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From: rajeev@sftri.UUCP (S.Rajeev)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: Paris
Message-ID: <420@sftri.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 20:18:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: sftri.420
Posted: Mon Apr 29 20:18:28 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Apr-85 07:21:44 EDT
References: <1859@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Summit N.J.
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> 
> Just thought that I'd like to make one comment about what Mickey Levine said
> in relation to speaking French in Paris.  I've been there and had a much better
> than expected time, without being fluent in French.
> 
> I found through my experience that if you make an effort to phrase what you 
> want to say in French, then you'll be appreciated by most Parisiens.  This

I had similar experiences in Paris. I speak extremely broken French
and have to refer to my pocket Larousse constantly, but I was able to
have conversations with many French people -- turns out many of them
at least in Paris speak better English than my French. They probably
couldn't stand my treatment of their beautiful language, and so after
I had made a fool of myself by asking them something in my pidgin
French, they would often switch to English (much to my relief). It's
entirely reasonable: why should they embarrass themselves by speaking
less-than-perfect English to somebody who's not willing to even try
to learn French? I had heard lots of horror stories about how snobbish
and xenophobic Parisians/ennes are, but I met all sorts of people
ranging from a hobo on the Versailles train to a Professor from the
Sorbonne (who gave me a guided tour of the Pompidou Centre). I think
people in Paris have gotten a bum rap for no fault of their own.
-- 
...ihnp4!attunix!rajeev   -- usenet
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Sri Rajeev, SF 1-342, Bell Labs, Summit, NJ 07901. (201)-522-6330.