Combien francais avez-vous besoin a parler ?

[tttessa]

We go to my family (retired to the Charente region) before we go to Disney on the "way home" and have realised that "French" is definitely NOT just one language!!!
The accent, the words, the syntax all change depending where you are and how old the person is you are talking to!! Very few people in the rural region we go to speak English (or even French as I know it! ) Luckily they all seem to understand "schoolgirl" french spoken verrrrrrry slowwwwwwly - though the chance of me understanding the reply varies somewhat!.

Disney "French" seems easy by comparson - do they have the equivalent of "Queens English"?? We always try to start in French (politeness..) but invariably the CM will slip into English along the way (probably think it is polite too...)
So, I don't think you need to be able to speak French -though if you are driving there it helps! I still remember trying to mime drinking straw (paille) to a very bemused garage attendant on the way

Tessa

 

[crim1978]

Really quite looking forward to the french speaking part of our trips. We are off to Paris this weekend and then DLRP in November and will "attempt" to speak french as much as possible.

Thought I would share two quick funnies that I have had with French people and language:

Firstly a non DLRP related one - My cousin lives in Paris with a French guy and on our first meeting with him I spoke in my best English and French and on both occasions my cousin repeated what I said to her BF in English again and he understood her straight away but couldn't understand me at all.

Secondly in DLRP, my BIL approached Santa on his sleigh and said "bonjour" to which Santa replied "Hello mate are you from Nottingham or Derby"

I guess our accents give us away far more than we think.