
I’m Canadian and have been living in France for several years. People will sometimes assume I’m American if they’re not super familiar with the differences between the two accents, but as soon as I say I’m Canadian rather than American, their whole demeanour will change and they will suddenly become extremely friendly. They weren’t rude when they assumed I was American, but they were far, far more friendly after realizing I was Canadian instead! So I agree they don’t hate Americans, but they like Canadians more. Same with Irish vs English. My colleague is Irish, and people will become much friendlier once they learn she’s Irish and not English. They weren’t mean or anything before, but they just increase their niceness a lot!
Hello, the french population have many centuries of conflicts with England. So we are always happy to beat them in football or in Rugby. 😆 And that s the same in UK.
@@deborahatkinson7272 I don't really agree, war is far, and the pair of last make us friends. But, like every one has his clichés, English people have reputation to be "over polite", and personnaly I always try to be carefull with britain, like with asian, that's not I don't like them, that's just I don't want to hurt a little heart. When Irish or scotish have a repution to be, just like us, "more rude", I mean, spontaneus, and not to much afraid with conventions... And for canadian's, we are cousins, and that's always like to meet a personn from family you don't know yet, you are immediatly more friendly than with a work relation....
And, forgive my special english capacity from France, your grammar is so weird for us 😉
I think there is an "originality" component. Meeting an English person is kind of boring (may be a bit less for an american, as we don't really meet americans frequently). They are right next door, we hear about the UK very frequently (same for the US) whereas meeting an Irish or a Canadian is far more exciting because to a French person, it's a bit more 'exotic'
Well, French have a soft spot for Canadians, especialy Quebec because their are our cousins. It's nothing against US citizens.
And who doesn't like the Irish. Much more open and frank than the English in my experience and patient with the language. That might be a good reason. Maybe there's no french issue but there's an English and Americans issue
The mythical bidet! There was one in the bathroom when I was a child. This was a house built in the 70's. My mum said it was to wash our feet and I only found out their real purpose many years later. I think bidets went out of fashion some time in the 80's. Today, you don't even have bathtubs, only showers in modern bathrooms. However, these showers come with a hose and a shower head which enables you to reach your private parts from different angles, unlike in American showers...
@leardt7614 Not true! While most basic “builder grade” American homes have a fixed shower head on the wall, the showers in higher end homes include multiple spray options such as body jets, rain heads, and hand held spray wands. There are manufacturers that make 2-in-1 devices that can be a fixed shower head but can also detach to become a hand held shower. These fixtures are reasonably priced, making it easy and relatively inexpensive to upgrade.
Movable shower heads are common in America too.
Yes, in my house too we had a bidet in the 70s/80s in the bathroom. My mom made us used it a bit when we were kids, maybe once a week to wash our bottoms with Mercryl. Back then, people were strangely concerned about contracting some infection « down there » for some reason. I think there were some washing habits about the bidet at the time that were debunked in the 80s as being mostly useless in modern times.
All in all, it was just an inconvenient useless appliance that took too much place in the bathroom. So in the end, it had to go.
Oui, le bidet était utilisé à une époque où les français prenaient un bain complet juste une fois par semaine. Les autres jours, ils se lavaient au lavabo avec un gant et utilisaient le bidet pour la toilette intime.
Depuis les années 1980, les habitudes ont changé. Les gens prennent (en principe !) une douche ou un bain chaque jour et se lavent entièrement au quotidien. Le bidet n'a donc plus vraiment d'utilité.
Mais avec les restrictions d'usage de l'eau actuelles, on va peut-être devoir y revenir !
I had one, but then in my house my landlord removed it (to put nothgint instead, I was like "why ???" suche a shame...
Bidet is really pratical, and I miss it.
I also like bathtubs, but people remove them.... Some people think ther are cleaner showering 5 times a days in 30 sec : this is not cleaner.
bidet is good to watch your bottom without taking a shower on purpose, and having perfect "genital part" cleaning. also used at home for laundry sometimes, or shaving legs or such things (multipurpose :D)
now, with only a shower, if you need to wash "there" you need to take a full shower... (and the idea back then was also you didn't take a full shower every day : not good for the skin, but also a lot of water.
BUT didn't mean you stayed dirty... you washed your face and special part differently.
paper toilet is not that clean...
I've lived in France for 13 months now and I have never gotten the sense that anyone here dislikes Americans.
I agree, there are sometimes some attitudes, that people in general do not like, but it isn´t specific to france and US.
French are proud of france, like Americans are proud of the US and brits are proud of the UK. Opening the relation in telling that you expected shit but it is a little better than that, won´t make you their best friends.
Well one waiter certainly did not like me. I think it was because when it came time to speak my well rehearsed sentence I choked and said something to the effect of "Hey! Toilette!". I knew I effed up the second I said it.
Nope, i refuse to believe you guys are not a monolithic entity seen through the prism of hollywood instead of a country with 5 times the population we have, over a country the size of a continent. Also you guys speak english, and everybody knows *the english = caca*
@@b.w.9244 Hey I'm French and waiters don't like me either..I believe it's just because service industry in France is 90% trash :D
@@zoolooz2327 From the customer point of view service industry being trash means waiters are actually very appreciative of customers who show them respect and support. If all waiters hate you, maybe you should reflect on the way you interact with them. One waiter with a bad attitude is a thing. All waiters agreeing against you is something else.
Although it has been 30 years since I lived in France, I agree 100% with this video. The people in France are just as diverse as any community in America. Personally I think the French treat visiting Americans better than Americans treat visitors from other countries. If French behavior is rude, then Americans are in real trouble.
Je confirme.
Another thing that Americans - and probably other visitors to France too - don't seem to consider is if someone in France is rude to them, they are probably equally rude to French people!
Just like @brettmajeske3525 it has been about 30 years since I lived in France and this video is spot on and when you stop and think about it, sort of common sense. The one point that I did want to expand on is the "inability" or "reluctance" to speak English when the circumstances warrant it. There is actually a very small percentage of French that have no English ability. Yes, they are not fluent at all and may have just a handful of words, but they have a larger collective vocabulary in a foreign tongue than Americans. The key point is there is a cultural reluctance and movement to NOT speak English out of a fear of "weakening" or "diluting" the heritage of the French language. Many people don't realize that at regular intervals there is a national level committee that gets together and deliberately sanctions FRENCH VERSIONS of words that have infiltrated the language and requires that their version be used in official and public publications. Not all of these efforts are successful, but many are and it has kept French from absorbing many loan words from other languages. This has been going on for generations now and it means that French has remained more French than it would have naturally. There would be many more words borrowed from other languages, mostly English, actually used today had there not been this governmental intervention. It would actually be easier for English and French speakers to interact today had there not been active national level discouragement since 1966 of loan words from English or other languages. The French only have themselves to blame.
@@NimrodClover If you think the difficulty of accepting loan words is bad in France, just out Quebec! Chien Chaud instead of hotdog.
@@brettmajeske3525So true, but I believe France has an attitude about Canadian French almost as bad. But, unlike the British vs. American English variations, the French have the added linguistic sense of superiority to that of those French speakers across the pond.
I went to Paris for the first time last year. I found the French to be so kind and fun, even with my very limited ability to speak the language. I stayed in an Airbnb flat that was very small, but comfortable. I enjoyed myself so much that I am going back again this July. When I went to Italy, the people I rented a flat from didn't speak a word of English. We used a translator app to communicate.
Have an awesome trip this summer! Will you be visiting Paris again or checking out some other cities? ENJOY!!
@@OuiInFrance I will be based in Paris and will see about day trips to other places :)
I feel this so much! I studied Irish to go to Ireland, but one of the BnBs where my wife and I stayed had a housekeeper (the owners were not there) who spoke only Hungarian and very little English. I used Google Translate, but my connection was very weak, so we ended up using a lot of gestures. I hadn't downloaded the Hungarian translations, as I wasn't expecting to need them!
@@barrettdecutler8979 English is the main language in Ireland.
Will you comme this July? In 2024?
Will you come for the Olympics? I’m Parisian and I’ll stay in the citu during this big event. I’m wondering how that will work out: some say staying in Paris will be even more horrible and stressful than usual. Call me optimistic but I don’t think so.
I’m quite curious to see that. 😄
About English teachers in France. Our family spent a whole year in California in the 80's. Our older daughter went to kindergarden, made friends, learned English to the point that she started talking to us in English. She also learned to read in English. Back to France she went to a school where 6 years old kids were taught some English. The very first day, the English teacher told my daughter not to say a word "because of her awful American accent"! You can imagine the reaction of both the class and my daughter for being publicly ridiculed... She probably spoke English better than the teacher! My daughter decided to stop studying English at all... until she was in her teens! She's now perfectly bilingual and works mostly in English with foreign customers.
Another interesting point about English studies at school. The official recommendation from the Ministry was to emphasize grammar and written expression over oral exercises. I remember having to recite alphabetical lists of irregular verbs without any context!
That was a shocking experience for your daughter. I'm so glad she's now bilingual. Unfortunately the French educational system insists on repetitive tests ('contrôles') so the pupils get their average on that subject. I see they do oral tests now but each pupil presents themselves in front of the class which takes up precious study time and often embarrassment. Having a language lab. would be a much better way of learning.
C'est quoi ce prof à la con franchement / this teacher was a c*nt
The Francophobia has its roots in England and in its centuries of conflict with France. Bigoted stereotypes and calumny are the norm for the French in this tradition. This then is amplified in the closed and narrow world referred to today as the ‘Anglosphere’ - the media/thought-world echo chambre of the UK, US, Australia, NZ and Canada. Sweeping and damning generalizations that would never be tolerated toward other groups of people or nations are freely applied to the French, without justification, evidence or even experience. The Anglosphere entourage can be counted upon to snicker and nod at the tropes and denunciations; things they would never support for other groups of people. It a good example of Anglosphere group-think; there are many others.
The french bashing is a kind of racial discrimination.
@@littlepea1325 And those who indulge in it are hypocrites as they would immediately ‘condemn all forms of racism.’
@@littlepea1325 A kind of xenophobic vilification to be precise.
People always seem to forget that the native languages in northern Europe are all anglo-saxon, the same linguistic family as English. Of course learning English is easier for them than for someone whose native language is from the latin family. That's not a fair comparison.
Thats plain wrong. For one, the north-western european languages are germanic, not "anglo-saxon". Yes, english has germanic roots, but it's basically a bastard of germanic (yes, in this case anglo-saxon, but also norse) languages and ... romance based normand-french.
Basically english is as easy to learn for frenchmen as it is for norwegians. Only frisians and to a lesser degree dutch have an easier time to learn english. And germans are even at a slight disadvantage compared to the french.
The main reason why many french people "suck" at english is due to the french school system not prioritising communication over "testable knowledge", not due to french being so different from english. Basically the same reason why most americans suck at all other languages than (american) english.
I think the main reason is because on french TV, all movies are broadcasted in French (all is dubbed).
@@AleaumeAnders Dude, it's already annoying when people ignore a relevant fact, but going so far as actively denying it is ridiculous. German and English have a lexical similarity of 60%, French and English 27%. And that's just the most easily measurable thing, there are similarities in grammar too.
@@AleaumeAndersYou're plain wrong. Ask any linguist.
@@AnoNymous-mv4mj ^^ oh the wisdom of anonymous. My dear, I'll make it simple for you: google language difficulty ranking. Compare which languages are in rank 1 and which language (singular) you'll find in level 2. And then refrain from being so r/confidentlyIncorrect.
I think that one of the most important reason french people speaking acceptable english are not confident is because of the accent. Most native speakers may find this very distinct french accent cute ; but we find it horrible. Another factor is that back in the days english lessons at schools focused more on reading/writing than speaking, it's changing but people over 30 are still most of the time better at reading than speaking english. The fact that we do not try is quite true : back in the days I was working at a restaurant and was the only one with a good level of english ; when a customer arrived and asked if we spoke english my boss immediately asked for my help without even trying anything more than "me bad but him yes". Same goes when you have several french people in an english speaking group : we will most of the time say something in french and ask our friend if he can translate instead of trying to wiggle around to express what we want.
Makes sense, thank you for explaining. The focus on writing/reading and NOT speaking is such a hindrance when most people actually want to be able to speak the most!
I can relate regarding having an accent when speaking a foreign language. I am learning French as an adult (husband lives in Suisse Romande) and I am so embarrassed by my accent 😅 I am working hard on pronunciation as I still have issues being understood when I’m in Switzerland and trying to speak French 😅
It’s so true, this accent thing! I don't understand how English speakers can find the French accent in English cute and sexy. For me, as a French, the French accent in English is just awful to listen to...
You’re very kind- I love the way you’re not afraid to tackle people’s misconceptions! 😊
I've found that most Europeans have the wonderful ability to separate a people from the politics of their country (unlike ... most Americans!)
I like your videos!!!
I am a French who immigrated in Canada (the English part first) 26 years ago, and I can tell you my English was bad... I was ready to be a tourist (hotels, taxi, airports...). With time, I became fluent to the point that I currently work in both languages with no issue.
Food has been one of the most difficult adaptations I had to go through but hey, here I am... still in Canada! I discovered food and wines from all around the world that were not available in France,
As for wine knowledge, there are 2 kinds of wines: the wines I like, and the ones I don't!
Keep on the great job!
Thank you for mentioning we're not all experts about cheese and wine!
My friends here in France always make fun of me for not knowing anything about these things 🥲
Bonjour Diane, I love your videos! I recently did the very American thing of launching into talking without saying hello first! It was on a conference call and I asked my coworker a question after the joined. He pointedly said, "Hello Everyone." Oops! He's from the French speaking part of Switzerland.
French person with a thin grasp on social graces here, and it happens to me semi-frequently.
- excuse me, I’m looking for the dairy aisle
- bonjour!
- ah, right. Bonjour. Can you direct me to the dairy aisle?
- it’s aisle five
Story of my life.
@@rosiebowers1671 Bonjour, sorry for disturbing/interrupting you, can you direct me to the dairy aisle? ;)
We often apologize for interrupting an employee working in a supermarket even if he/she is here to answer our questions.
This “Bonjour” thing is a 'new' requirement in French social relations, especially in shops & in administrative buildings. Previously (i.e. pre-1968), one would ask a question to the sales lady and would conclude it by : "s'il vous plaît”, or by the more formal : "je vous prie". Being of the old school I find those expressions more polite, but over the years I've had to adapt to “Bonjour" !
Hello Diane, fr 🇨🇦. We have visited France only twice for a couple of weeks each time. I speak very rudimentary French, just a couple of university conversational classes and it was many many decades ago. I certainly was hesitant to try to ask a question much less try to engage in a conversation. We however found almost all French people we encountered were so kind and even when we couldn’t communicate with many words they went out of their way to help where they could. I know we only visited as tourists and that in itself is a small group of people even in France, but both my husband and I were made to feel” at home” in this country. We are hoping to still be able to make a few more visits but there is a big part of our personalities that somehow seems to fit this culture. I know , I know, it’s no perfect culture and has all its own challenges, like bureaucracy and other things but somehow, this couple of old folks who had never travelled before in our lives, made it across the Atlantic, and fell in love with the French people and its culture.
Thank you for your video.
I was born in the 60s in the United States and my mom used to teach us a very wise phrase: if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all! Of course, privately if you disagree with someone or you think they’re being a rude and you need to vent to a friend or go on your back porch and scream out loud. but putting negativity out there- stop and think about it. What does it accomplish? Do you think you’re gonna change someone’s mind? People judge us by the way we speak so stop and think before you have to express your opinion. In a more comical, lighthearted way, here in the US when I’m driving and I get behind other vehicles who have bumper stickers, especially those that are preachy, I often chuckle to myself and laugh and say, do they think I care? Or sometimes I think how sad are they that they have to tell everybody else what they think by putting a bumper sticker on their car
That explains the young woman I met at a supermarket near Nice around 1995. I was looking at a display of wine and she asked me in French what sort of wine would go well with shrimp! I was so flabbergasted that I didn't even think to ask how she planned to prepare the shrimp. (To do so would have stretched my French.) She knew at that point that I was American, a Midwesterner, and yet she was asking me for culinary advice. It soon came out that she'd lived in California, where I guess the locals have some wine savvy. But at the time it was surreal! And yes, we've encountered friendliness. After staying in Nice we overnighted in Limoges and were walking around looking for a place to eat. A couple of local women were doing the same and the more confident one explained that "en France on ne mange pas le dimanche" (i.e., hard to find an open restaurant on Sunday). She also gave us a tip on where to get good buys on the pottery for which the city is famous. She was also good at speaking French to someone whose French was limited. We finally found a bistro that was open, called Le Winston Churchill. To complete the story, the next morning I went to the hotel desk to say we were checking out. The young woman working there looked English. There is a certain half-smile that sits on the public face of an Englishwoman. All the same I addressed her in French, and she did reply in British English.
I recommend Diane's guide. Very helpful on my visit!
Really appreciate that, thanks Sue!
For background, I lived in France for about 18 months (working) and am a regular private visitor. I had a basic grasp of the language and a tutor helped me along but I still understand better than I can speak.
My belief is that the common French “shyness” (rather than inability or refusal) in speaking English is a product of their own culture and use of their own language. Eloquence in the use of French and the ability to argue a case in a logical and compelling way are highly regarded social skills - they admire persuasive, articulate, fluent speakers (and writers) of their own language. So when they are unable to speak like that in another language they find it frustrating, embarrassing and irritating - so even if they can actually communicate at a reasonable level, they feel uncomfortable doing so because they know it makes robs them of the eloquence they value so highly.
I came to that conclusion because of the advice of my French tutor. She told me the problem I had was that although I understood French well and could make my self understood I couldn’t speak it well enough by my own standard and was thus reluctant to do so. “You want to wake up one day able to speak French as well as you speak English, and it annoys you that it hasn’t happened yet. But it never will - you’ll still have to go through years of sounding ungrammatical and having a funny accent, but if you don’t speak BADLY now, you will never speak WELL”.
And then the “lightbulb moment” when she said “that’s just like a French person, really.”
I made several vacation trips to France between 1974 and 1978. I had never been out of the USA before then (except for a few brief excursions to Canada), and of course, an incredible number of people I worked with tried to talk me out of going there because they were convinced that all French people hate Americans. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I went anyway -- and found nearly everyone I encountered there to be very nice. One man even said "You're American? Very good!" (The fact that I was reasonably proficient in French was undoubtedly a plus.) I did my best to blend in and not look like a tourist, and a surprising number of people even stopped to ask ME for directions! Imagine that! So much for their hating us! One other misconception you didn't mention was that French women are all "hot numbers." Some other co-workers saw me, a single guy, as a sort of Casanova, and expected me, once settled in Paris, to make the rounds of the fashionable brothels and have a blast. ("That's the land of love!") After my return, they were actually shocked when I told them that, aside from seeing the sights, I'd spent much of my time in museums and bookstores. ("How could you pass up such an opportunity?!") In any case, even after all these years, I still think of France as my second country, and I'd go there again tomorrow if I had the money!
That's so weird to me that Americans were convinced americans were hated. 😢 So far from the truth !!!
Where did you grow up ? Were there no WW2 vets in your town ? They would have told you how beloved you are !!!!
The " Ricains" beloved in France since D Day ❤. in the 50 and 60s, we couldn't get enough of all things American.
In the 70s when you visited, i hope you felt welcomed, we copied your fashion, your music, even some.words became ours , " blue jeans, baskets, weekend, sandwich, et c et c"
What the French do not like are impolitesse and lying, like anyone else.
Vive la France
Vive les USA
Great video, Diane! You were spot on with each point! Bravo and keep up the good work!!
Welcome back. ❤ thank you. You rock a post covid glow!
Thanks!
You are amazing, Diane. I feel like with every video I watch, I am much, much more prepared for my two week trip to France (later this year and “Life List” vacation). Merci beaucoup! Je suis un Americain. Je t’appecie.
Thank you so much! You've made my morning ;-) That's EXACTLY what my channel is about -- helping people feel more prepared and confident when in France and/or interacting with the French. So happy I could help!
Hi Diane
Thank you for your open unbiased reporting on France and the USA ! It so refreshing to hear your experience based on real life . No clichés , no stereotypes, no prejudice. Thank you
Thank YOU for being here. So glad you understand where I'm coming from and enjoy what I do. ;-)
I lived in 🇫🇷 France and went to French elementary school until I was eight , and I have to agree with your comments about the method of teaching. As a student, you do feel an intolerance for errors, even small ones, you are penalized for trying to answer and getting it wrong. We were graded down for spelling errors, poor handwriting and a myriad of reasons. Even passing a driver's license test is difficult, and many retake the exam several times. This may make you a better math student, but it is unrealistic for good language learning. There are some advantages. When I moved back to the US, I was about two years ahead in math, science and geography.
As a french, I must say we also have really bad english teachers, and poor language learning methods..
Diane: I always enjoy your channel. I'll add this one insight. I discovered that I was using myths and stereotypes to keep life simpler and "more navigable". In my hurried life I hadn't explored outside of many boundaries imposed by similar myths. Life can seem complex and chaotic, and we try to make it manageable by using simplifications. Challenging beliefs takes real effort to explore, and who has time for that? Far easier to stick with stereotypes.
However, the reason to drop them is amazing. As in seeing the complexity and understanding of real others I have found joy and happiness, instead of dullness. Wow, how unexpected. Reason enough to open up a little bit. If I travel this year, it should be France. I'm glad I can bring my tracksuit!
Hi Steve, thank you for your thoughtful comment! I totally agree that challenging one's beliefs takes effort and understand why the stereotypes are so pervasive. I just wish that if people have no interest in challenging their own beliefs (which is fine), that they at least don't perpetuate total nonsense, you know?
and yes, please rock that tracksuit with pride! hahahah
I do agree. I believe many have no ideas about France other than their own myths. This is common about most things. Bonjour Diane! May your days be filled with wonder.@@OuiInFrance
Truth Bombs by D! Love you!
Tes ongles sont magnifiques, Dee-Anne. 💅🏻
Thank you for this video, you’ve disabused me of a few prejudices I have had. 😘
Bonjour Diane. Thanks for another excellent video. There is a CZcams video by CNBC on "France's Obsession with American Fast Food" that just came out, and it was shocking to hear. On a recent trip to France, my wife and I ate at McDo's, something we never thought we'd do, because it was convenient.
The french obsession with fast food has lasted for the last 40 years, there are thousands of macdonalds, burger kings, kfc, quick, etc in France, making ot one of the 1st European market by far and from a long time... Nothing to brag about, just a fact.
#3 so interesting…as Americans we always tend to believe its about us…I’m guilty myself - for years when visiting Paris & speaking french to locals, they would reply in English & I thought that ‘they couldn’t stand to hear me slaughter their beloved mother tongue bc they always reply in english’; even in an interaction as short as asking for directions. After spending more time across France Ive come to realize it had only to do with being expedient: practicing English, helping me understand quickly - never an insult just genuinely trying to benefit us both in a polite interaction between strangers (la politesse); something we almost seem to have forgotten in the US thanks to our cultural divides...
Hi Diane... I am a french guy and have watched most of your videos... and I approved most of them.. just to tell you how they are brilliant, I have sent one to my american girl friend I plan to make her flying to Paris shortly !
I have been to French 2 times with my friend, she is French. I stayed with her family. I found that French people are so nice and polite.
I mean I have been to France.
Great video Diane. Multiple people have matched the experience I had in Paris with a taxi driver… “speak French”. The exception that proves the rule. Most everyone else we met in tourist areas were very tolerant as long as you start with “Bonjour”. Sorry to see the L’Ducs didn’t get farther in the playoffs, but great hockey to watch.
I'm from England and 'kind of' have some of those same preconceptions. We travel to France a bit and I want to do much more, so am learning French, so it's very useful to know that a lot of these stereotypes are totally false. It will give me confidence to try and speak French to them. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
An Air BnB host in Paris said the same thing about French people speaking English. They might not speak at first but if you ask politely if they speak a little English they would probably speak to us. We had the best time in Paris and everyone spoke to us because we were polite.
Hi, I'm French. I live in Paris and have grown up in a rural part of Brittany. It's worth mentioning because Parisians have a peculiar point of view compared to the rest of French people.
If you go to Paris as soon as you're not in a touristic spot most Parisians will just ignore you, even if you try to stop one to ask for information, Parisians time is worth gold in their opinion. They aren't really against Americans, they just keep their own business and don't care about your background.
If you go to other regions, most people will take time to help you if you ask and generally they will be happy to talk to you and even more if you show interest in local culture. But be aware that in rural towns, you may encounter an aging population that doesn't speak English or at least not enough to maintain a conversation.
My experiences traveling in France are 95% positive ones. Never have I met a rude French person, ever. I do try to speak French but have found that my smart phone translator is a great help. When I tell friends about a trip to Paris, inevitably somebody's face registers disgust because "all French people are rude and they hate Americans." BS (Those friends have done NO international travel.)
About the fact that we feel stupid when we speak english, this is really true.
About the fact that we dont like USA, I think that you got it right too. I think that we like americans. That would be pretty stupid to hate somebody we've never met before so if anything, we will feel curious in front of an american as we are used to see USA on TV all the time. In the meantime, I think that we distrust USA politics. I dont think that USA got french interests in mind and I feel like we could be just stomp on if needed.
I attented French High school up to the tenth grade and then went to an American high school. From what I'd learned in French high school my English vocabulary and grammar was very good, but I didn't understand a word that was said in class just because my French teachers in English had never set a foot in the U.S. It took me only a month before I understood everything, but much more before I dared speak in front of my class !
I stayed with a French family in northern France and they had a bidet in their duplex house. The house was small, but had a fairly large bathroom.
Another great vid Dianne! When we were there, I wondered what kinds of food a Mom, who is not Suzi Homemaker, might fix for her family. Certainly not the French classics. I bet not meatloaf or beenie weenies though!
Your description of the wine knowledge 🤣
Hi Diane, thanks for another interesting video :)
I think many of these stereotypes are holdovers from previous decades that people repeat and believe because they're not aware of how much things have changed...
Bidets were a common feature in some older buildings - mine was built in the early 60s and came with one, but my parents had it removed when they renovated the place in the early 80s because we never used it. Incidentally, bidets are still very common in Italy!
As for clothing styles, until about the 90s (my guess) people did tend to dress up more - generally speaking, of course. For instance, these days it's hard to even find a woman on the street wearing actual *shoes*, as opposed to sneakers or some kind of boot! (I'm guilty of living in high-heeled ankle boots, myself). It's also become rarer to see people - particularly women, but even some men - wearing proper business suits. People definitely dress *a lot* more casually than they used to around 30 years ago, wearing things to work that they wouldn't have dreamed of wearing back them, such as sneakers, jeans, hoodies, sweatshirts... but as Diane said, dressing down doesn't mean looking sloppy - outfits are carefully put together and accessorised.
I'm a totally atypical French person, myself - I'm chubby, I don't drink wine, I don't like most cheeses, I like my meat super well done, I can't cook to save my life - I microwave and make toast - and my idea of torture is listening to Edith Piaf - oh, and I don't smoke, either :)
5:30 this is so true, 35 years after I still feel the burn!!! After 7 years learning english in junior high school and high school, I could read a newspaper and have some kind of idea of what it was about and write a few lines without too many grammar mistakes, but could barely order a pint of lager in a pub... every movie/tv show... has been dubbed in french for decades and old habits die hard. Back in the days, it was hard to learn any foreign language when you couldn't simply hear it.
Bonjour tout le monde !
I am french and i like very much your videos, Diane.
It is true that the teaching of foreign languages in France is aimed to perfection, so many pupils, afraid of mistakes, stop trying to speak english (or spanish or german) at all when they are adults.
Fortunately, pop music and british and american serials on television came. That improved the level. But never think that people who don't speak english at first don't know english.
They are REALLY afraid of making mistakes.
Philippe, 68 years old, living in the suburb of Paris
Spot on with regards cooking and fashion sense, it's most certainly not all haute cuisne and breton jumpers. My pet peeve is when a person says 'they didn't speak one word of English', no! not all French people speak it.
Another pleasant and accurate presentation. We are expats that live in France and have always found the French to be kind and friendly. Just trying to get by like the rest of us.
We had a bidet in the bathroom in my parent's HLM (public lodging) apartment but it was removed a dozen of years ago in renovations. I think it was a thing 50 years ago but is not really any more. This was a small thing completely independent of the toilets, contrary to what you then describe, which are modern Japanese toilets.
As a french, and born in 1984, I have rarely seen those bidets, only in old houses, like my grandparent's. And fun thing, I always wondered the utility of this thing until recently, I thought it was for washing feet xD
I dont expect every person outside the u.k. to speak my language. If they do I feel ashamed, to be honest.
Good for you! I live in Portugal where there are many many English. Only a very few of them make the effort to learn Portuguese and it definitley pisses me off tbh.
What your video of a "bidet" shows is a Japanese toilet. The button being pressed is just to the left of the bidet button. The Japanese have developed hi-tech toilets with multiple ways for cleaning those private parts.
I really like the way you fight again myths on french people... I eared only right things. I have laughed since the beginning when you talked about french people who are well dressed.😊
There are habits in France which are typical from south of Europe like taking meals with your family around a table for an hour as soon as possible. I remember that in England for me and in USA for my daughter, It's not a moment of share and discussion. (I know there are many mistakes in my comment)
one of my former classmates is an anglophone who lives in France for several years and has a loving family with a French guy
My daughter treated me to 5 days in Paris this past February. It was perfect. Everyone friendly. Most French could speak enough English to understand us and we enjoyed trying to speak French. The city was immaculate. Uber and public transportation reliable. I plan to go back. It was a beautiful city. No rude Parisians. Actually all a delight.
immaculate? With all the construction going on (because of the upcoming olympics), and the rats? Paris has unfortunately been far from clean these past few years.
@@fabienneclavier5984 well you are correct..there was a lot of construction. Immaculate may be too strong but there was no dog poop and the trash was picked up often. Where we visited it was clean even the Metro areas were very clean. Hopefully it will remain the same after the Olympics are over.
Thank you so much. This was fun. Most of my French friends love Costco hotdogs and really retro American food: Ruben sandwiches, etc.Curiously, I did find a lot of bidets in Spain, which I loved, loved, loved. Now, when you talk about the French that don't speak English that well, does this go for school-aged kids as well now? In other words, is the younger generation more like northern European kids in their English-speaking abilities?
In my experience, French teens don't really speak English well unless they've taken a particular interest in it. My niece and nephew "learn English in school" but are nowhere near even able to have a basic convo and that's more or less what I've seen with other teenagers I've met. Glad you enjoyed the video!!
I've taught English to both primary and secondary school children. Primary school children are at ease to speak in a group and are even competitive whereas once they get to secondary school it's no longer the case. I only do one to one lessons with them.
All these myths really amaze me. I have several French friends and they all love America especially related to our history together. They always check in twitch me if something happens in the news and I do the same with them.
I am a german, who visits France every year. I have indeed never seen a bidet there, neither in hotels nor in rented houses. As for the ability to speak english, my entire family has the impression, that most french people really just can't speak english. Not only the older generation, but also a lot of young people. This is completely different in Germany. The only french person I ever encountered whose english was really very good was a young pediatrician in the Urgence department at a hospital in Nimes. We were very thankful for that because our french is good enough to get through with tourist things and easy conversations, but definetely not good enough to discuss medical problems...
On the other hand french people often just assume that all tourists speak french. I remember being in a wine shop and the very friendly owner kept talking to my 5 year old son in french, who didn't understand a single word ;).
But what I have to say is that all french people we ever met were very friendly and helpful and we love France very much!
Lots of misconceptions, especially that the French are Rude. In my 5 travels to France (4 to 8 weeks each time) I have ever only had rude interactions twice at the most!
Bonjour Diane. Welcome back.
Here is what I have learned in life about stereotypes:
All (insert nationality) have (insert thing)
All (insert nationality) are (insert characteristic)
All (insert nationality) love (insert thing/nationality)
All (insert nationality) hate (insert thing/nationality)
All (insert nationality) are bad at (insert thing)
All (insert nationality) are good at (insert thing)
What do all of these things have in common? It's that they are generally wrong.
BTW, several French people I know have told me that they are taught/expected to speak English without a French accent. If true, I find this bizarre and frightful. I adore hearing English spoken with a foreign accent. Hell, travel around the UK or US. English is spoken by native English speakers and there are dozens (100s?) of native accents.
Bonjour Diane. When I lived in Corsica, the Corsicans blew up the only McDonald's that was under construction. 🧨
Oh god, I hope you were far away at the time!
Corsica is definitely not part of France. The event you are speaking about looks like a traditional feast called "nuit bleue". It is not specifically directed to Fast Food shops.
Targets can be police stations, polititian's house, banks or anything symbolising the loss of Corsican culture.
Kisses from Porto-Vecchio.
... and use second degree humor to read me.
@@kennethshowers9144 J'habitais à Porto-Vecchio pendant 2 ans!
@@matthewjay660"... J'ai habité..." Come back, there is now a Burger King... still standing.
The summer that I traveled through several regions I found the people friendly, helpful and welcoming,
I'm pretty sure that all American tourists speak French fluently, but pretend not to (just to annoy French people) 🤨
EXACTLY, see how silly the myth is in reverse??
I've never heard of this stereotype about French people pretending not to know English. Rather, I've heard people claim that French people pretend not to understand you if you attempt to speak less-than-perfect French to them.@@OuiInFrance
@@tyreesetranh4074 That's bullshit. As a French, i'd be honored if someone does that kind of effort.
😂😂😂 Excellent !
Ouiii … rien que pour nous énerver et eux rire sous cape … ils adorent ça 😂 …i m joking…
Depending on how the tourist aproaches me… If he chips in, speaking in English and not even excusing himself for not speaking french and disturbing me.. I will definitely pretend I don’t speak English.. those are just the rude tourists.. most would aproach you saying “excuse me, do you speak English?” Which is more or less the phrase I would use while visiting a foreign non english (or any other language I speak) country. I would also try to insert words from their language as a token of effort. You are the oddball… you are the one asking for a favour on someone else’s pitch. Don’t make me feel like I owe you something and that I’m in the obligation to be an english speaker on my turf.
Here in San Francisco, there is the Alliance Francaise, which shows French movies and has game nights and other cultural activities. I have enjoyed some of the things there. I took 2 years of French in high school.
As à french, thanks to break the clichés. Yes most of us dont speak english. And most of all, we are really ashamed of our accent.
Other important thing : foreigners must really stop pretending that we hate them just to justified the insults they throw at us in real life or on internet, movies ,tv shows etc...
Actually, this device (Bidet) is present in either old houses or old appartements
This device was used in the 70’s
New houses do not have this device
Bidet in every bathroom is in Italy.
It’s always a good idea to do a little research on the cultural do’s and don’ts before visiting a new destination. I have certainly come across some Americans who behaved in what I would describe as an entitled manner in a very good restaurant. They complained about service and when the food arrived said it was not to their liking! I have also come across others who blended in with the local culture and were well behaved. Certainly, some Americans are more traveled and sophisticated than others, and it shows.
30 years almost all French homes had bidets, they were removed as no one was using them anymore. They were used to clean with water after pu pu, which much cleaner than using toilet paper.
Usually when I or other frenchies have something bad to say about America or its people, it's more like you say: the politics, cultural shocks, imperialism, things that to some degree affect us or makes us project things on them.
Just an example, working in the cinema/animation industry, I specifically often hear (from both sides) about how we have some of the best schools for that industry and yet so much of our workforce or straight up companies just exports themselves in the US because our local industry just can't do much when put in competition with Hollywood. That isn't hatred, it's more in the lines of exasperation, frustration... Which can lead to some heated words when you are told "french cinema sucks marvel wins" any time you try to have a discussion about it x)
50 y.o. French man here.
Note that in the 70s and 80s, learning English in France was specifically and exclusively learning UK English.
Interaction with Americans, Canadians, Australians, etc. was pretty unusual compared to nowadays because transatlantic travels were much more expensive. So learning English as an international language was not a big concern then because European and international exchanges were not common place. England was the more likely English speaking culture you may have to interact with. That reflected a lot in English lessons at schools. The cover of our manuals always had the Union Jack and a London bus on them for example. As for our teachers, they were always painfully trying to make us pronounce English with an exaggerated British accent. I think all people from my generation must remember how excruciating it was to hear our teachers criticizing how we pronounced « the ».
Most of the French people of my generation that I know that are fluent like me in English learned to speak it out of school as adults.
Sadly, I think that the way English is taught in French schools nowadays still lingers with those old methods.
That said, all it takes is an imaginative passionate teacher that makes classes fun to attend.
I have visited France and Germany a few times. Based on my limited experience, I would say that people who live in major European cities are generally thin. I assume it’s because they walk a lot.
And also because fat shaming is alive and well in France. No obese people will be able to find cute clothes in "normal shops", might be stared at and laughed at or at least judged. And also obesity is believed to be linked to low social classes and you may have a harder time finding a job. (Just ro be clear I am in no way saying this is a good thing but this is how it works :x )
I visit the southeast of France for about three months of the year. I think you did a great job on this video. Now if only I could get over my nerves of speaking French. Actually, my weakness is listening comprehension. Oh and if you want to see bidets visit Italy. Their installation in bathrooms has been mandatory since 1975.
Easy reader books with a CD really help.
Hi Diane could you make a video on the differences of Easter in France and the US
Hello, thank you for the suggestion. I wouldn't be able to get it out in time for Easter this year but will do it next year!
My French high school student insists the French dress in a more classic way. The sounds in the French language just are so different than in English, it's hard for me to sound French and it's hard for them to sound English. Like that H. Hard - ard.
Yes, the sounds take a while to learn, they're definitely different! I think you'll see that classic style in the older generation a bit more. It really depends. But these days, fast fashion is really popular here just like the U.S. H&M, Mango, Shein. ;-(
@@OuiInFrance I don't know how to say this, but many people of French nationality aren't of French ancestry. Some styles etc. just match the person and not the country. I even wonder if most people aren't of
French ancestry nowadays. I'm French American and I dress in a way that matches me, and not any popular way in a country
me i have lived here 3 years and no one treats me bad they are all so sweet
I often experience the opposite problem regarding the French speaking English. I always look forward to practicing my French as much as possible when in France. I find that a lot of times they'll try switching to English. I know they're just trying to be helpful, so I explain (in French) that I'd like to practice speaking French and ask if they'd mind if we stick with it, which they're usually happy to do.
French people find that Italians are usually well dressed…so it depends of your reference level.
If you want to do a video about "rights at work, union, syndicalism" in France. My grandpa was "pol cébe" you can search on internet, he was famous for fighting for workers have a better life.
Hello Diana
I m French, and when i was 12, i have benn ask in a party , to make "vinaigrette "....you're write, we learn to do it, hopefully hopefully, i succed, but i thought that these adults were very strange to ask this from me, i am 62 now, and still remember this....!!!
I am french and surprised by this "myths" concerning french peoples. But i agree by this debunk video. Thx
A myth that I encounter a lot is that every french person love baguette and french bread ... which is not true ...
we do love cheese tho :)
The only reason why I don't speak English while I'm out in Paris (even though I'm an English graduate) is just because I'm too reserved to make the first step. Even if I overhear a conversation on a topic I like or that I'm knowledgable in, either in French or English, I won't try to jump in, I'm too nervous about it and just don't have the guts to do it. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to help out tourists in English, but only if they came to me asking for help, or if I'm with a friend and we motivate each other to go talk to them. I'm not worried about my level of English, I'm just too tense 😅
I understand but for a different reason. I once jumped in to help an American couple who were having trouble getting the person in the post-office to understand what they wanted. The more she didn't understand the louder they spoke so I knew exactly what they wanted!! I asked if I could help and was told 'No, that's the fun of being in a foreign country!'. Ever since I only help out if somebody asks. Edit: I only mentioned they were American because they were; it doesn't mean a British or other nationality would react differently!
As a french the only thing that bothers me is when people say that they visited France when they visited Paris. It's not wrong but still
I confirm that french people struggle with english, and I still do. It's getting a lot better because I started to watch videos on CZcams a few years ago. For us, english is hard to pronounce (not natural at all) and even harder to understand. Without practice, we hardly recognize simple words that we know on paper. It took me about two months of intense watching to remove the subtiles.
We don't struggle with English we just lack confidence and are perfectionists. In many countries with a much lower level of English they'll try to talk to you because they don't care - as we should. And learning eng for a french isn't so hard Just do it, people won't care about your mistakes :)
As a french mysself I tend to agree with your points... to a degree.
- About the french hating the americans: it's exagerated but the idea is not coming from nowhere. For exemple, in a lot of french political parties(both left and right), being called an 'atlantist' is not just a comment, it is disqualification. And in street-level conversation, I think people are quicker to point US mistakes or bad habits than other country's.
- About food and wine: I agree taste is acquired, but I think that's the point: french culture includes an education to taste, and a lot of people in France will be both happy and proud to know their wines, their spices, their recipes... This last few years, people have been learning and experimenting a lot with asian cooking - japonese and corean mostly, especially in the parisian area, so that's not just a tradition-keeping duty there. I guess we are kind of.. accustomed to give food and taste some importance in our lives. Or let's say a lot of us are. It's not unique to France, obviously, but that's not a general view either: some french people traveling or setting in another country - even inside Europe - often reports their surprise to the total disregard these other people have for taste and all that. Speaking of traveling: it is *not* unusual for a french to mention what they ate when they talk about a trip they took.
- about french people and speaking english: even a french person with a good written fluency knows - just knows - they have terrible accent and they speak english. And.. well.. this is not unwarranted either: I don't know if it is a fondamental difference with the way french and english are pronounced but at best we sound weird, at worst it is pure gibberish.
I was in Paris last Sept/Oct, i can second everything you said, however, i found very few overweight folks, whilst i was in Paris, as it was mostly a younger crowd, not the geriatric demographic,i found the French to be very accepting in my attempts at 'parler français'. My only insecurity was that my vocabulary était tres petit, to which i am working on for my next trip
All of these are true! I am French, overweight (remember, we have great food), I mostly dress casually, and I don't know much about wine or cheese as I hate both. I am totally fluent in English, though. Mind you, I majored in British and American studies in college, then lived in England and in the US.
I thought this was very interesting because a lot of CZcamsrs push the idea that the French all dress perfectly and rarely eat fast food.
On a personal level my husband had the experience of a French employee working at the money exchange booth (this was back in the 1980’s) who it turned out to spoke fluent English but you wouldn’t have known it for the first ten minutes. She only gave in and spoke in English when the line ran almost across the airport concourse. She was trying to speak German to my husband but wasn’t very good at it. Neither was my husband but he was better at German than French. We were only on a layover between Germany and the US.
The bidet in the US became popular during the great Covid toilet paper shortage but a lot of people love them.😂
Thanks for another great video it brings France and its people to life.
Palsambleu, Diane, I would like to believe that there are French people who don't like wine (I don't think I know any) and that we are not all wine specialists, but we know how to say which wines we prefer, anyway...
Personally, I prefer tannic wines from the southwest of France, I quite like their little raspy side. And I like Loire wines much less, including those from our common department, Anjou, which I find too light.
When I was 17, one of the first times I went to a restaurant with friends my age, we had to choose wine, but none of us knew anything about it. We ordered Beaujolais because it was one of the only wine names we knew and the waitress replied: "it's a very good choice for you, Beaujolais is the wine made for those who don't like wine" !! I was so upset that I didn't want to drink Beaujolais for years (even though there are very good Beaujolais Villages, nothing to do with Beaujolais Nouveau which is disgusting, but has become a commercial tradition for tourists ...).
I don’t regularly take taxis. French taxi drivers unnerve me. Well, all taxi drivers unnerve me because I am inexperienced about taxis. (And I’m 75!) Anyway … a few years ago in Paris I decided I didn’t want to struggle with my luggage on a bus so opted to take a taxi when I was switching to a hotel across town.
I went to the nearby taxi stand and found a ready driver and we set off. There was a lot of traffic midday due to the November 2015 terrorist attack court trials causing road closures, so I started chatting about the traffic with the driver in my clearly accented French. By the time we were approaching my destination, he was eagerly telling me how much he enjoyed visiting the US and how much he admires Americans’ optimistic attitude. Overall, a positive memory. The experience has made me less uncomfortable about taking taxis.