Learning French to go to Paris

I think this is true in any country. I really helps to be able to converse in the local language. Not just repeat phrases from your guide book, but to really understand some of the language.

All of the young people in France are required to take English in school. If they will not speak in conversational English, they're just trying to be difficult.
Last time we came into the Gard du Nord (train station), we asked a question at the information booth. None of the 3 people on the desk would answer us in English--and this is the train station where the Eurostar trains dump thousands of tourists from the U.K. every day. That's the French.
I've found that English with a big smile and a good attitude will get you father than worrying about speaking a native language while traveling.

I don't think that one has to learn French to have a pleasant and successful trip to Paris. To be clear, I do think that one should say bonjour or hello and merci but that is not learning French to me. I draw a distinction between knowing a bit of politesse and learning French and I don't think that you have to able to learn enough French to be able to attempt conversations in order to enjoy yourself and be polite and respectful of French culture. On my first trip to France in 1980s when probably fewer people spoke English than nowadays, I knew "good day", "please" and "thank you" in French and had no problems. Since then, I have learned French and while it helps, not knowing it is not the deal breaker that the original post presents it to be. Of course learning French and then being able to respond when Parisians respond très rapidement is something that I am still working on years later. Recently, in Paris at a cafe near Odeon metro we had a waiter who spoke no English and I saw him serve some very lovely Americans who spoke no French with barely a hitch -- all it took was polite behavior and genuine willingness to try to communicate on both of their sides. I have seen busy French waiters urge people who are struggling to speak in French to speak English for the sake of efficiency.

No doubt some people who work at Gare du Nord speak English. Some pretend that they do not because they are not confident in their English and some pretend they do not because they are jerks. Call me an optimist, I think more of the people are in the first category than the second. But I can't help but believe that there are more English speaking workers at Gare du Nord than there are French speaking workers at Saint Pancras and just as Eurostar bring loads of English speaking people to Paris, it brings French speaking people to London and I have never heard a French person complain that no one spoke French in London.

I don't think the effort involved in really learning a language is worth the added enjoyment of speaking it on a week long vacation. Hello, goodbye, yes, no, please, thank you, excuse me, where is, bathroom, how much, may I, exit, entrance, track, open, closed, beer, wine, coffee, ice cream, adult, child, family, do you speak English are, plenty. Knowing meats, vegetables, soup, and a few other food words in print helps occasionally, but most places have an English menu. But the sentences that garner the most smiles are how do you say "insert English word." And how do I pronounce "insert mangled local word" or point at menu or phrase book. A willingness to make a fool of yourself gesturing goes a long way. Mostly what happens when I attempt French is answers in English.

That said, our daughters speak reasonable conversational French and that does add to ours and thier enjoyment of France.

I agree that you will probably be in for a much better experience if you try to acquire some basic French vocabulary. Sure, many more people speak English than ever before, but not always perfectly, which can lead to a lot of wasted time and misinformation.

If a foreigner comes to your home town, wouldn't you expect him to attempt to try to communicate in your language? Many people are irritated and won't go out of their way to help someone who doesn't speak "your" language. Same thing in France.

Imagine sitting down in a restaurant with a French menu. If you waltz in not knowing the rules about when food is served, or any food vocabulary, the waiter will have to spend more time than he should translating everything for you. This isn't fair to him, or to the other customers who have to wait while you decide what to order. I've seen this happen more times than I can count, and everyone is getting tired of it.

A great many people seem to "just go", without doing any kind of research on which kind of transit tickets to buy - and how to go about purchasing them. Many people do not even bring maps or apps to help them find out how to get from Point A to Point B - so they must rely on others to help them. The burden is on the visitor, not the people who live and work in the city you happen to be visiting.

If I see someone who is obviously lost, I'll offer to help him. But when the rapid-fire questions start (and they almost always do) - where is the best place to eat, where is the best pastry shop, how much did your apartment cost...well, I'm out of there faster than you can say "au revoir".

I find great value in learning the polite words - after that I speak travel French as well as Spanish, Italian and German. I can read & understand more than I can speak in each language. I can string together enough nouns & verbs (not always in the proper gender - because I have no idea why or that a boat is masculine and a house is feminine!) to accomplish what I need.

Our trips generally traverse several countries - a minimum of 3 languages. Vocabulary slips away with the limited use of other languages when not traveling - the longer we spend in a country the more that comes back.

I knew 5 basic phrases the first time I went to France and got along pretty well with some funny language gap experiences. Since then I've been back 5 times with more French each time and I can attest that the the more I have spoken French, the more enriching my experience has been, especially interacting with locals. I am no where near fluent, but I can hold a short conversation and make myself understood. I am thinking about another trip and need to dust off my Pimsleur CDs for a refresher.

Your experience will definitely be better if you learn at least those 5 basic phrases.

I've always loved the French language, studied it in high school, always loved French movies or books set in France, so it stayed very much in my mind in the ensuing 30+ years and with just a bit of brushing up I was astonished at how much came back easily when I visited Paris in May--I could have very simple conversations, ask for assistance, read menus and signs, and the people really did seem pleased and I was always treated well. I did encounter a few with no English at all, so my feeble French at least got me what I needed.

Since I now seem to be drawn to return to Hungary for the 3rd time I am learning Hungarian--a notoriously difficult but lovely language. Using even the most basic words and phrases on a Hungarian will totally delight them, you can really see that it just makes their day, even if they demonstrate the ability to speak English. Upon managing to somehow ask a ticket agent for a ticket to Godollo, she responded in English, "You are going to Godollo now?" and I said, "Igen! I'm so glad you beszel Angolul!"

I learn as much of a language as I can between deciding on my trip and going. I think I interact with people more successfully when I use their language, and when they see I don't have a clue what their response was...but sometimes I do...they laugh and switch languages.

Heather.. I liked your post.. and agree.

Although learning the language is not necessary.. learning a bit is a great idea.. it DOES make things easier and more pleasant. My French ( even after travelling there for over 48 years) is still dismal.. but.. its more than none , and it always comes in handy.

Bare minimum every tourist should do is learn the politesse words.. and not just for france.. but anywhere you go.. last few years we go for a month or so and often hit 3 or 4 countries.. and yes.. I try to learn please and thank you etc in all the languages( its funny when I get mixed up and say "bitte" in Italy and "merci" in Spain.. ( I get flustered easy... sometimes reeling off two or three different please or thank yous till I hit the right language.. )

As for all the French speak English because they learn it in school.. what a crock. First.. some folks you talk to may have flunked out of school.. so don't be presumptuous , and secondly.. how many of YOU speak Spanish.. I mean.. don't Americans take Spanish in school? School languages are often focused on written work... learning grammar etc.. and certainly do not qualify one as being able to speak a language. I took five years of French and if you ask me if I speak French the answer would be "NO",. but I can get a taxi and find the bathroom..
All Canadian kids are required to take a minimum of one year of French.. many take more.. but I can assure you .. most end up in the " I cant speak French " camp.

"that's the French for you " is a rude statement.

No, We don't take Spanish in school. Why would we? Some (maybe a lot) do take some foreign language at some point in their education and probably a higher percentage of those are taking Spanish than other foreign languages. There is no mandatory foreign language requirement like there is in most every other country in the world.

I took German in high school, Russian when I was in university, picked up French in one of the jobs I had. I am fluent in none, read each very well, and speak them all horribly bad to the point where people I am trying to communicate with say "Why don't we just speak English?" :-) I also know enough Mexican Spanish, which I learned due to the large Mexican population where I grew up, to probably insult everyone I talk to but not much else.

But I agree that learning at least how to say the polite words in the language of the country you are visiting will help a lot even if the entirety of what you learn = "Good day, nice to meet you, apologies for not knowing more of the language".

And you might be surprised by how many residents of the UK speak passable French, especially those that take the chunnel train into Paris to visit, so why would the people at the booths need to speak English? On the other hand, I have found that every French person I needed to communicate with in Paris is more than happy to talk with me in English -- as long as I start with a polite "Bon jour", which is the French way, instead of rushing into bombarding them with immediate questions.

Most people who learn a second language do so because they have an ongoing use for that language. I've observed that Americans who regularly hire Spanish speaking workers or contractors learn to speak Spanish. So do native English speakers who work side by side with Spanish speaker, or in the case of the company that limbed up our tree, for them.

People learn English because it is the new (and I recognize the irony) lingua franca. It's useful not just to speak to native English speakers, but also nearly everyone else. So it's the first choice in second languages. Asian tourists learn English so that the can communicate with the French, German, Czech, Italian, Hungarians, etc. and of course the Britis, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, and Canadians. I often hear German and French speakers using English in other European countries.

If you work in the tourist trade or international business, it's the language to have.

It's less politeness than business.

Still a few local phrases will get you much better service.

Different cultures have different ideas of rudeness and sociability. Part of the experience. Maybe its just me, but I always come across people who don't speak English. Its part of the fun, if you go off the beaten path. Of course the business and service industry people that a tourist is likely to encounter are more likely to have good English speakers, because its a marketable skill in those positions.

I agree with Pat that just because they had it in school doesn't meant they actually learned it or remembered it, and no one is required by law to speak to you in English. Yes, for the last 20 years or so, most of the kids in my neck of the woods have had at least a couple of years of Spanish in school (they still are told it will be easier than French), but the vast majority couldn't order a taco without a smartphone app by the time they get out of school.

I think that anyone coming to a foreign country should concentrate on the culture, as well as polite language.
For instance - in France, there are certain times when meals are served in restaurants, and you should be aware of that. Otherwise, you can go to a cafe or brasserie, where food is available all day long.
If you see silverware and glasses on a table, and you just want a drink, you usually can't sit there, but will be instructed to go to the bar.
Don't touch any fruit or vegetables in a market or at a street vendor unless you see bags readily available and the vendor invites you to choose what you want.
In the supermarket, you might have to weigh your produce first - look for the scale - otherwise, the cashier will weigh it for you.
Bring bags when you shop anywhere - plastic bags are not provided, or will cost a few centimes.
Don't use large bills when paying for something that costs less than 5 euros. Most vendors do not have change and will refuse your purchase.
If you want to look for a different size in sweaters, etc - it's best to ask a salesperson rather than mess up the whole stack.
And so on...

I don't have a good ear for language, and I found French pretty bewildering. But we learned some basic courtesy phrases, enough to say please and thank you and apologize for bumping someone in the Metro. On our short 5-day Best of Paris tour last year, we found "bonjour" to be the magic word. Everywhere we went, a smile and a sincere "bonjour" opened the door to friendly service and interaction. It really doesn't take much, just a little polite effort.

We're going to Italy next May, and I'm already attempting to learn some rudimentary Italian, a language which seems to make a bit more sense to my ear. I don't expect to fluent, but I hope to at least get points for trying.

PS... for Canadians..

Do you flip over the packages in France to find the English side..lol

I always do.. forgetting they only label in French. ( In Canada by law all packaging must have both English and French so we know to find the English side of a package )

The good thing is most Canadians know what "Gratis" means.. lol

Thanks for posting this, Heather. I think it is always worthwhile trying to learn new words in a new language, whether it is only a few travel words in a new language or polishing up a language that you have studied more diligently. Travel is more fun if you can communicate! We speak decent French, but when we travel in France, we switch back and forth, sometimes we switch back and forth in one conversation. Whatever works best!

To Chexbrex, you are spot on. I wish we had known the subtle signs that a cafe gives out as to where you can sit for what purpose, but we figured it out. We also knew about the hours at restaurants but found the cafes so great that we barely set foot in a restaurant. I would also add, I knew that the french find blowing your nose in public EXTREMELY rude, like a fatal offense. So I was careful not to, but a german man on the metro was trying to basically blow his brains out through his nose and the scoffs and looks he got were priceless. Glad that wasn't me.

I never meant that you need to be fluent, my french is awful but I can muddle through and often switched back and forth depending on who I was speaking with. I will keep learning and try to get better.

One of my favorite memories of Paris was talking to a french woman at the table next to us at a cafe outside of Versailles, she knew a little English, and we knew a little french, and we both laughed so much trying to communicate. A lot of miming and acting out of words and physical improv was going on...She asked what we had seen that day and my husband showed her the huge murals of Giverny at L'Orangerie, and she got so excited and whipped out her phone because she had just come from the ACTUAL gardens at Giverny and we were comparing the paintings and the actual photos. It was so lovely and never would have happened if we didn't know enough french to meet her halfway.

I never said it was a dealbreaker, but that you'll never know the moments you missed and every single word or phrase you can learn will enrich your experience. The french are not rude, every single person I met was warm and lovely.

There is another aspect that has not been mentioned, it takes your brain a few seconds to switch language, by which time you have lost the first few words. If I have been talking or reading something in German, and somebody says something to me in English without warning, by the time my brain has switched gear I have lost the first half of the sentence. And English is my first language, it is even worse in the opposite direction.

Even if you are somewhere that you don't speak any of the language and have to use English, start off with a "Good Morning" (or whatever) and wait for a reply. You can see the reaction on their faces, perplexed for a half a second, then recognition, then they reply "Good Morning" and you are ready to go. This works even if they don't speak English, it gives them the option to reply "No Eengleesh, colleague" and point to somebody.

mrsEB I agree.. one year mandatory language course is almost useless.. as I said.. many of us who take the full 5 years still end up sucking.. lol

However we also have public French Immersion schools.. anyone can attend .. and the children are taught in French right from the beginning.. with English only being introduced by grades three or four.. ( this is an English speaking area and it is assume all kids are already English as their first language) .
These course can start in kindergarten and run right through grade 12.

My stepson( who is almost 11) was in French Immersion from K-2 .. but was switched into the English program for grade 3 as he was not able to keep up and it was felt he would do best focusing on just one language. To be frank.. he has no French as far as I am concerned, and the little he had he forgot immediately.. I think for any language one needs to be exposed to it at home ( his mom spoke no French) as well as classes.

She put him in private Mandarin lessons last year. .

Huge waste of money as he only had one hour every two weeks.. like that would accomplish anything.

I like JHK’s response, think too that it is more about polite behaviour and genuine willingness that makes a trip pleasant. Learning a few basics makes things indeed easier, but one thing really to take serious is learning the French road sign vocabulary before leaving home in case there is the plan to drive around.

If you would like to learn or brush up on the basics. I would suggest that you go to the local library here and get the CDs for Pimsleur French.
They are 4 disks and they teach you just the basics that you will need to be accepted as friendly/polite.
I used this method for both French and Italian to prepare for trips and they were fun and easy.

I'm not a French expert by a long shot, but I have put in a lot of hours learning French (my Spanish and German are much better). A few summers ago I took a trip to Quebec Province. I went to a bar one night in old Quebec City and made a very feeble effort at French. The bartender obviously knew I was American. He told me how much he appreciated the effort because it shows "respect" for their culture; after that I was treated like an honored guest. Seriously, they couldn't have been better.

My French is better today than it was three years ago but this week (flying Thursday) will be my first attempt at Paris. I'm thinking it will be as much about being polite as speaking French. American's tend to barge into conversations. We don't mean to be impolite, it's just normal for us. Over there it's unthinkable to start a conversation without a polite greeting. If we don't make a conscious effort to begin and end conversations with formalities, we are seen as the rude ones.

At Gare du Nord at least one of the ticket counters has the sign above it "English spoken" and one for German. The choices are there. Now, I have run into the situation at that counter even though the sign was there no one spoke English, which meant I had to speak French, however haltingly, and it better be proper French. Why should they speak English just to placate you, the international tourist? I've seen in Munich and East Berlin ( in the tourist area ) where the group of Americans at a table or a solo American not knowing any German addressed the waitress in English. Hearing that the waitress just walked away from their table, ie basically ignored them.

Absolutely true, not every one in the service industry in Paris speaks English, the same in Germany. If they do, then don't assume they will want to speak it with you. They may not.

It's true about Spanish in Calif. high schools. It seems every one takes Spanish. Spanish has by far the highest enrollment among high school students in Calif. when up against French, German, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Russian.

If this has been covered by others - I apologize. I didn't have time to read all the replies. ;)

You don't need to learn much French to have an enjoyable experience in Paris. Would it be nice? Sure. But the more important overriding thing that you should do is Just. Be. Nice. Always start a conversation with somebody by saying 'Parlez vous Anglais?' In the 4 trips my wife and I have made there - we've never had anybody say no. If you make the most minimum effort to try - you will almost always be greeted and treated nicely. Not always - but then again - you're not always treated nicely here in your own country. But just be courteous. Don't 'demand' - ask instead. Don't come off with the attitude that you're more important than the next person. This probably isn't the most politically correct way to say this - but don't act like the stereotypical American tourist. Don't go with the attitude that 'America/Americans' are better. Go with the understanding you're a visitor in somebody else's country and treat it/them with respect. You know - kind of how you'd like to be treated in your own home. :)

A real pity that such an immersion program in French does not take place in SF public secondary schools or in the greater Bay Area, unless I am wrong.

Always start a conversation with somebody by saying 'Parlez vous Anglais?'

I've been told this would be considered rude. The very first words to any French person are always "bonjour madame" or for a man "bonjour monsieur"

Yes - you can certainly add 'Bonjour' before asking if they speak French. The important thing is just treat people nicely and make at least a minimal effort.

Quite often, someone will not respond until you start your conversation with "Bonjour" - they'll assume that you're talking to someone else.

Yes MrsEB.. the reason being is of course Canada has TWO official languages.. so the thought process must be both language options must be available to all citizens. This does not mean every town would have a French immersion school.. all bigger towns and cities of course do.. but in a small town it would depend on if parents showed enough interest.

Yes - you can certainly add 'Bonjour'

That's an understatement. You really must start with "Bonjour". if you don't, you come off as impolite. It hits them as if you are saying "Hey you--ya speak English" when that is not your intent at all.

I've watched service people bristle when spoken to by people from various other cultures (not just US) without the "Bonjour Monsieur/Madame," and have explained to them that it's not always part of the other cultures. Their conclusion is that the other cultures are impolite.

That's an understatement. You really must start with "Bonjour". if you don't, you come off as impolite. It hits them as if you are saying "Hey you--ya speak English" when that is not your intent at all.

No - you come off as impolite if you act impolite. Go back and re-read my original post. The main point of it was to just treat everyone nicely. Last I checked - the French phrase 'Parlez-vous Anglais' doesn't contain anything that says 'Hey You.' I've been to Paris numerous times - every time I've been treated almost universally great. I don't freaking remember if I said 'Bonjour' every time I greeted somebody - but I probably did. The original topic of this thread is should somebody learn French to go to Paris. My response was simply to say that as long as you treat people nicely - you don't need to learn the French language to visit Paris. And quite honestly - even if you learn the French language and still treat people like the stereotypical obnoxious American - you'll still very likely be treated rudely.

Dave, sorry, Bets is right. You said "you can certainly add 'Bonjour' before asking if they speak French" (sic). Bets, whose husband is French and who lived here for many years and raised her kids here, correctly notes that in order to be polite in the French context, you must start with Bonjour. It's a French cultural rule.

Perhaps one would be considered at least marginally polite if one asks "parlez-vous anglais," but in order to be considered polite, one must follow the French cultural code of beginning the conversation with Bonjour Monsieur/Madame. It's simply a fact.

If you walk up to someone in France and start the conversation with "Parlez-vous anglais?", it would be the same thing as if you barged up to somebody in New Jersey and said "You speak French?"
All you need is to add "Bonjour" or "Hello". Neither is that difficult, and the extra added effort will get you what you're looking for much faster..

Oh yes - I remember it well! The biggest thing drummed into our heads in French class - ALWAYS begin with Bonjour! and do not forget the Bonjour/Merci when entering and leaving a shop. - even if that is the only thing you say.

One other trick I have learned is to shorten sentences. Get to the point.

An example, you need to buy a bag at the market. You could say: "Bonjour, je voudrais achetez une sac, svp. Or just: "Bonjour, une sac, svp." (Pardon me if my spelling is off)

It's not impolite and gets to the point. Start with "bonjour" end with "svp" and the middle will take care of itself. The person you are dealing with will quickly pick up that French is not your first language.

The other thing I found that also works if asked something in French I don't understand is to smile, look embarrassed and say;" Pardon Madame/Monsiuer je parle un peu le francais." That usually brings a smile in return and they may ask me again in English or try to help me to understand. This is especially true in stores when trying to pay. They all seem to know English numbers.

It's a matter of being polite, not screaming or getting angry, and looking as if you need help. Nine out of ten times they'll be helpful even if the people behind you in line aren't happy.