Could one get around Paris not being able to speak french?

[Darth_Kitten]

Or not being able to speak it very well? Any travellers out there? :)

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Yes. Most Parisians speak English. You shouldn't have any trouble.

[supernova]

2. I can imagine that would be difficult

if not impossible trying to get around Paris w/o speaking French.

The French are notoriously emphatic about using their language exclusively.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. True, but I've had a great experience taking non French speaking

students to Paris and other parts of France. Contrary to the view that the French are all elitists, I found them to be extremely helpful and patient when stumbling to find the correct words.

[distantearlywarning]

4. I did it this summer and was fine.

I speak about 3 words of French with an atrocious accent.

As long as you make a little attempt to be polite ("Bonjour", "Merci", etc), they will usually meet you halfway.

[kath]

19. Second that - in any country, you should at least learn to say a few basic words such as "hello",

"please", "thank you", "pardon me", etc and if you are polite and don't speak too loudly (as the typical Ugly American tends to do) you will do fine just about anywhere. Carrying one of those tiny Berlitz phrasebooks for whatever country you're in ia also very helpful (for deciphering signs, restaurant menus, etc.).

[rocktivity]

30. The only words and phrases you ought to know in any language

hello
good-bye
please
thank you
how much?
where's the bathroom
more beer

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[kath]

35. Oops, you're right! I forgot some of the most ESSENTIAL things!

My bad.
:-)

[redwitch]

25. I was there last year and I agree- it's the effort that counts.

I started everything with a huge smile, a bonjour, bonsoir, etc. Then, some version of " I would like, can you help? etc. People in Paris were really, really nice to me and I fell in love with their city.

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Learn some key phrases first...

And acquaint yourself with signage and basic Metro lingo, and you should be ok. The more the better though, I can't imagine doing it with no language whatsoever. I was in the city for a month in the summer of 05.

[Darth_Kitten]

6. I started taking french in the first grade........

and took it for about 10 years (didn't take french in the sixth grade)

But that was 20 years ago! :D

Just thinking about where to travel again this year (if I can swing it!) Paris has that certain "je ne said quoi!" ;)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. If you've taken French before, you may be surprised at how much

comes back to you after you've been in Paris for a while.

[rocktivity]

31. In Canada, I found myself caught translating for a guy

who was trying to flirt with my sister.

:eyes:
rocknation

[Sugar Smack]

10. BIJOU!!

:loveya: Of COURSE you're here! This is making me want to go back so much. You'd be the perfect person to explore the city with.

:hug: I missed you. My modem broke for 2 weeks.

[bicentennial_baby]

12. Oh noes!

:o

I replied to you below :loveya:

[Sugar Smack]

7. In my experience, you can unless

you (I) had to deal with anything metric-system related. I studied at the Sorbonne for a semester. I thought I was so cool because I was pretty sure my accent was flawless. Any native I encountered was likely horrified with my accent and promptly switched over into English.

I bought a pair of shoes there, which was a nightmare. The post office, ditto.

Parisian youth are enthusiastic about learning English, from what I saw. I had no trouble getting around (with their help). Although, the first two days I was there I was too shy to get food from a stand. My hunger won over my fear.

:)

[bicentennial_baby]

11. You should have had me with you!

I bought shoes, an ace bandage, blister bandaids, and used the Post Office in week one! :rofl:

[Sugar Smack]

13. BWAAAH!

That's cause :yourock: and you have a way with words and you're urbane. "My crowd" was all equally inept, but we made up for each others' ineptitudes by being inept in totally different ways. I was the ringleader of menu-stealing, though.:D

[petronius]

8. We were there this summer - it was totally doable with minimal French.

The only French I know is "excusez-moi", "desolee", "non", "oui", "merci", and "je ne parle pas Francais", and it went fine. I didn't find that the French spoke English nearly as commonly as I'd been led to believe, but pointing, shrugging, and other sign language worked out.

Just make sure you have a dictionary so you can puzzle through the signs in museums...

Have fun!

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. If I can make it around Japan without any language or reading skills,

you can make it around Paris.

[mondo joe]

14. It's not Paris, but when I rent to Rome and Florence I had maybe 10 words in Italian and

did very well. Also, after a week or so I'd picked up a lot more words and was very comfortable getting around.

[Deja Q]

15. I wouldn't know. From Paris, the only French I know is kissing.

:hide:

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Sure - Texas might have a funny accent, but it's still English

[I Have A Dream]

17. Yes. nt

[applegrove]

18. Yes. And go to the Rodin Museum, Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame

and all the other famous places. Pere Lachiase Cemetery was fascinating too. Oh you are so lucky. Paris is wonderful. And even if you are staying in a hotel try food shopping at least once. Buy some bread at the local bakery, some fruit at the local fruit store, some cheese and make a picnic. The food from any small food store is WONDERFUL. It takes much better than anything we get at our grocery stores in North AMerica. You won't regret it.

[Darth_Kitten]

23. Just in the very early planning stages?

Like MAYBE going there this year, if I can? :D

Maybe back to England, I don't know. :) :hi:

You sound like the lucky one, you've obviously been there!! :D

[NNadir]

20. My first time in Paris, I struggled, in French, dictionary in hand to order a meal

I was very anxious about the whole thing but I was very happy that I got my food.

Then the time came for "L'Addition."

The waiter went and got the bill.

A woman sat beside me. She said in British, "I'll have a steak and beer."

The waiter said, "Yes Madame, I will get it right away."

People criticize Americans for speaking only one language - and they have a point. But it is difficult to practice other languages because worldwide there's always someone who speaks English and wants to practice it.

For many years I thought the waiter was being mean to me, but actually he wasn't. It was an approach that helped me.

I have never felt the need to speak English in Paris, but I prefer the chance to speak French. The French tell me that my accent is very good, but I don't actually regard myself as a "French speaker."

[JVS]

21. I don't think Ms. Hilton speaks any French either.

;-)

[NewJeffCT]

22. I had no problems in China when on my own

but, everything there is labeled in Chinese & English... or, Chinglish.

so, I'm sure you'll be okay in Paris.

[seemunkee]

24. Yes, bring a map of the City and Metro. Grab a card of the hotel where you are staying.

Knowing just a little will help and asking if they speak English instead of assuming goes a long way.
The card will help if you need to get a taxi to get back to the hotel. Just show it to the driver rather than try to explain where you want to go.

[pink-o]

26. Yeah. Piece of Gateau!

The other posters are correct, make sure you greet people in French, instead of just rattling off in English--the Parisians hate that. I speak Spanish, and I was amazed how many French people do as well.

When I approach someone in Paris, I say: "Bonjour, Monsieur, Parle Vous Anglais?" I've never heard "non" for an answer.

What was distressing about France--and the rest of Western Europe--was not the language or the cultural barriers, but the ***HUGE*** gap between the Euro and the Dollar!!! Man, that was painful! The sticker shock when I got my credit card bill almost killed me.

And that was last May. Be prepared, it's worse now.

[Quantess]

27. Yes, definitely in Paris.

I went there in 1996. I had a great time, and I don't speak any French. Just my impression---some French people seem to pretend to not know any English, even though they actually do. But that's fine, because there are many French people who speak English fluently. For every non-helpful person, there is a helpful, friendly one.

[rockymountaindem]

29. Of course. Just tell everybody you're an American and remind them we won WWI and WWII

They'll do whatever you say.

[NNadir]

36. .

:rofl:

It's also a good idea to tell them that Democracy was invented in the United States.

[rockymountaindem]

39. It shouldn't be necessary to remind them of that

:cry:

Also, I can't believe I'm the first person to bring up WWII in this thread. It's a no-brainer.

[pink-o]

42. Au Contraire, Mon Frer...

"...It shouldn't be necessary to remind them of that..."

Especially since we couldn't have won the revolutionary war without help from the French!!

I'm pretty Francophile, so whenever some Wingnut says that if it weren't for WWII they'd all be speaking German, I retort that we'd all be speaking the Queen's English if it weren't for the French in the 1700's.

(Of course, Louis XVI was an idiot for supporting a revolution against a monarchy, even a hated one like the English. Twenty some years later, his own head ended up in the basket!!!)

[Darth_Kitten]

43. Louis XVI was a well meaning dude......

caught up in some bad times.....

[jberryhill]

32. Absolutely

Don't run around insisting that they speak English, and accept the fact that you may have occasional difficulties communicating. Just as you would not run around insisting that people anywhere cater to some peculiarity of yours.

Even something as simple as a small set of phrases will be immensely helpful to you.

Consider the fact that the European Union includes a number of language communities. Guess which language is the default common denominator? Rather than learn five other European languages, from grade school on up the usual choice of "foreign language class" is English.

Knowing some of the local language enhances your travel experience anywhere, but if all you know is English, there really aren't too many places on earth that you cannot manageably travel. I got lost in Brazil once, and while my Spanish is passable, it is utterly useless as an approach to Brazilian Portugese - worse than useless really...

But anybody can play "pictionary". Drawing simple diagrams, pointing, gesturing, and recognizing that not everybody is going to have the patience to deal with that, are all you need.

[DS1]

33. damn, I could copycat this thread all night

Could one get inside Paris not being able to see in the dark?


and so on

[harmonicon]

34. no problem

I did it as a teenager - I think I was much more brave then than I am now, I cared even less about making an ass of myself then.

[IDemo]

37. I don't know why you couldn't

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Paris,+ID,+United+States+of+America&sa=X&oi=map&ct=image

[YellowRubberDuckie]

38. You probably could, but wouldn't it be more respectable to learn at least a little?

I feel like if you're visiting someone's country, you should have enough respect for the people there to at least learn a BIT of their language. At least the important stuff.
Duckie

[electron_blue]

40. Bring your own maps of everything, plan ahead, and bring a phrase book.

I spent 3 days there by myself and would have done better following the above advice. I took a year of French in college and most of the Parisians I encountered either didn't understand my French (quite likely, it was pretty bad) or pretended they didn't understand. And most would not speak English to me. The signs were not in English, like they often were when I traveled in Spain, Germany and Italy. If, however, you know what sights you want to see, what to do, and you have a phrase book and know how to get around, you should have a blast.

[momto3]

41. My husband and I went to Paris for our honeymoon.

Neither of us spoke french, but we did try to learn a few phrases before we left. We found the Parisians to be more offended if we tried to speak French, but butchered the language, than just speaking English. If you go out to the countryside, you may need a few phases. Not everyone in the more rural areas will speak a lot of english.


Edited for typos.