D'Accord. Too Many French People Speak English and other Paris, France Local Custom Tips

I went to France to learn French and I wanted to use it as much as possible. But so often I got English back. I just pressed on with my beginner's French anyway. So it is not always true that the French want you to speak French. I think that may be an idea left over from the old days.

This is an interesting fact that I read in a French paper. The French speak the poorest English in all of Europe because the requirements to teach English in the schools is so stringent, that is, they must almost perfectly pass a French language test (not English, go figure) that no nonFrench mother tongue person can pass it. Thus all the English teachers in France, according to this article, are French mother tongue speakers. If any of you had a person, whose mother tongue was Enlish, teach you French in grade and highschool, as I did, you know how that goes.

The French school I attended while in Paris was Ecole Eiffel. It was very small and a very good environment. Not too expensive.

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More than any place else that I have been, the people in France line up. Absolutely, three times a day you will see long lines outside of boulangeries, even the worst ones. (You will know the best ones by the length of the line.) You will also see them lined up for movies and, at lunch time, at takeouts. Never will you see them lined up to get into churches, though.

If you want your bread and you are like me and wont stand in line for anything, go during the off hours between breakfast and lunch or around three in the afternoon.

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This is amazingly important. Whether you are entering a shop, restaurant, the bus, etc. the French are offended if you do not say bon jour, bon soir or whatever depending on the time of day. It is equally important to say au revoir and bonne journee or bonne soiree and merci when leaving or exiting. You will be amazed at how appreciated this is.

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