Chere Mme Moutet, I am with the linguistic nationalists on this one. Never mind that the Third Republic chased away the old languages of Mistral and co; it was perhaps a crime, but it cannot be undone; nor can it be made right by allowing a further intrusion of English into the official life of France. Britain has left the EU – with my approval, incidentally; therefore, there is no need for any EU country to treat English as an official language any more. One might have thought that perhaps German or Italian should receive this honour, now that we have departed, but that is neither here nor there. The point is to defend and assert the living tradition of French by using its natural roots and patterns as the basis for coping with the modern world, NOT to give way to the spread of international English. This will help those of us who prefer traditional English, too, by decreasing the reach of the vulgarised, north American tat now passing for our tongue. It will also force us to try a little harder to acquire another language ourselves – we are notably incompetent when it comes to such accomplishments. Je vous prie de continuer la lutte pour un monde de culture, ou nous sommes obliges d’apprendre d’autre langages, meme si c’est impossible de parler francais au niveau de votre anglais.
I agree with the sentiment – and one of the curses of English is that everyone else speaks it so well that it leaves only the die hard and bloody-minded to perfect another language.
In my experience, as Katherine points out above, most other nations just prefer speaking and learning English, not least because it’s easier and more people speak it.
So I doubt its popularity, reinforced with the ‘cultural’ weight of the US, is waning anytime soon.
Now this is what I like about the English: a thoughtful comment, expressed with elegance and courtesy. Thankyou.
J Bryant
2 years ago
I love this article and the fact the French are fighting for their language. At least we have one Western nation proud of its language, culture and heritage and willing to stand up for it, even in small matters.
Katharine Eyre
2 years ago
“What you have to understand, Katharine, is that the French language is not a language. It is a temple.”
> my former French flatmate, dispensing pearls of truth back in 2002.
The reason why French is not winning is because it’s too hard. English might be full of weird pronunciations and so many exceptions that you may as well not bother with having a rule but you don’t need much of it to be able to communicate.
French, on the other hand, demands a pretty high level of knowledge and precision before you can speak and be understood. I’ve mastered German – another tough nut – but my goodness, the correct usage of “en” and “y” and all the other itty-bitty words (ce, que, qui) in French have me completely foxed. I don’t think I’ll ever get word order right – negations trip me up endlessly.
But it is marvellous to attempt such a thing, isn’t it? Imagine a world without mountains, or where there were no difficult musical instruments. The reward of climbing the one and playing the other is extraordinary – it is mastery and widens the scope of the mind.
English might be full of weird pronunciations and so many exceptions that you may as well not bother with having a rule…
I do believe you have singlehandedly, in a sentence, solved the pernicious problem of English exceptionalism. Well done! May I borrow this quote to use elsewhere?
Although wait a minute—was it the language that made them like that, or did they shape the language?
Penelope Lane
2 years ago
A memorable piece. I very much enjoyed reading it. I shall not forget “a boulder on the shoulder”.
Chere Mme Moutet, I am with the linguistic nationalists on this one. Never mind that the Third Republic chased away the old languages of Mistral and co; it was perhaps a crime, but it cannot be undone; nor can it be made right by allowing a further intrusion of English into the official life of France. Britain has left the EU – with my approval, incidentally; therefore, there is no need for any EU country to treat English as an official language any more. One might have thought that perhaps German or Italian should receive this honour, now that we have departed, but that is neither here nor there. The point is to defend and assert the living tradition of French by using its natural roots and patterns as the basis for coping with the modern world, NOT to give way to the spread of international English. This will help those of us who prefer traditional English, too, by decreasing the reach of the vulgarised, north American tat now passing for our tongue. It will also force us to try a little harder to acquire another language ourselves – we are notably incompetent when it comes to such accomplishments. Je vous prie de continuer la lutte pour un monde de culture, ou nous sommes obliges d’apprendre d’autre langages, meme si c’est impossible de parler francais au niveau de votre anglais.
I agree with the sentiment – and one of the curses of English is that everyone else speaks it so well that it leaves only the die hard and bloody-minded to perfect another language.
In my experience, as Katherine points out above, most other nations just prefer speaking and learning English, not least because it’s easier and more people speak it.
So I doubt its popularity, reinforced with the ‘cultural’ weight of the US, is waning anytime soon.
Now this is what I like about the English: a thoughtful comment, expressed with elegance and courtesy. Thankyou.
I love this article and the fact the French are fighting for their language. At least we have one Western nation proud of its language, culture and heritage and willing to stand up for it, even in small matters.
“What you have to understand, Katharine, is that the French language is not a language. It is a temple.”
> my former French flatmate, dispensing pearls of truth back in 2002.
The reason why French is not winning is because it’s too hard. English might be full of weird pronunciations and so many exceptions that you may as well not bother with having a rule but you don’t need much of it to be able to communicate.
French, on the other hand, demands a pretty high level of knowledge and precision before you can speak and be understood. I’ve mastered German – another tough nut – but my goodness, the correct usage of “en” and “y” and all the other itty-bitty words (ce, que, qui) in French have me completely foxed. I don’t think I’ll ever get word order right – negations trip me up endlessly.
But it is marvellous to attempt such a thing, isn’t it? Imagine a world without mountains, or where there were no difficult musical instruments. The reward of climbing the one and playing the other is extraordinary – it is mastery and widens the scope of the mind.
English might be full of weird pronunciations and so many exceptions that you may as well not bother with having a rule…
I do believe you have singlehandedly, in a sentence, solved the pernicious problem of English exceptionalism. Well done! May I borrow this quote to use elsewhere?
Although wait a minute—was it the language that made them like that, or did they shape the language?
A memorable piece. I very much enjoyed reading it. I shall not forget “a boulder on the shoulder”.
Nor Msr “Coq-Bloc”!
The only point in having English on the CI is if it’s accepted outside of France. I wonder if it is.