How are foreigners perceived in France?

K. T.   Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:05 pm GMT
Sorry, I meant that there weren't enough tourists coming to hotels, etc. after 9/11.

I think people in most countries I've visited have been polite to me, but I try to be polite with them, or at least reserved. In very small villages in France, I found people to be much warmer. Funny thing, I almost never had anyone who wanted to practice their English on me. A lot of French people like to talk about politics and pop culture with me, but only in French.

Probably a better answer would be: If you are polite, you will probably be okay even if you have a foreign accent.
K. T.   Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:25 pm GMT
I'm not sure how many countries I've visited, not so many, only twenty or so. What about you? Some people have a map made up with the countries they've visited in red, for example, and the countries they'd like to visit in blue.

I went to Japan with my spouse not long after I finished college (university). I wasn't a student per se, but I studied Japanese with tutors, on my own and in a class. I don't think I will ever be finished learning Japanese as there's always something to learn. I've never found a really good grammar (complete) for Japanese and believe me, I've bought every good grammar book I could find! It's a manga-like quest for me to find a great bilingual grammar, lol!

I travelled a lot with my parents as a kid, and my spouse likes to travel as well. I'm not so crazy about it, believe it or not. I like being in a new culture, but I don't like the "travelling" part.
Guest   Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:45 pm GMT
"how are they perceived?"

As enemy of the State and of the Franch languege who must be exterminated

Vive la France!
Clara   Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:30 pm GMT
Guest

tu es stupide, get a life please.

K. T

I want to go in Japan too! Is it difficult to learn japenese ?
Guest d'Clara   Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:14 pm GMT
Clara, tu es aveuglée par ton amour subjectif pour toutes les choses qui sont de Français, non?

J'ai une vie.
K. T.   Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:02 pm GMT
"I want to go in Japan too!"

I hope you get to go, then. I think Japan has a fascinating culture.
Japanese is not so difficult as it is time and life-consuming. It helps if you have a decent memory. I don't recommend it for everyone, but I would recommend it for people who plan to live in Hawaii, work in a big hotel, or plan to work with Japanese.

I made some comments about Chinese characters used in Japanese on the Mulan thread.

I wish you the best.
J.C.   Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:44 am GMT
@K.T.
I really thought you had travelled more, even though you've been to more places than I. The first country I visited was Japan and is also the only country where I had to opportunity to live. Other than that I've been to Paraguay, Argentina, Taiwan, China, Korea, US, Mexico and Australia.
But my best experience travelling was in Korea since I could visit churches and do things that most tourists can't do. I stayed at a pastor's house and was treated like a son. Korea is definitely a country I want to visit again.

I will be checking if I can give a suggestion of a good Japanese grammar. In my case I only studied using 日本語の基礎(I,II) and then worked my way through using a magazine called 日本語ジャーナル.

I don't like travelling so much either because I see no fun in going to touristic places where ALMOST EVERYBODY has been and take the SAME pictures... Usually I just buy the ticket to the country and decide randomly where I'll visit, which probably will be a not very famous place.

I also had a WONDERFUL time in the US, specially when I visited a church in Tennessee and experienced a true "southern hospitality". I thought the pastor was going to kill me with a "bear hug" :)
From Tennessee I drove all the way to South Carolina and was sad to see a black guy discriminating my white friend when I tried to get a taxi...

I guess I like to enjoy being around people more than just "travelling" and taking pictures :)

Cheers
K. T.   Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:47 am GMT
Hi, J.C.-san,

It sounds like you've had some meaningful, if not great experiences overseas, not just the tourist experience.

Other topic.

I have old Nihongo Journal magazines (I started subscribing right before they stopped making them, lol.) and first and second level tests and books. NJ really had a great product. I'm sorry that they decided to stop publishing. I'd like to get Seiichi Makino's "Advanced" grammar book when the price goes down. I've seen it at ninety dollars. That's a little high for me.

Btw, did you mention Bibel TV here sometime? I thought you liked to watch someone on that site. If I'm mistaken, please ignore this.
J.C.   Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:55 am GMT
K.T.様(too formal?lol)

Indeed, I had a good time in my trips, which reminds me I once visited San Antonio and took a drive from there to the border with Mexico, where I got at about 6 pm, took a bus to Monterrey and walked around the city until 3 am :) After that I took a bus back to the US. The best part of the trip is because I travelled with an American friend who is fluent in Spanish and German and also had a Japanese student who came with me from Japan so our conversation was a real linguistic mess!!! :)

As for grammar I think that 「日本語文型辞典」from くろしお出版 is a good grammar and deals with things that are difficult to grasp such the 「とはいえ」、「〜にこしたことはない」、「〜ものの」、and other structures not so dealt with in grammar books.

Here's the link for the grammar:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/日本語文型辞典-グループジャマシイ/dp/4874241549

It's interesting that you quoted Seiichi Makiko's grammar because I have the intermediate version in pdf. If you're interested in getting it send me an e-mail to: ohgloria(at)amber.plala.or.jp
I also have a lot of other grammars I downloaded and maybe you could be interested.

I've never heard of Bibel TV but would be interested in watching it. Recently I found a very good podcast with biblical messages in German called "Stuttgart Jesustreff". If you would like to hear the GOOD NEWS that's definitely my suggestion.

Um abraço
K. T.   Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:17 pm GMT
様 Aack, that reminds me of clerks who say "Gaijin-様"!

Thanks for the offer of the pdf form. I actually have the intermediate grammar. I need to discipline myself and start reading it like a book instead of as a reference book.

I'll check out the suggestions you gave for podcasts and grammar. Danke and Obrigado.

About Bibel TV: I'm not sure if it is "Christian" or "Catholic Christian". I saw a video where German kids went to camp to live like ancient Hebrews. They learned customs, ate (supposedly) nomadic food etc. It was fairly interesting stuff.
J.C.   Sat May 02, 2009 2:40 am GMT
K.T.さん:
You'll really need 躾 to read a whole grammar :)
wouldn't it be better just read books, newspapers and magazines to learn that? In my case I have trouble learning things I won't be needing right away.

Thanks for the hint on Bibel TV. I 've already checked the channel and was surprised to see Germans talking about God in a country where intellectualism.

とにかく、このフォーラムのレベルが低く、喧嘩が多いのでもう入らないと思います。なので、また言語に関する話をする気があったらメールをください。

宜しくお願いします。
Xie   Sat May 02, 2009 10:01 am GMT
>>I'm not sure how many countries I've visited, not so many, only twenty or so. What about you? Some people have a map made up with the countries they've visited in red, for example, and the countries they'd like to visit in blue.

that's really a lot. Is it a common practice for you guys to travel that much? I wish I could, too. And it's also interesting to see you know many languages too.
Papaparis   Sat May 02, 2009 11:02 am GMT
If I got Paris, will I be treated differently if I will speak French with an accent?


If you got in Paris you will be treated like a shit NO MATTER your accent is
Paris Hilton   Sat May 02, 2009 1:21 pm GMT
I'm Paris Hilton and I don't live in Paris Hilton I live in L.A. Hilton and I don't eat swine flu, I mean, I don't eat swine fluke, I'm a veggie by birth.

I'm Paris Hilton and I approve this massage, I mean: message.
K. T.   Sat May 02, 2009 6:07 pm GMT
J.C.-san,

このフォーラムのレベルが低く、喧嘩が多いのでもう入らないと思います。

I understand completely. I have thought the same thing many times.

Thanks for your good suggestions over the last months. I'd write back in Japanese, but I need a new Japanese word processor.