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2007-05-20 09:57:55 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel France Paris

17 answers

They understand, and they do speak English, but they are very reluctant to. They feel, if you are in their country, you should speak their language. But, I'm sure they will be kind to you, the will know you're not an American tourist, so they will be helpful.

2007-05-20 11:41:05 · answer #1 · answered by Hot Coco Puff 7 · 8 2

Well do people in London speak French?

Paris is in France, so they speak French. Most French people do know English but wont speak it because they are not perfect at it.

The only reason people find them rude is because they go to France expecting everyone to speak Engslish, which is wrong as it is not an English Speaking country

2007-05-28 05:31:08 · answer #2 · answered by Mike C 2 · 0 0

Well, in France what language do you speak? of course, french... Yes, french people speak English, not all, but especially in Paris you'll find english speaking people, but they can't talk a lot and they really don't like to talk any other language but French. If you don't understand French, that's fine if you go just for a trip. But to live there, I think it's so evident that you will need to learn it.

2016-04-01 12:01:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

According to a survey, conducted by French market research institute IFOP for the weekly newspaper Dimanche Ouest France, 34 percent of those questioned said they did not speak English. Twelve percent said they were fluent in English, six percent said they understood and spoke it well, and 48 percent said they "more or less" understood English but did not speak it fluently.

So yes, vastly more French people speak or, at least understand some English than Americans or Brits speak any French.

But that doesn't mean that people will want to struggle thru trying tp speak to you in English when, as the above survey shows only 18% said they were either fluent or spoke English well.



.

2007-05-21 04:11:36 · answer #4 · answered by Rillifane 7 · 1 0

Most do, however, not well. That's why French people in Paris who speak English prefer not to try speaking the language to strangers. What ends up happening is the strangers end up considering the French rude.

2007-05-20 10:18:57 · answer #5 · answered by mac 7 · 3 0

yes, they do speak English but it is good to learn a bit of French before you go to Paris. People are nice, they will help you out. But they appreciate if traveller knows a little french.

2007-05-25 13:55:51 · answer #6 · answered by reet 1 · 1 0

Bonjour,

I am french and I live in Ireland.In France, young people do speak english quite well with a very strong accent.If you are american, please slow down and articulate, we are used to the english accent but american accent is more difficult to understand.

All the young people learn english as a second language (then spanish or german as a third language)but it is as difficult for us to speak a fluent english as it is for you to speak a fluent french.Of course,latin languages are much easier for us/

If you happen to find a french person who speaks a good english please be nice and consider she/he is trying to get rid of her/his terrible french accent/ like I do most of the time .The accent/rythm of the language is terribly different/the grammar is different too.

The best is to try and speak a few words in french even if it seems difficult at first,and I am sure you ll get an answer in english :°)...

ps:the two languages ,english and french have much in common, but most english speaking people are not aware that hundreds of words have the same origin and that lots of english words derive from old french(to summarize some of the first kings of England were from Normandy and spoke french),take a look at the history of England and at the history of France .

Cheers,and good luck, Valerie.

2007-05-26 12:09:27 · answer #7 · answered by Valerie Sylviane 1 · 1 0

Yes, particularly those in the tourism sector. But, as pointed out, a little bit of French goes a very long way. Manners in France are very important, always say Bonjour Madame or Bonjour Monsieur, rather than just Bonjour. Remember s'il vous plait, merci, excusez-moi and je ne parle pas francais, parlez-vous anglais. Try asking for things in French, like train tickets, baguettes, or meals, and you will get a lot further. Also, to ask for the bill (check) at a restaurant, say 'L'addition, s'il vous plait'. Your time in Paris will be so much more rewarding if you try the language.
Enjoy...Paris is my favourite place to be.
Salut!

2007-05-20 18:45:28 · answer #8 · answered by telemeister 2 · 4 0

It's difficult to generalize. Many people do, especially in shops and restaurants. But some people will also make a point of not answering you in English because they think tourists should make an effort and speak a bit of French...

2007-05-20 10:19:23 · answer #9 · answered by Lady Annabella-VInylist 7 · 1 1

I was told they all do....but it's simply not true. Most of the people you will come into contact with are waiters, bus drivers, and other service people and a lot of them do not beyond a very basic vocabulary..

If you make an effort they will definitely try to understand you. I found them to be pretty helpful if I at least tried.

2007-05-20 11:57:05 · answer #10 · answered by Courtney 2 · 1 0

Yes, a lot of people can speak English well, some of them understand only, some will pretend they are not understand but they are (depend of personality).

2007-05-21 15:42:08 · answer #11 · answered by S-a 3 · 0 0

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