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In this article from PFS France (http://
www.propertyforsalefrance.co.uk/), B A Boyle a British expat, writes a
"tongue in cheek" account about the communication challenges they
faced when they moved to France.
For many newcomers to France, one of the greatest challenges is
actually to make sense of the French language which we studied years
ago in school.
If you're lucky you may still remember a little vocabulary or how to
conjugate verbs, the exceptions and the rules. Nevertheless, beware.
french learned at school has its limitations. It's most unlikely that
you will be able to impress anyone by asking "Where is the station?"
"I'd like to book a room with a shower" or even "How do I get to the
Eiffel Tower"
So, soon after we moved here, we came to rely on two very good pieces
of advice:
If you can't make yourself understood, try saying it in a different
way.
Learn how to ask politely for the French person to speak a little
slower/clearer for example "doucement, S'il vous plait" (literally,
softly please)
Let me give you an example. Our first summer here and we're living in
a quiet little French village. We're ready to receive our first
visitors, daughter, son-in law, & two young children; a family more
used to seaside than countryside holidays. How do we keep the little
ones entertained. The supermarket is full of little plastic paddling
pools. We buy two. One for water and one for sand. Water, we have
plenty of but we need to visit the DIY store in search of sand.
If I ever knew the French word for sand I'd surely forgotten it long
ago. We find a helpful assistant but make no headway. Even after
playing the usual charade-like game, we still cannot make ourselves
understood. I sense increasing frustration all round. Then I remember
the first piece of useful advice. "Find another way to say the same
thing". Sure enough, somewhere safely stored in my head was the French
word for beach, so we ask for a sack of beach. Although this brings
howls of laughter from everyone within earshot - triumph for us - we
get the sand.
We are now prepared for our visitors but the tap in the bathroom has
started to drip, drip and drip. Happily our DIY skills extend as far
as replacing a tap washer. Back to the DIY store. Sadly, not only do I
not know the French word for washer I cannot think of any sensible
word as an alternative.
The assistant, helpful as ever, is determined not to be beaten this
time by a simple thing like language but after a barrage of totally
incomprehensible conversation
http://www.dontplayplay.com/html/ComputersandTechnology/20061002/43618.html
www.propertyforsalefrance.co.uk/), B A Boyle a British expat, writes a
"tongue in cheek" account about the communication challenges they
faced when they moved to France.
For many newcomers to France, one of the greatest challenges is
actually to make sense of the French language which we studied years
ago in school.
If you're lucky you may still remember a little vocabulary or how to
conjugate verbs, the exceptions and the rules. Nevertheless, beware.
french learned at school has its limitations. It's most unlikely that
you will be able to impress anyone by asking "Where is the station?"
"I'd like to book a room with a shower" or even "How do I get to the
Eiffel Tower"
So, soon after we moved here, we came to rely on two very good pieces
of advice:
If you can't make yourself understood, try saying it in a different
way.
Learn how to ask politely for the French person to speak a little
slower/clearer for example "doucement, S'il vous plait" (literally,
softly please)
Let me give you an example. Our first summer here and we're living in
a quiet little French village. We're ready to receive our first
visitors, daughter, son-in law, & two young children; a family more
used to seaside than countryside holidays. How do we keep the little
ones entertained. The supermarket is full of little plastic paddling
pools. We buy two. One for water and one for sand. Water, we have
plenty of but we need to visit the DIY store in search of sand.
If I ever knew the French word for sand I'd surely forgotten it long
ago. We find a helpful assistant but make no headway. Even after
playing the usual charade-like game, we still cannot make ourselves
understood. I sense increasing frustration all round. Then I remember
the first piece of useful advice. "Find another way to say the same
thing". Sure enough, somewhere safely stored in my head was the French
word for beach, so we ask for a sack of beach. Although this brings
howls of laughter from everyone within earshot - triumph for us - we
get the sand.
We are now prepared for our visitors but the tap in the bathroom has
started to drip, drip and drip. Happily our DIY skills extend as far
as replacing a tap washer. Back to the DIY store. Sadly, not only do I
not know the French word for washer I cannot think of any sensible
word as an alternative.
The assistant, helpful as ever, is determined not to be beaten this
time by a simple thing like language but after a barrage of totally
incomprehensible conversation
http://www.dontplayplay.com/html/ComputersandTechnology/20061002/43618.html