Why Don't the French Like

Speaking in English?
1
During my visit to Paris I became lost several times Since I !as travelling !ith my sister"
an# none o$ us spoke French" !e ha# to turn to locals $or help We stoppe# #o%ens an# #o%ens o$
people an# aske# them $or help" but since an ans!er !as al!ays in French" it !as not o$ much
use &hat is !hen I realise# that something !as not right bet!een the French people an# English
language &hey un#erstoo# English !ell" but continue# e'plaining in French
In this research I !ill try to $in# the reason $or such attitu#e to!ar#s English language" an#
later on see !hether the results o$ the research match my pre#ictions or not
(y $irst assumption is that it has to #o !ith their mutual history &he history has sho!n that
the t!o countries in )uestion have al!ays been rivals" an# there ha# been irreconcilable
#i$$erences over the lan#" !hich resulte# in many battles an# !ars" out o$ !hich the $ollo!ing
t!o are the ma*or ones +oing back to the 11th century ,ormans con)uere# Englan# in the
-attle o$ .astings in 1/00 an# rule# over Englan# over the ne't t!o centuries &hree centuries
later" Englan# !as the one !ho provoke# the .un#re# 1ears' War 21334 5 16738 by E#!ar#
&hir#'s claim that he !as the right$ul king o$ France" an# not Philip 9I 2Peinter S 1:438
(oreover" over the long perio# o$ time Paris has been the centre o$ European culture" an#
Englan# looke# up to it ;lso" a$ter the ,orman con)uest" the English literature has $lourishe#
&hey a#opte# ne! genres $rom the French !hich they have never use# be$ore
French language !as lingua $ranca $rom 14th century till the </th century" !hen English
replace# it 2aca#emicki#scom8 During those three centuries the nobility an# !hole upper class
in Europe spoke French &hat !as the glorious perio# o$ time $or France" an# they remember it
gla#ly
=n the other han#" no!a#ays English language is the most !i#ely spoken language in the
!orl# by their native an# secon# language speakers" as !ell as $oreign language learners an# the
international usage in many $iel#s o$ science" taking the $irst place an# leaving French right
behin# on the secon# place 2Weber + 1::48 So perhaps the preservation o$ French language as
one o$ the lea#ing ones is in )uestion !hen it comes to our topic
Furthermore" the French youth is arguing that the metho#ology o$ teaching English language
in French schools is !rong" thus they $eel uncom$ortable communicating in it =ne o$ the main
problems" they say" is that they are !orking only the grammar part o$ the language" leaving out
the speaking skills .aving in min# that all English movies an# series are #ubbe# there" they
actually have very limite# e'posure to the language itsel$ 2=hsacrebleu" </138
<
; large sample o$ native speakers o$ French !ill be nee#e# $or this research &here$ore" the
research !ill take place in Paris" because it is the capital city o$ France" an# the most visite# one
by tourists ,ative speakers !ill be #ivi#e# into $our groups accor#ing to their age" 1/></" <1>3/"
31>6/" 61 an# ol#er &he reason $or creating these #i$$erent groups is that I !ant to e'plore the
attitu#e to!ar#s English language in #i$$erent ages an# see i$ there is some kin# o$ in$luence o$
parents on ki#s" or mass me#ia on a#ults" an# to !hat e'ten# #oes the teaching metho#ology
a$$ects using the language later on" an# !hether the history a$$ects the attitu#e to!ar#s English
language or not
?esearch metho# !ill be a )uestionnaire" because o$ the large sample @uestions !ill be set
accor#ing to the age o$ native speaker an# the $iel# I am trying to e'plore @uestionnaire !ill be
anonymous an# )uestions !ill not be ambiguous ; statement !ill be given" an# on a scale 1>3"
!here 1 stan#s $or no" < $or not sure" an# 3 $or yes" they !ill circle the number they believe is the
correct one I !ill take in consi#eration busy sche#ules the French have" an# it !ill not take more
than 7 minutes to $ill out the )uestionnaire I !ill reach native speakers o$ French !ith the help
o$ my relatives $rom Paris &hey !ill #istribute )uestionnaires to their peers at school" !ork an#
to their $rien#s accor#ing to their age
&here is al!ays a risk o$ getting the $alse ans!ers" #ue to the bore#om" lack o$ time or
interest o$ the )uestione# people" or simply because certain ans!ers are more socially accepte#
than others -ut" since this )uestionnaire !ill not take much time" an# a $amiliar person to the
native speaker is going to #istribute )uestionnaires" I believe they !ill not cut corners an# give
$alse ans!ers" at least because o$ their relationship !ith my relatives
I e'pect to $in# #i$$erent #ata $rom each o$ the $our groups I assume that the younger ones"
the $irst t!o groups" choose not to speek in English #ue to lack o$ practice an# kno!le#ge o$ the
language" an# they are perhaps shy because o$ that I think that their environment in$luences their
opinion as !ell 1ounger ones might accept their parents or peers opinion ;s $or the thir# an#
$ourth group" I believe that their attitu#e is negative &he kno!le#ge o$ history" the in$luence o$
mass me#ia" the !ish to preserve their language may all contribute to their choice o$ not !anting
to speak in English
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References:
Lingua $ranca 2n#8 In ;ca#emic ki#s encyclope#ia ?etrieve# $rom
httpABBaca#emicki#scomBencyclope#iaBin#e'phpB(ainCPage
=hsacrebleu 2</13" Duly E8 Do the French hate speaking in English? ?etrieve# $rom
httpABBohsacrebleu!or#presscomB</13B/4B/EB#o>the>$rench>hate>speaking>in>englishB
Peinter S 21:438 Istori*a sre#n*eg veka 2<E6 5 17//8 -eogra#A Flio
Webster + 21::48 &he Worl#'s (ost Wi#ely Spoken Languages ?etrieve# $rom
httpABB!!!<ignatiuse#uB$acultyBturnerBlanguageshtm
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Appendix
Questionnaire:
?ea# the $ollo!ing )uestions an# circle the number you believe is correct
21 5 noG < 5 not sureG 3 5 yes8
E'ampleA
&his )uestionnaire !as interesting 1 < 3
1 I speak English 1 < 3
< I like learning ne! languages 1 < 3
3 It is important to kno! English langauge so that you can communicate
!ith people aroun# the !orl#
1 < 3
6 I starte# learning English in primary school 1 < 3
7 I love my English teacher 1 < 3
0 (y English classes !ere interesting an# I en*oye# them 1 < 3
4 I have practice# a lot our oral skills !ith my teacher 1 < 3
E When the lesson is not intereste#" I cut corners 1 < 3
: I o$ten have an opportunity to hear a native speaker o$ English language 1 < 3
1/ I get con$use# !hen I have to speek in $ront o$ people I #on't kno! 1 < 3
11 I look $or!ar# to talking in English !ith $oreigners 1 < 3
1< I $eel con$i#ent !hen talking in English 1 < 3
13 I love listening to English music" !atching movies an# rea#ing books in
English
1 < 3
16 I pre$er !atching the original version o$ an English movie than the
#ubbe# one
1 < 3
17 (y parents speak English 1 < 3
10 (y parents have supporte# me in learning languages 1 < 3
14 I en*oy talking to my parents about #i$$erent matters 1 < 3
1E I am $amiliar !ith the history o$ my country 1 < 3
1: Parents al!ays kno! !hat is best $or me 1 < 3
</ (y parents' opinion in$luences mine a lot 1 < 3
<1 (y $rien#s speak English 1 < 3
<< I o$ten agree !ith my peers because they outnumber me 1 < 3
<3 &he me#ia in my country encourages people to speak French only 1 < 3
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<6 Paris !as an# still is the centre o$ culture in Europe 1 < 3
<7 &he !orl#'s elite has to speak French 1 < 3
<0 French is lingua $ranca 1 < 3
<4 I$ you are visiting a certain county" you have to speak their language 1 < 3
<E It is a goo# thing to talk in French !ith $oreigners" that !ay they !ill
learn it
1 < 3
<: Speaking French is the right !ay to repay to France $or !hat its
contribution to culture" painting" architecture an# literature in Europe
1 < 3
3/ I en*oy rea#ing about history an# a#mire my ancestors 1 < 3
31 (y attitu#e to!ar#s speaking in English has to #o !ith our mutual
history
1 < 3
3< I !oul# like to visit the HI 1 < 3
33 French is the lea#ing language in the !orl# 1 < 3
36 In or#er to preserve my language $rom English in$luences I cannot speak
English
1 < 3
37 French is spoken aroun# the !orl#" so I #o not nee# to kno! English to
be able to un#erstan# others !hen I travel abroa#
1 < 3
0