The Off Topic Topic

[grumbler]

Many moons ago when I was in France I found the dismissive thing of people trying to speak their language only happened to me in Paris, and not the south. They also seemed to be much more understanding if I slipped between Portuguese and French rather than English and French.

That was my experience in France years ago, as well.  My more recent trip to Paris surprised me with how positive the Parisians were about even attempts to speak their language.  It was quite a pleasant change.  i attributed it to the fact that Paris had become even more cosmopolitan and touristy in the meantime.

[Admiral Yi]

Many moons ago when I was in France I found the dismissive thing of people trying to speak their language only happened to me in Paris, and not the south. They also seemed to be much more understanding if I slipped between Portuguese and French rather than English and French.

Where in the south were you? 

I was in Aix-en-Provence.

[Josquius]

If I were to believe our resident Little Englander, the Romands are more (assertive about) French than the French themselves. 
Mon(ol)ingual Romands? Do you live in the Romand hinterland?  All Romands study (standard) German at school, though it may be forgotten just after. m
More on that later.
Maybe they're not as good as Francophone Luxemburgers, but better than the French but Romands speak slower on average than other Francophones.
Of course, their dialect has some Germanic influences in vocabulary but that should help you (putzer from putzen).
It's more logical sometimes cf. septante or nonante, vs soixante-dix or quatre-vingts-dix. 

Wait until Tyr discovers the strong differences at times between German Swiss and Standard German, specially for a foreigner. 
Of course, Standard German is the dialect taught at school in Romand Switzerland, not German Swiss, adding another layer of complication.

And in the UK we learn French at school.
Doesn't mean we speak it.
German knowledge is worse than even English knowledge amongst most under 40.

Agreed on the Swiss numbers. Thats how French should be.

[Josquius]

Yeah, French is hard yet you study Japanese.

A far easier language. Particularly for someone who has a bit of a scientific mind, into patterns and logic et al.
It helps a lot that Japanese is a written version first language vs. The spoken first European languages.

[Grey Fox]

The French are dismissive of everyone's else french, even other countries native speakers.

[Valmy]

5: French is hard. There is zero encouragement from moningual francophones for beginners to try. It's either get the pronunciation utterly perfect or GTFO.

This is bullshit. I am a Texan, my pronunciation of things is mocked around the world, and the French were not only encouraging but never even mentioned it. And I spent a significant period of time in Paris.

And French is not hard at all. Hell because nobody says the endings it is actually pretty easy to fake the grammar and the words are mostly just English words said Frenchily.

[Valmy]

The French are dismissive of everyone's else french, even other countries native speakers.

Weird they never were during my many months in France, living and working among the French. I mean yeah there were annoying cultural differences but they were never difficult or annoying about the language stuff.

Maybe you people who have a bigoted hatred for the French never give them a chance?

[Grey Fox]

Because you are an American.

[Valmy]

Yeah, French is hard yet you study Japanese.

A far easier language. Particularly for someone who has a bit of a scientific mind, into patterns and logic et al.
It helps a lot that Japanese is a written version first language vs. The spoken first European languages.

Oh yeah. So complicated to learn one of the most complicated writing systems in the world than use one you already know. So much easier to learn a completely unrelated language family than just take words you already use and just say them with a slightly different pronunciation.

[alfred russel]

That was my experience in France years ago, as well.  My more recent trip to Paris surprised me with how positive the Parisians were about even attempts to speak their language.  It was quite a pleasant change.  i attributed it to the fact that Paris had become even more cosmopolitan and touristy in the meantime.

Probably because of people like me...

Until realizing people like Tim exist, I would think people like me are the worst. With the exception of Spanish, which I studied in school, I make zero effort to learn anything other than how to say "hello" in a language. I've been in France a few times, including for work, and that is the extent of my vocabulary.

I think it is fairly common with people in multinationals. I was once in Poland with a coworker for a couple weeks, and he didn't even bother to learn that the currency was named the zloty. He would just refer to it as "local currency".

[Valmy]

Because you are an American.

Or because I made an effort.

We are so charming and beloved around the world 

[Grey Fox]

Because you are an American.

Or because I made an effort.

Maybe. You shouldn't, their french is bad.

[Valmy]

Because you are an American.

Or because I made an effort.

Maybe. You shouldn't, their french is bad.

[Josquius]

Yeah, French is hard yet you study Japanese.

A far easier language. Particularly for someone who has a bit of a scientific mind, into patterns and logic et al.
It helps a lot that Japanese is a written version first language vs. The spoken first European languages.

Oh yeah. So complicated to learn one of the most complicated writing systems in the world than use one you already know. So much easier to learn a completely unrelated language family than just take words you already use and just say them with a slightly different pronunciation.

Radically different pronunciation, alien grammar and simple words which are also alien

[Duque de Bragança]

Yeah, French is hard yet you study Japanese.

A far easier language. Particularly for someone who has a bit of a scientific mind, into patterns and logic et al.
It helps a lot that Japanese is a written version first language vs. The spoken first European languages.

Oh yeah. So complicated to learn one of the most complicated writing systems in the world than use one you already know. So much easier to learn a completely unrelated language family than just take words you already use and just say them with a slightly different pronunciation.

Radically different pronunciation, alien grammar and simple words which are also alien

Different but simpler pronunciation, because most vowels are short (â is almost the same as a nowadays). The French r may be difficult, but it's more of a problem for other Romance language speakers or Slavophones. German has adopted it though.
Almost no stress, or only a little at the end of words. Very complicated. 
You conveniently forget the large vocabulary shared by English and French since the Norman Conquest. Spelling being etymological and far from phonetical should help the Anglos feel right at home.