Why are native French speakers so picky?
I mean, you try to speak French to someone who is a native speaker of the language and they will look at you like you insulted their mother when all you did was accidentally allow the accent of your native language to slip through a bit.
Even though they know full well what you said, you get such a negative response. All the while, we English speakers know accents. We know recognize when somone is Italian, spanish, german, and yes, French. We know the french accent, and more often than not, its nice and thick.
So if they are so picky about us speaking perfect french, why don't they try to speak perfect english? I mean its kind a put down.
It seems to me that for the most part, you take german, you take spanish you take those languages. But you MAJOR in french, because otherwise French speakers would rather unapologetically butcher the english language than have us accidentally, despite our best efforts, mess up when we try to speak french.
<<So if they are so picky about us speaking perfect french, why don't they try to speak perfect english?>>
Tranqui, colegui. Estamos trabajando en ello: France Ready to Admit English Is the New Lingua Franca?
http://www.citizensugar.com/1909508
OP, most French speakers take pride in their language and don't like people trying rather badly to attempt speaking their language. However, I have known many French people myself who have appreciated my attempts at speaking French because it shows I'm trying. But when people butcher French in speaking completely, it's not really appreciated at all.
It's a harsh reality but true. Don't try speaking it to a native Parisian especially unless you're pretty good.
Well, I'm always surprised when the citizens of a country are all lumped together as if they had one mindset, one response, one opinion. Aren't we all individuals?
I think this is accurate. I currently live in Paris, and am not a native French speaker. I am learning though and have improved tremendously in the 2 months I have been here.
I find their attitude to "unperfect" French rather bizarre. They look down on you if you either a) don't have a near perfect accent or b) can't talk at the 10,000 words a minute pace they seem to do.
I am making an effort, I want to learn, my accent is not bad--yet I still feel that they look down upon me. I don't see this from anyone else. When I have been in Italy and truly butchered it as a tourist I never felt this weird feeling from them that I was committing an atrocity. Same in Germany.
But they really seem to think that French is "special" and must be spoken perfectly, yet they themselves really really massacre English when they speak. Yet we tolerate it just fine--I don't look down on them for it, at least they learned a bit.
I don't know where this attitude comes from but they really ought to change it. Obviously I wasn't born in France and didn't learn French as a child, so don't fucking expect me to speak it like you!
"OP, most French speakers take pride in their language and don't like people trying rather badly to attempt speaking their language. However, I have known many French people myself who have appreciated my attempts at speaking French because it shows I'm trying. But when people butcher French in speaking completely, it's not really appreciated at all.
It's a harsh reality but true. Don't try speaking it to a native Parisian especially unless you're pretty good."
The only harsh reality is that the French have nothing to be so haughty about, it's a language. I'm asking for directions on the street. You're no worse off for having indulged me by admitting you understand what I say. They act like they paid to listen to me talk and I didn't live up the perfect French expectation they have.
I mean, its really no different from when you have grammar nazi's running around complaining when a post on the internet isn't perfect, who cares, this is not the setting to get upset over how I talk.
If you understand what someone is saying, leave it at that, that's the point, I've accomplished the goal.
<<The only harsh reality is that the French have nothing to be so haughty about, it's a language. I'm asking for directions on the street. You're no worse off for having indulged me by admitting you understand what I say. They act like they paid to listen to me talk and I didn't live up the perfect French expectation they have.>>
Yeah, I understand. But the reality is that Parisians encounter Americans a bit too often and their moods sometimes get the best of them. Not all French are like that. If you don't want to encounter this "haughty" behavior so often, try going to less tourist-occupied places. The blasé feelings will be much lower if not non-existent in some places.
Just another case of French insecurity. They're afraid that due to the ever decreasing number of native speakers, if the new speakers of French don't speak it perfectly then that way will become the standard way of speaking French. It's understandable I guess.
"Yeah, I understand. But the reality is that Parisians encounter Americans a bit too often and their moods sometimes get the best of them. Not all French are like that. If you don't want to encounter this "haughty" behavior so often, try going to less tourist-occupied places. The blasé feelings will be much lower if not non-existent in some places."
I guess, but could you imagine if speakers of every language had this mentality? Nothing would get done and their would be no world economy. Who'd wanna make deals with someone who doesn't speak your language PERFECTLY.
The French still feel like their langauge should be the world's lingua franca. Soon they'll realise that French is no important than other European language.
<<French is no important than other European language.>>
Your English is poor.
No, his english isn't perfect, but I'm not gonna treat him like some second class human because of it. I assume he's learning, and I understood what he was trying to convey without any difficulty. I'm not worst off for it.
In Quebec, any attempt at French is welcome.
En tout cas, les parisiens parlent comme ils ont une truque coince haut dans leurs cul - c'est une accent absolument ridicule,
<<En tout cas, les parisiens parlent comme ils ont une truque coince haut dans leurs cul - c'est une accent absolument ridicule,>>
Your accent is funny.