Let's be realistic about French for a second
From what I understand, the old strategy that France employed to spread its language was to brand it as the language of culture. But it's not a secret that today, too few people care about culture. Now it's all about utility and economic gain. France sees this and now tries to promote French as a useful language, giving all the facts about the numerous francophone countries, organizations where French is an official language, etc. But the truth is, the vast majority of people whom I met never got the opportunity to use their French without having to go to a French-speaking country. My friends from Eastern Europe who learned French found it useless, save those who ended up immigrating to France. German is significantly more demanded in business. My American friends who learned French, even those who working travel companies, found no use for their knowledge whatsoever. I can speak in similar fashion about Germany and Mexico, although my experience in those countries is rather limited.
To me, the only real, substantial reason for learning French was the ability to read Camus and Sartre and watch Godard and Bunuel; to travel to France on my own and learn as much as possible about that wonderful country. If I was thinking in terms of usefulness, I would have picked Spanish or German without hesitation.
Have the readers of this forum had a similar experience with French? What are your thoughts?
"If I was thinking in terms of usefulness" I will learn Mandarin Chinese ; ()
Do you want to work in a Chinese restaurant?.
I took French and Spanish because they were the foreign languages offered at my high school. They also had Latin, but they were doing away with the dead language... Of course, Latin is popular again in my city and I'm just a barbarian because I don't know it. There may even be a Latin school or two here. Any day now, I reckon we'll see centurions in the Wal*mart! I hope they aren't zombies. It's bound to happen when you resurrect dead languages. Oh wait, maybe not. Moses didn't come back with Hebrew.
Oh yeah, French.
My experience has been different.
I have spoken both French and Spanish recently. Spanish is more common for me to use. I've used both languages with patients and immigrants over the years.
I can go to a German restaurant if I want to speak German, but I don't use it nearly as often. If I wanted to speak it more, I could try the Verein in town.
Usually I can find people who speak a language I'm learning or a language I know, but then I tend to learn languages for the purpose of communication-not so much to read literature (but it's a great perk if there are great books in the language).
too few people care about culture.
My life is devoted to promoting culture.
I had a culture once.
It was a grand old culture.
People from far and wide came to see it, just to be near it, and to bask in its glorious ambiance.
Ah, how I remember my culture.
How we'd amble joyously along its wooded pathways, winding endlessly over its densely thicketed wolds...
I loved my culture.
What I wouldn't give to have my culture back...
too bad I had to flush
"the old strategy that France employed to spread its language was to brand it as the language of culture.
Now it's all about utility and economic gain. France sees this and now tries to promote French as a useful language, giving all the facts about the numerous francophone countries, organizations where French is an official language, etc. "
C'est effroyable.
Je n'en dors plus.
MDR !!!
Mr Office Rat sait-il qu'il a l'air d'un parfait connard?
Et tout le signalement de l'abruti intégral?
Non.
hahahaha look at the upset French poster under the name of "- - - - - - - - - - - - - "
The importance of French outside French-speaking countries has rapidly diminished in recent years. We no longer hear the Olympic results announced in French, the Eurovision song-contest has relegated the language to token status and I suspect French is also declining in EU political circles. What about staff on the Eurostar? Do they have to be French speakers nowadays?
<< "the old strategy that France employed to spread its language was to brand it as the language of culture.
Now it's all about utility and economic gain. France sees this and now tries to promote French as a useful language, giving all the facts about the numerous francophone countries, organizations where French is an official language, etc. " >>
-- C'est vrai qu'il y a quelque chose de supérieurement grotesque dans la prétention des imbéciles à détecter une "stratégie culturelle" en France, à bégayer "France sees this and now tries to promote French" (crétin !).
On ne voit jamais des francophones se livrer à des délires comparables. Ils jugent sur les faits, pas sur leur imagination.
Au demeurant, une particularité française est l'absence totale de politique culturelle à l'étranger (l'Etat contribue pour moins de 2% au budget de l'Alliance Française). Ce que personellement je déplore.
It's funny how for French people, France=government. I heard tales of how much bureaucracy there is in France, but turns out it's in the minds of its citizens too.
The importance of Spanish outside Spanish-speaking countries has been sinking in recent years. We no never hear the Olympic results announced in Spanish, the Eurovision song-contest has relegated the language to non-token status and I suspect Spanish is also becoming less abd less unknownin EU political circles. What about staff on the Eurostar? Do they have to be Spanish speakers nowadays?
Stupid spaniard if you're gonna troll out the French language at least be sensible.
The original spanish thread wasn't made by a french but of course you couldn't take the reality from somebody else.
Seriously, the only people who embarrass themselves more than the French-speaking trolls are the Spaniards. You'd expect them to be somewhat smarter, having a far more advanced culture, but I guess human folly takes the better of us all.