What's Happening in Ireland ?

[JBR]

I don't think that the French hate the English - it's just that both are very proud people and the English often forget that William the Conqueror was a French and even Henry VIII spoke French fluently. If you compare the two languages except for the pronunciation and spelling both have a lot in common.
On another forum someone told me if I could imagine that a French captain tells an English colleague what has to be done. On the European continent no one would ask this question. 

You are quite correct.  Marge and I went to France several years ago and drove all the way from north to south.  We stayed in a small country hotel around half-way, where the owner was very helpful and we felt absolutely no negativity.  I think that is probably the same here in the UK where most ordinary people are happy and welcoming, but look at our politicians! 🤮🤮🤮

Incidentally, we experienced very much the same in Germany on several occasions. 

[muddy]

I don't think that the French hate the English - it's just that both are very proud people and the English often forget that William the Conqueror was a French and even Henry VIII spoke French fluently. If you compare the two languages except for the pronunciation and spelling both have a lot in common.
On another forum someone told me if I could imagine that a French captain tells an English colleague what has to be done. On the European continent no one would ask this question. 

Thousands of school children throughout the years trying to learn French would probably disagree with you .

[Alex]

I think the French dislike the English, hate is too strong a word    Perhaps they've never got over the fact they needed the British to rescue them from Nazis  ?

[JBR]

I think the French dislike the English, hate is too strong a word   Perhaps they've never got over the fact they needed the British to rescue them from Nazis  ?

I agree completely.  We showed them how to do what they couldn't do themselves.  It is many years since the French managed to invade Britain, and even then it was the Normans who weren't exactly French.
I firmly believe that they inwardly accept that they are not up to beating us in a fair fight.
What really annoys me is that many of them are big friends when it suits them, but behind our backs...

[klondike]

Thousands of school children throughout the years trying to learn French would probably disagree with you .

I took both French and German and found German easier for some reason. It may just have been the teachers. Most of both are now forgotten. I had a lot of German colleagues while working for Ford but didn't have much need for my schoolboy German as they all spoke pretty perfect English.

[JBR]

I took both French and German and found German easier for some reason. It may just have been the teachers. Most of both are now forgotten. I had a lot of German colleagues while working for Ford but didn't have much need for my schoolboy German as they all spoke pretty perfect English.

Me too.  I enjoyed German - a down to earth Yorkshireman.  French, not so - a tall picky bloke with no sense of humour.
Many years later, by chance I did a chest X-ray on the same bloke.  I mentioned that he had taught me French.  His response: he couldn't remember me.  Make of that what you will.

[Alex]

That's 3 of us !   I did French and German too, I found French much easier than German, but when I went to live there I'd remembered the pronunciation, but not that many words     

[muddy]

We had a ghastly French teacher .
She used to bring her cat with her to school .
She only had one leg .
Rumour had it she lost it when in the resistance .

German is to me not an attractive language it's too guttural .

I speak Spanish and think all children should learn it . If you know Spanish it's a good basis for all the Latin languages 

[Alex]

My French teacher only had an index finger and a thumb on one hand, she used to bang it on the the desk if someone wasn't paying attention 

[ansu]

Very interesting. 
Compared to Roman languages that are based on Latin German is no appealing language for some people. 
As to Spanish, it really depends on the region where you live. 
Living in Germany and having contacts to Brits and French, I would like to say that it's a difference in mentality, too. The French enjoy their "savoir-vivre", whereas the English prefer the "stiff upper lip" - sorry. The Spanish - Andalusians - for instance say that it's the sun that lifts their spirits and makes them happy every day. 
However, I am convinced that we can learn from each other and as we here in Germany say there are such and such everywhere. 
Shortly after WW II it was difficult for me - as a German - but today everyone is very friendly to me and I can't complain. 

[dextrous63]

One language teacher I worked with used to employ the curious technique of getting her pupils to solve countless French word searches.  Weirdly, the results she achieved weren't any different from other language teachers ( albeit that they were terrible across the board🤣🤣).

One French teacher used to send letters home to her pupils with the first line of the address being an abbreviated form of The Parents or Guardians of ..., which she wrote as The P/Gs of.. which actually looked like The pigs of ...

🤣🤣🤣

[GrannyMac]

I think the French dislike the English, hate is too strong a word   Perhaps they've never got over the fact they needed the British to rescue them from Nazis  ?

They seem to quite like Scots. Saying 'Ecosse' works well. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Today at 12:40:38 PM

We had a ghastly French teacher .
She used to bring her cat with her to school .
She only had one leg .
Rumour had it she lost it when in the resistance .

German is to me not an attractive language it's too guttural .

I speak Spanish and think all children should learn it . If you know Spanish it's a good basis for all the Latin languages

Speaking German is easier for we Scots than for English people, as both use rhotic pronunciation.

[JBR]

Today at 12:40:38 PMSpeaking German is easier for we Scots than for English people, as both use rhotic pronunciation.

I find it easier for us Northerners too.  I never managed to get an 'O' level in German, but I do remember a few useful words, like I used in Germany: "Mit zwei Loeffeln bitter." 
(Being a tight-fisted Yorkie, I decided that Marge and I could share one portion of dessert.)

[dextrous63]

They seem to quite like Scots. Saying 'Ecosse' works well. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Today at 12:40:38 PMSpeaking German is easier for we Scots than for English people, as both use rhotic pronunciation.

By "rhotic", do you mean incomprehensible? 😬

[muddy]

Never heard of it .