„Before I came to France I attended an intensive course in „Elementary French“. Now, I am in France and I am astonished: Nobody seems to speak elementary French“.
Sylvia Simmons
Everybody knows: There are differences between school and life. This seems to be the problem of Ms. Simmons. But, it may be an even bigger difference in France where the language of the street is so different from the language of the book.
France is where people have many very polite phrases and will force you to use them but at the same time they can be so direct and clear in their wording that you feel offended.
That’s why we say: You have to try everything to get into the community, into the culture of the language you learn. You have to participate, otherwise you learn a language but you don’t learn the real one that people speak on the street, at work and in their homes.
Another quote to finish:
„If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.“
Nelson Mandela
