English

[GT49er]

Or maybe they're not as xenophobic as our population have shown themselves to be.

Yes, you're right of course. The French government would never appoint someone with a specific brief to promote French pop and rock music in French would they? Darned silly idea!








........................ Oh, wait a minute ... ... ... ...

 

[Eeyore]

It does piss them off...a lot. Even the choice of the official song for the Euro Finals caused arguments. This is a country that has a bunch of old farts tasked with preserving the language against foreign invasion to the point of officially banning lots of words. It's held them back esp. in computing and technology.

It's a nice enough language as languages go but my biggest gripe is that their swear words sound so wimpy. When you really want to let rip there's nothing quite like good old Anglo-Saxon - especially when accompanied with a two finger salute

Edit - Albion Roar has beaten me to it.

Zut alors !

 

[FREDBINNEY]

It doesn't. I spent the last two weeks with the French watching French tv. They're not bothered.

They're bound to say that in front of you arent they.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

They're bound to say that in front of you arent they.

Why? I was in a campsite watching the matches on a large screen. I doubt more than 3 or 4 even knew we were English.

 

[FREDBINNEY]

Why? I was in a campsite watching the matches on a large screen. I doubt more than 3 or 4 even knew we were English.

then how did you know they werent pissed off ?

 

[Questions]

Why? I was in a campsite watching the matches on a large screen. I doubt more than 3 or 4 even knew we were English.

They would have sussed it by the handkerchief on your head and the string vest.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Perhaps the Welsh could learn from the French and stop trying to force their ancient language that nobody else speaks.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

then how did you know they werent pissed off ?

I can speak French, and understand them.

 

[FREDBINNEY]

I can speak French, and understand them.

I'd sussed that, let's be honest , did you walk round asking everyone if they were pissed off , or have you based your assumptions on listening to the small group within earshot who were probably engrossed in watching the game and would have left any discussions on what language was being used until afterwards ?

 

[Biscuit]

Like England, the French have a rather nasty and vocal far right. They're the ones who are mostly likely to get upset by these things, in reality, the majority of the French people really don't mind.

 

[FREDBINNEY]

Like England, the French have a rather nasty and vocal far right. They're the ones who are mostly likely to get upset by these things, in reality, the majority of the French people really don't mind.

What do you base that assumption on ?

 

[spring hall convert]

Or maybe they're not as xenophobic as our population have shown themselves to be.

To be totally fair, I suspect the only difference between current French and British attitudes to Europe is we've had a referendum and they haven't. France is increasingly Eurosceptic & the Front Nationale regularly polls numbers at general elections that UKIP dreams about, despite tactical voters best efforts to keep them away from power.

 

[Biscuit]

What do you base that assumption on ?

It's not an assumption it's a fact. Therefore it is based on fact.

It's easy for us to see French newspapers saying this or that, without realising it's their version of the Daily Express or whatever.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'd sussed that, let's be honest , did you walk round asking everyone if they were pissed off , or have you based your assumptions on listening to the small group within earshot who were probably engrossed in watching the game and would have left any discussions on what language was being used until afterwards ?

What do you base that assumption on ?

You desperately want to hate them for their dreadful attitude to English don't you? Well, tough. I'm not going to convince you.

 

[FREDBINNEY]

You desperately want to hate them for their dreadful attitude to English don't you? Well, tough. I'm not going to convince you.

Why would I want that ? My sister lives in France , is married to a Frenchman and I have two half french nieces .

 

[FREDBINNEY]

It's not an assumption it's a fact. Therefore it is based on fact.

It's easy for us to see French newspapers saying this or that, without realising it's their version of the Daily Express or whatever.

It isn't a 'fact' at all I can assure you.

 

[Notters]

You desperately want to hate them for their dreadful attitude to English don't you? Well, tough. I'm not going to convince you.

To be fair it varies dramatically depending on where you go in France. I've never been anywhere else in France where they speak so much English as they do in the Vendee. It was almost alarming compared to other parts of France.

In Besancon (beautiful place by the way) and the Jura they still seem to worship the English and hate the Germans, as a result of atrocities carried out in the area during WW2. I've been to restaurants there where they've doted on us, whilst refusing to serve Germans sat at the next table.

Some locals in the Dordogne love the English as they take care of their gardens and homes and make the area look prettier, but others don't like the impact on house prices.

Other areas, like Alsace, are perhaps almost the opposite of this.

It's really quite different to us here, where as a sheltered island we've not had so much influence from our neighbours.

 

[spring hall convert]

My sister lives in France

An opportunity that that has likely just become a lot harder to take for me or my children.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

To be fair it varies dramatically depending on where you go in France. I've never been anywhere else in France where they speak so much English as they do in the Vendee. It was almost alarming compared to other parts of France.

In Besancon (beautiful place by the way) and the Jura they still seem to worship the English and hate the Germans, as a result of atrocities carried out in the area during WW2. I've been to restaurants there where they've doted on us, whilst refusing to serve Germans sat at the next table.

Some locals in the Dordogne love the English as they take care of their gardens and homes and make the area look prettier, but others don't like the impact on house prices.

Other areas, like Alsace, are perhaps almost the opposite of this.

It's really quite different to us here, where as a sheltered island we've not had so much influence from our neighbours.

We've been to quite a few areas, including Alsace. We were in Metz, just looking round, when an elderly gentleman overheard us talking. He came over to us and welcomed us to his city.

 

[FREDBINNEY]

An opportunity that that has likely just become a lot harder to take for me or my children.

So what are you trying to say ? That people should have based their vote on how it would impact other people ?