Why I Refuse to Speak English in France
What could possibly go wrong?
When I moved to France four years ago, I made a conscious effort to steer clear of speaking English.
It’s not that I stopped speaking it altogether. But as I was determined to become as fluent as possible in my second language, I wanted to avoid using my first one as a crutch, which would only impede progress towards my goal.
Having learnt French right throughout high school and done a university exchange in Paris in the past, I wasn’t exactly a newbie. But even if I could speak without too much of an accent, I still lacked the slang and specialised vocabulary to come across as native. There’s just a world of difference between textbook French and the French you hear in the street.
Despite these limitations, most people, for the most part, have been more than happy to speak French with me. But for every ten people who would reply in French, there’s always one who would insist on speaking English no matter what. And I get it. When people detect a slight accent, they may want to practise their English with you.
But when you’ve moved from the other side of the world and know the local language well enough to be able to do business meetings in it, nothing’s more tiring than having someone reply to you in English after you’ve…
