this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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This is not true anymore it's the boomer generation that do this, most of the time people know a bit of English, which they will try even if you attempt to talk to them in French.
Unless you're in Paris, but that's just a general Parisian trait, based on a something hated for tourists.
I've traveled quite a bit to different places in France within the past few years, both large an small cities, and the vast majority of people i meet, even younger people (<30), have either so bad English skills that they are really hard to communicate with, or none at all. Meeting someone in France with proper English skill is definitely the exception rather than the rule IME.
Yeah skill wise it differs wildly, however the inflexible 'we're in France so you must speak French and i know not a single bit of English' mentality is out. That's what I thought you were on about.
Often they do try and most across all demographics know a little bit and are often eager to try. Even an old nun at a Christian thrift store tried taking to me in English.
My most jarring experience was with a waiter, he asked "English or French?" When I entered the restaurant, I answered "English please" and he just shook his head and said "no"...like, why would you ask then!?
20 years ago it would have been "we're closed" in English and "bienvenue" in French.
I just left Paris a week ago and 100% of the service staff I came across were very friendly and almost all of them spoke passable to excellent English. I’d say “bonjour” and they’d start talking to me in English. As a tourist with only extremely basic French remembered from high school, it was really nice to experience how false the stereotypes were.
Yes, Bonjour is a magic word. La politesse/etiquette and respect for all people is very important in France. Here in NA when we enter a store the staff greets the customer and bows and scrapes for us, in France when entering a store the customer politely acknowledges and greets the staff with Bonjour - and not just in stores. And then there's the other small phrases that goes a long way, like merci, pardon, s’il vous plait, au revoir, use monsieur/madame/mademoiselle, as in Excusez-moi, madame, etc.
Dress a little bit nicely when exploring helps, don't walk while eating, etc.
When foreigners complain that the French are rude or snobbish it is often a misinterpretation; not adhering to simple etiquette, can be offensive or insulting and they will react to that demonstratively or "in kind", more or less subtly..
I rather like La Politesse and being respectful to everyone.
Nope, it's not just Paris, although Paris is worse than the rest of the country.
Compared to the level of English that people in other European countries speak, the French are probably among the worst.