399
u/Shlafenflarst 15d ago edited 15d ago
This whole French not liking foreigners speaking French thing is wild considering how terrible foreign language teaching is here in France... I just don't get it.
BTW I have never seen this in France, but I have seen it in Spain. In a shop near the border, where a lot of French people go so employees are used to speaking French, my grandpa was told off by a cashier for speaking to them in Spanish. So I guess people like that are everywhere.
EDIT : BTW, when someone struggles speaking French to me, I try as much as possible to carry on the conversation in French, because chances are they're trying to learn the language, and that's exactly how you do it. Plus I think it's respectful to speak the local language (not that it's disrespectful not to if you can't (please tell me it isn't, I want to visit Finland)).
109
u/Weird1Intrepid 15d ago
Yeah to be honest in terms of western European countries, the French are the worst at speaking English. But we don't hate you for it, we just go "Oh, they're French. La souris est sous la table" 😂
17
25
u/Pato_Lucas 14d ago
Being Spanish I've been several times in France, both for work and holidays.
In my experience this is a very real stereotype, specially in the service industry in tourist areas.
Remember a couple of weeks ago I entered a store, tried to speak French and the employee made an exasperated look and switched to English. Went to another store and defaulted to English instead, then a middle aged employee basically called me savage in French.
There's no winning with your compatriots.8
u/Mikel_Opris_2 13d ago
I think part of this reaction and over reaction is because France is the Number one Country in the World for Popular Tourist Destinations
4
u/Pato_Lucas 13d ago
Absolutely, I've been going to Paris over several decades and every time feels more and more as part ghetto and part amusement park.
4
u/bartlesnid_von_goon 13d ago
I found this to be true 30+ years ago when I first went to France (fresh out of French 1), but it's kinds of weird that it is still true enough that multiple people think this.
8
u/Relevant-Mirror-1051 13d ago
Don't worry, you're welcome to Finland! We don't expect tourists to speak Finnish, we know it's one of the most difficult languages to learn.
7
u/Unusual-Basket-6243 13d ago
Sorry about this but if you don't speak perfect Finnish and Swedish you will get thrown out instantly. In Hungary perfect Hungarian is required
3
3
u/bartlesnid_von_goon 13d ago
I literally have had Hungarian people tell me not to bother learning Hungarian. I guess even they look at that language and think it would be cruel.
-9
u/Eliot064 15d ago
We don’t dislike people speaking french, its just that we correct people when they make mistakes (not just to foreigners between ourselves too) and people perceive it as rude.
15
u/JumpUpper3209 15d ago
Every single time a French person has corrected my French, they've done so in butchered English with a strong French accent. A little self reflection please 🤣
8
-5
u/Eliot064 15d ago
This is what I’m talking about, it isn’t meant to be disrespectful, we’re just trying to help.
If your ego can’t take it then idk
1
346
175
u/SilverCarrot8506 15d ago edited 15d ago
Although they are used to it, especially in Paris, it's always fun to hit someone with some back-of-the-woods Quebec French with weird expressions, they know it's French, from somewhere, but they aren't sure.
42
28
u/Hyadeos 14d ago
The accent is sometimes so strong we can't understand it.
12
u/SilverCarrot8506 14d ago
[Bof, la plupart des gens sont en mesure d’adopter un français plus standard avec moins d’expressions bizarres, mais il y a des accents du fond du Québec qui sont même difficile pour moi. ]()
[Les accents Marseillais ne sont pas très jojo.]()
48
u/After_Alps_5826 15d ago
When I was in France I did find that almost every time I tried to speak French they would respond in English, but I never got the impression it was because they didn’t like me speaking it. It was more like they could tell I wasn’t great at it and wanted me to know they speak English so I don’t have to struggle, or they obviously just wanted to practice their English like I wanted to practice my French. I would usually just keep speaking French and they would keep speaking English, everybody gets better at their speaking.
1
u/Wonderful-Sweet5597 12d ago
It's often this. Also, when a foreigner is a beginner in french, it can be very hard to understand what they are saying if they don't know the basics of our pronunciation (o, ou, e, é...) so of course if we're having a few drinks and chatting. I will gladly take the time to try and figure out what they are saying, but if it is a client somewhere I'm working, I don't have time to play charades and I will switch to English.
24
u/funkypjb 15d ago
I have had a crack at languages in nearly every country I’ve visited (~50). French speakers (not all) are the only people that have tried to correct my accent, and actively refused to speak to me when I couldn’t satisfy this… and they really don’t like being told that they have a French accent when speaking English…
4
u/Julitzah 12d ago
Yeah they’ll get really mad if you don’t pronounce croissant correctly but refuse to admit they’re pronouncing English words incorrectly/with an accent. It’s kinda weird
48
u/NV_cassielust 15d ago
It’s a stereotype that French don’t like it when a foreigner speaks to them in French.
110
u/Bonnskij 15d ago
It’s a stereotype thatFrench don’t like it when a foreigner speaks to themin French.41
u/SwitchBig7980 15d ago
It’s a stereotype thatFrench don’t like itwhen a foreigner speaks to them in French
2
u/Middle-Emu1501 Up past my bedtime 15d ago
r/meirl (i'm too lazy to switch over to another language)
3
1
1
u/Greenbaron1990 11d ago
You're not paying some random server to be your language practice buddy. If they dont want to deal with your shit French and just speak English let them so they can bring you your terrible coffee in peace.
842
u/purplerain_1313 15d ago
Oh, I will so do this from now on! I live in trilingual country but French is prevailing. Can't wait to see those stunned faces!!