The French pride themselves on their logic. Whatever goes against their logic is wrong, and is attacked without pity. For this reason they are sometimes seen as unfriendly or arrogant. To me, however, France was not only a stimulating country but also a very hospitable one. I received a scholarship that enabled me to enjoy my last two years in France. I met kindness and generosity from French people of all walks of life. While hitchhiking in the countryside, I was often invited to meals and to stay at people's homes. My commitment to the French language and culture helped create bridges with people. I am sure this would not have been possible had I remained a typical Anglophone North American. There are many English speaking North Americans who have been very successful at learning new languages. However, it is more commonly non-English speakers who make the effort to learn English. While this is unavoidable because of the unique international usefulness of English, it is a great loss to those English speakers who never experience the personal enrichment of learning a new language.
I delighted in visiting the countryside, seeing the historic villages and towns, and talking with people in French. As with most countries, France has regional accents. When you speak a foreign language you have to imitate the native speaker to acquire a native speaker accent. In my case, this meant that I spoke with a Parisian accent in Paris, a Southern accent on the Mediterranean, and so forth. This is hard to avoid, at least in the early stages. But it is also a good sign, since it shows that you are listening carefully to the pronunciation of native speakers.
Nevertheless, I have always felt that it is best for a non-native speaker to adopt the most standard form of the language rather than a regional accent. In every country there is a form of the language that is considered the standard. It might be the French spoken in Tours, the Mandarin spoken in Beijing, or the Japanese spoken in Tokyo. It is always amusing to hear a foreigner speak in a regional accent, but the neutral feel of the standard pronunciation is usually the wiser course. Canadian English is such a standard or neutral form of English.
In a similar vein, a language learner is best to stay clear of idioms, slang and swear words. There is a lot of French slang, or argot as it is called, that I still do not understand. It does not bother me. I do not usually come across it in my reading, and I am not expected to be able to use it when I speak. Some language learners are in a hurry to use slang expressions before they know how to use them. I think a non-native speaker sounds best speaking in correct standard language.
The history of France is a history of the different people who have created Europe. Some of the earliest examples of human painting and sculpture are located in the caves of Southwestern France, dating back as far as 20,000 years ago. At the time of the Roman conquest over 2,000 years ago, the Celtic Gauls were dominant in France, although there were Greek colonies in the South, various other tribes in the North and the ancient Basques in the Southwest. The Romans brought with them their civilization, and created an engineering infrastructure that still survives in the amphitheaters, roads and aqueducts that tourists can visit today, especially in the South of France. With the Romans came the staples of the Mediterranean culinary tradition: bread, olive oil, and wine.
So France is a melting pot, as most countries are if you go back far enough. This is reflected in the varying myths of origin of the French. Sometimes they emphasize their Gallic ancestry. At other times, the French are proud of their Latin roots and sympathize more with Mediterranean people than with Northern Europeans. Certainly their literature is dominated by references to the Classics of Roman and Greek antiquity. Yet the early heroes of France, including Clovis, Pepin le Bref, Charles Martel, and Charlemagne, were Germanic Franks.
A concern with food and drink is one of the dominant features of modern French culture, and the subject of conversation at all levels of society. The French recognize that elegantly and enthusiastically talking about a subject is a large part of the enjoyment.
Long after my studies in France were over, I had the opportunity to lead a group of Japanese wood industry executives on a tour of wood processing plants in France. I remember on one occasion we arrived at a modern door and window plant near Toulouse. For many minutes our delegation was kept waiting while our French hosts were engaged in an animated discussion. My Japanese tour members sat patiently, but eventually they wanted to know what the argument was all about. I explained that our French hosts were discussing what we were going to have for lunch. I still remember my meal of salade tiède de gésiers and cassoulet, eaten under the shade of pine trees outside an old Mediterranean Chateau. My memory of the factory we visited is less clear.
With French as with other languages, a familiarity with the food is an important part of learning the culture and the language. Conviviality around a meal table can be the best learning environment. Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator, defined convivium as "To sit down to dinner with friends because they share one's life." This desire to communicate over food is common to all languages and cultures, and no doubt has an origin in the prehistoric sharing of the hunt. It reinforces a feeling of reciprocity between people. As a poor student, I did not often have the chance to enjoy haute cuisine. However, it was not uncommon when I was hitchhiking in Southern France for truck drivers to share with me a full course lunch, including wine. How they continued driving after that was a bit of a mystery to me. I understand that the control on drinking and driving in France has become more severe in recent years.
