Why expats don't learn French in France
Hi, I'm Chris. Head teacher at OuiCommunicate.
We're home to speakers of English who wish for a step up from traditional French classes.
In this article, we'll talk about the psychological reasons not to learn French in France.
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Why expats don't learn French in France
The obvious reasons for not learning French as an expat are often the lack of time, never finding the proper teacher, discouragement or the perception that French is “hard”.
As the son of a British expat myself, I was well-placed to see the difficulties my mum encountered in Belgium. Many years later, I became an expat myself when I came to America. This is the point I wish to address.
If we ask ourselves the reasons that draw expats to France, we will find that they are mostly emotional and in a lesser measure practical. What does France represent? It represents a getaway, a certain aesthetic, an idealized authenticity, quality food, new sceneries, awe-inspiring villages…the list of qualities is vast.
I know this human mechanism for having experienced it myself. For the sense of amazement to endure we must remain as outsiders. It’s similar to not knowing the trick behind the magic. We would not be so amazed if we understood how it was done.
Remaining as spectators in France goes hand in hand with not knowing French. Or at least partially understanding what is happening around us. We want to give ourselves the opportunity to (mis)interpret the landscape as we please.
This reaction also ties into our identity as expats. Once we have found our marks in France, we function as expats and settle into this role. Doing otherwise would mean becoming a “real” French person, which slightly less exciting. Is it not?
I share these thoughts with no hint of judgement whatsoever. They are simply human traits that I have seen in myself and in others. The amazement towards a country is the same behaviour shown by a visitor in a museum.
We have all seen Youtube videos of expats living the dream life between Camembert and wine. It’s the same thing as when I went to New York for the first time and came back saying everything was so much better.
Until a tourist lives in the UK, they might believe in cute little cottages and tea at 4, before realizing that the slightest house starts at half a million £ without there being much else available. Yes, the UK does have a big housing problem. And by the way, they drink coffee now.
In that respect, France holds a very unique position in the world as an ideal country. Apart from Italy maybe, few others combine ideas of culture, language food and scenery. Why would we ever wish to burst that bubble?
In the most recent Olympics, athletes were seen wearing berets and striped jumpers. An innocent bit of fun, maybe. But could we imagine similar athletes in the UK dressing up in bowler hats and black suits, reading the Times and pretending to work in the City? Would women wear curlers in their hair, stockings and cardigans to emulate the 1950s housewife?
France might be more deeply rooted in tradition than we realize !
But there is a happy side to French!
All this being said, an expat has complete freedom to enjoy their status as a tourist and continue to perceive France through their unique angle.
But to those who know the French as insiders, none of the traits usually associated with France are of any true significance. Even though the bread might taste unique, we know that behind it all there is a People who exchange thoughts, emotions and ideas.
To get to know what is “French” we must understand the people at a high level. And saying “Bonjour Madame, deux croissants” is not going to get us any closer to knowing France.
By learning the French language “well”, we might lose a dream but gain another. Thanks to the language, we have many more tools to truly explore the country and its people. We will understand how they think, what makes them tick and how they view themselves as a Nation.
With the French language on our side we will be able to enjoy our discoveries as a tourist but it will be done at a higher level of quality. The conversation we drum up with the vendor at the market will be the chance for a real exchange. They in turn will be more open thanks to your efforts to fit in rather than observe.
The perks of knowing French
As a hotspot for tourism, France attracts boatload of visitors every year. Some like it so much that they buy a second home to live the French life like the locals they saw while on holiday.
If you own such a holiday home, you will know that things break down and that the property requires maintenance. You will sooner of later have a need to interact with French traders.
It can be interesting to see the exchange through the eyes of the French trader. Do they see dollar bill signs and “loaded tourist” written all over, or do they feel pressure to apply normal rates and service as they would to a French person? If you can’t talk back in French it is going to be hard to demand a fair deal.
Speaking French at a proper level signifies “watch out I’m not fool”. Even if there is no malicious intent, the language barrier will cause a trader to place you in the “tourist” category. They might figure they will likely never see you again and have no reason to perform a high standard service.
People are territorial and like to belong to a community. If we present ourselves as “other”, it is an extra reason to create a distance. Doctors might not bother to get to the bottom of the problem. Restaurant staff might figure you’ll be pleased with less.
Any which way we look at it. life will be slightly more expensive and service will be lesser. For more on this topic, this article goes into more detail.
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Today, she is fluent and happily lives in France where she meets new people and uses French daily.
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To conclude
We know why we love France and there’s nothing wrong with being a fully-fledged expat who doesn’t know a word of French. As we saw, it enables the feeling of mystery and wonder to go on indefinitely.
I would argue that this reaction is subconscious and has the purpose of preserving an identity. But knowing French and being an expat are not necessarily contradictory for who can use the tools well.
It can open up the doors to new conversations and discoveries that are infinitely more enriching than the pleasures of bread and cheese.
With the French language you will be able to penetrate to the core of the culture of the country and its people. Thinking otherwise would imply that France is defined by everything but the human factor. We could take away all the people of a village, replace them with anyone else. Of course not !
