Looks like the French are up in arms – that doesn’t happen very often.
An official from the august custodian of all things Francais – the French Academy, is all excited about the intrusion and adoption into the French language of English words and phrases – not for the first or probably the last time.
He/she has taken issue with English words used for advertising and marketing purposes and says that they should be replaced with words of pure Gallic ancestry. They’ll have a job with that and having left their pied a terre could find themselves down a linguistic cul de sac while singing “Three German Officers crossed the Rhine – Parlez-Vous”.
By: Lincoln 7 - 25th October 2013 at 22:22
Chas, It’s 2013, not 1950 old chap……………………:D
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: charliehunt - 25th October 2013 at 22:19
Well I see and have always seen a difference between the use of the language in diplomacy and commerce and at the level of a traveller or tourist on a private or holiday visit tons foreign country. And in business whether it not the buyer speaks English he will expect the seller to speak his language .
By: John Green - 25th October 2013 at 21:34
Re 11
Jim, you’re right. It is thought that up to 85-90% of the worlds technical manuals are written in English. Which accounts I suppose, as well as the lure of benefits, for our popularity.
By: Lincoln 7 - 25th October 2013 at 21:01
No, when English is fast becoming THE one to learn, why should we have to learn a foreign language. Chinese, I suppose, with it;s many, many regional dialects one could never learn, so there are the exception to the rule.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: charliehunt - 25th October 2013 at 20:05
Nope – you missed the point, Linc!;)
By: Lincoln 7 - 25th October 2013 at 19:38
Absolutely right Chas, everyone should speak English, give em time…………
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: charliehunt - 25th October 2013 at 19:35
By that logic no one would ever learn another tongue!
By: Lincoln 7 - 25th October 2013 at 18:38
Perhaps cos we Brits speak English???.
Jim………One of the last remaining true Brits.
Lincoln .7
By: charliehunt - 25th October 2013 at 18:33
My wonder has always been why the British can never do foreigners the courtesy of at least trying to speak their language.
By: Lincoln 7 - 25th October 2013 at 18:26
I was taught French at school, used it once in my life whilst in Paris. What a waste of my eduicashun……………..:rolleyes:
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: Creaking Door - 25th October 2013 at 18:06
The French attitude towards English, at least in my experience, has changed dramatically in the last twenty-five years. My French is atrocious but now everybody, especially the younger generations, seem to speak near perfect English; it puts us quite to shame. Back in the old days, even in an area that depended on British tourists, you could be humiliated if you even pronounced a word wrong, let-alone tried to speak to somebody in English!
By: charliehunt - 25th October 2013 at 13:23
Do you not remember Mitterand’s campaign along the same lines? And where did that get them? Nowhere!;)
By: Lincoln 7 - 25th October 2013 at 13:06
Don’t knock the French John, Chas likes them, (Could never understand why though.:highly_amused: )
Jim.
Lincoln .7
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October 25, 2013 at 12:54 pm