Can French people speak English?

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Rillifane

According to a survey, conducted by French market research institute IFOP for the weekly newspaper Dimanche Ouest France, 34 percent of Franch adults said they did not speak English. That means 66 percent spoke at least some English.

Twelve percent said they were fluent in English, six percent said they understood and spoke it well, and 48 percent said they "more or less" understood English but did not speak it fluently.

Given that only 9% of Americans for whom English is the language spoken at home can speak another language fluently, we certainly look like a bunch of idiots compared to the French.

Although I speak French and several other languages, I often travel with people who speak no language other than English. I have never noticed any of them having any problem at all, at least in Paris. It often seems that almost everyone speaks English and is happy to do so.

I suspect that feigning an ignorance of English is simply a way of avoiding dealing with annoying people.

lilyad1

Can english people speak french?

Ð¯Ð»Ð¼Ð°Ñ€ â„¢

The large majority do speak english but if you travel to France why should they speak English do you speak French if a French is comming to UK or USA?
Rilifane and Stephane are absolutely correct.
That has got nothing to do with beeing arogant that has to do with respecting each other !
To me it seems more arogant to expect people all over the world to speak English no matter the language of the country.

Cabal

Of course not we don't, how could you think we would ever try to speak another language than the most perfect one in the universe, French. Not only we don't speak English, we refuse to learn any other foreign language. We would rather be dead than learn a single foreign word...
LOL

Joking aside, there's one thing that might have played against you, we hate to speak badly. That is a remnant of our school years when we learned French and would be made ashamed of speaking it badly, of making the slightest grammatical error.
People know some English but would rather not be embarrassed by showing how badly they speak it. Unless they have been exposed to so many English speakers (like in Paris touristy areas) that they have lost that shyness, they would rather be quartered and boiled than stammer and stumble in English. The younger generation have lost most of that shyness but for older people that is certainly a big handicap.

Corinne E

Okay the French don't Hate Americans. Its kinda like someone walking up to you and speaking Spanish, Korean or whatever while you are in an English speaking region. They aren't stupid why don't they speak your language...its just a matter of respect. If you can speak the language great, but they are way more grateful if you try to speak their language. When I traveled to France, I would ask in French and they would answer in English. I'm sure they could tell I wasn't French by how I was struggling through the words, but they were nice because I tried. I had to ask them to answer me in French so I could learn better. The French don't Hate us, they just want us to respect their country just like we want foreigners to respect ours.

CrystalRain

I think allot do at least it seems that way to me.They are taught English in school.Most are also very smart from what I have observed:)

Vladimir ILL

Et vous, vous parlez franÃ§ais ?

Moi je parle l'anglais et l'allemand niveau maternel, le franÃ§ais et le russe, plus l'italien -

Sinon, j'ai Ã©tÃ© Ã©duquÃ© en arabe et j'ai appris le nÃ©erlandais et le suÃ©dois, plus le latin et le grec deux langues totalement inutiles -

Want a spoonful more ?

@JUNIPEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!

Before you speak about people about whom you ignore all
french language included - learn your own language - and
enhance your education - I as a french am sure that I speak
much better english than you - but I speak it with at least
similar-skilled people - otherwise I don't - If some french
speak english poorly - US speakers are miserable

ten fingerprints at the custom office for europeans is that
Amerikkka? Learn one thing, when you come to France
stop your quacks and do the impossible be polite - if you
ever go out of your
pond - Is that now enough clear ????

teachingboytoy

Yes, some French people can speak English. I think it would be better to learn some French before going to France, though. It depends on what part of the country you go to. When you are in France, where French is the language of business and life, why should you expect them to speak English?

Jasmine J

Many of them can speak quite a bit,however they are notorious for preferring to speak their own language,especially.can't blame them really,although it has proven incovenient for me in the past

patrice

non !!!
franchement Ã quoi cela nous sert-il ? Ã part etre "agrÃ©able" vis Ã vis des amÃ©ricains ???

I don't care about english !!!!

lifo

some of us (french people) speak english or other foreign languages more than english spoken persons speak french or other foreign languages, that's a good point no ? but for sure, the old persons are not used to speak english (...), compare to nordic countries we are really bad.

the_coffee_fairy

Of course French people can speak English. You just have to talk to them really loudly and slowly, as if they were mentally challenged....

doh!

Donnie Mac

A very large percentage of the French understand English but they are too arrogant to let the tourists know it.

Ann O'Nyme

Some French people can speak english. Unfortunatelly, I have to admit, most French people have a quite poor English. I don't know how it is in other countries, nor do I know why the Frenchs are so bad in foreign languages in general. Where did you study in France?

BimTrix

Nope, they're missing the little bone in the back of the throat, makes it impossible for them to speak English

J-ville boy

They all know how to speak English. It's just that the French hate the Americans!

Use Google it's not hard

what do you expect? ITS FRANCE!

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