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ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

An interesting read...
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Chirac gives use of English tongue lashing
French President Jacques Chirac yesterday defended his eyebrow-raising exit from an EU summit session, accusing the French head of Europe's employer union of insulting French pride by daring to speak in English.

http://insider.washingtontimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20060324-104110-8792r

Perpetual Traveller · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 651 Location: In the Kak, Japan

Would you mind copying and pasting please, I get redirected to the login page. Thanks,

PT

maya.the.bee · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 118 Location: Stgo

this is probably a different article but it's the same story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4840160.stm

Pollux · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 224 Location: PL

Interesting indeed. The French can't get over their language taking second place to English. Chirac should know better, after all he's been a soda jerk in the US and has embraced US culture when it's suited his political aims, than to demand French deputies to speak French in a European assembly.

Read this and see if you agree with the author.

Anglophone domination is a fashion...

http://mondediplo.com/2005/03/16comprehension

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

A bit of politics behind that article, Pollox, but a good read. I think much of what is written is evident to any language teacher who has worked in a romance language speaking country.

Chirac is simply the latest in a long line of French speakers unhappy to see English dominating. Quebec is no different and language laws there for advertising, school curricula, and product labeling frequently causes tensions in mixed communities living in the province.

khmerhit · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject:

i say, Viva chirac. I hardly think he was politicking, even if he is a politician. He was genuinely shocked to hear a Frenchman, on the Conti ent no less, speaking in English. Remember, Chirac is a right-wing centrist from a business background.... you might think he would let it pass inthe interest of expediency and efficiency. But his pride was affected--as yours would be too. This is not just a matter for the French---think of the British countries, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (Ireland is part of the British Isles).
They still don't like having to speak English, after 300 years of or morre of English rule.

Eireann go Bragh!!

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

khmerhit · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 6:12 pm Post subject:

beam me up, scotty!!

(RIP James Doolan)

Are you a jacobite in Istanbul, dmb?

James i and iv and his entrepreneurially minded descendents did ineed run the shop and the whole bloody shebang from hong kong to vancouver island, it's true.

Does that mean there are not many diehards who resent english?

Beiing a natural contrarian, i know i would. in fact i've got a lot of sympathy for the french-speakers in my own country, backward bumpkin troglodytes though many of them are!!

anyway, where were we!!

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

Obviously French pride is fairly fragile. Anyway, if people world wide don't speak French much it maybe something to do with their attitude to anyone who speaks it less than well. I've never been laughed at in Italy in a superior way regarding my Italian as I have been in France.

As for DMB and his football watching: it's a shame he can't support the neighbouring country in view of the fact that his own aren't there - but we'll get over it:-) Great singers and musicians(Dick Gaughan et al.), football managers even, but the team; ah, they make even us English embarassed.

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

Oh, I forgot about the puritanical and juvenile editor. I wonder if Charles ****ens or Scunthorpe will get through... (if they can be juvenile so can I Smile

)

edited for novelist's name - he didn't get through

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Charles D�ckens?

Perpetual Traveller · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 651 Location: In the Kak, Japan

I think Chirac is fighting a losing battle. Having heard about the French peoples reluctance to speak English I came here expecting to have to make myself understood in French in every situation. The complete opposite has been true. The minute you start into your faltering French the shop assistant/tour guide/whoever immediately switches to English. Kind of frustrating for those of us trying to learn the language!

I'm taking French classes here in Paris and my classmates are from a number of different countries including Poland, Japan, Sweden, Germany and Belarus and despite the fact that we take a French class together in social situations we communicate in English as everyone has more fluency in it. So maybe the older generations are still reluctant to see French overtaken by English but it seems to me that the younger generations are embracing it.

PT

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

I think there is something to be said for expediency. Using whatever language is easiest to communicate in and gets the main points across is usually relevant in my book. Of course, sometimes cultural or situational aspects take precedence such as parties or in language classes.

Then again, cross-switching is fun too, Razz

it can be twiceas confusing!