How many of you speak French?

We are going to be arriving in Paris for the first time this weekend. I am really enjoying reading the forums and the thoughts of all those who love Paris. For all you who seem to have left part of your heart there I have this question: how many of you speak french? We can only speak a little bit of french and are concerned that our lack of language skills will affect our ability to fully experience this fabulous city.

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If the little bit of French that you know is the polite sort of things, such as please and thank you, you%26#39;ll be fine. Don%26#39;t be bashful about using your limited French.

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i agree with HG, don%26#39;t worry about that, most people working in the tourism business have good fluent of english, try to use your knowledge of french, be courteous and everything will be ok, enjoy your stay ...

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Native French speaker. There%26#39;s no reason to worry about your language skills (and the limitations thereof) in Paris ; and the extent of the experience you%26#39;ll get mostly depends on what you do want to see and/or experience !

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I have been to Paris about 4 times now and I don%26#39;t really speak French . . . however, the more I go, the more I want to speak more French. I get the basics: hello, where are the toilets, how much is it, etc. I also have learned how to order my favorite pastries in French as well. But, you will find English widely spoken just as the others have said. That being said, I personally think it is most polite to use the French skills that you have when you can. I am amazed how many american travelers expect people in other countries to cater to our English language, when we, in the states don%26#39;t cater to other languages when we have foreign visitors. I guess I am saying, that even though I don%26#39;t speak French well (but working on it) I try when and where I can and I am so thankful that the French are gracious and accomodating.

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I do speak some French although my accent is terrible and I think it hurts the ears of the French. The word I am the worst at is %26quot;reservations.%26quot; However, I absolutely love the language and very much enjoy speaking it while in Paris. I have a French friend in Lyon and our deal is that we speak French to each other (unless I don%26#39;t understand something and then she will say it in English).

I practice on tapes for months before I go. It is actually part of the fun of preparing for my trip. As soon as I get in the car, the tape goes in and I practice. I feel slightly depressed when I return home and I don%26#39;t need to practice my French in the car any more.

Because I have been to Paris 4 times now, I look for more remote activities to experience. Contrary to wha I read on this forum, I find that many people in Paris don%26#39;t know English or don%26#39;t know it very well. I actually don%26#39;t want them to talk to me in English. I do my very best to talk to them in French. Believe me, I am not great. But I do my best to experience Paris and France in French. It is part of the fun for me.

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I took French in school for about 8 years when I was younger, so my French is serviceable. I find that it comes back pretty quickly when I return to France. My sister just studied in Paris for the year, so she%26#39;s fluent or close to fluent, and she tends to speak a little more than I do, but I can get by pretty well.

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I took French throughout high school and studied in France for a couple of months. I have also done courses through the Alliance Francais in New Zealand and in the last 2 years have visited France 3 times and the French speaking parts of Switzerland, Belgium and have also found my French helpful in Morocco.

Each time I visit a French speaking country my French gets better and I remember more vocab and grammar. I am at the stage now where I can understand most things that are said to me, can respond reasonably correctly and can earsdrop on the odd conversation. One of the things that I enjoy most is that my language skills continue to improve all the time!

There are still situations that I don%26#39;t have enough vocab to deal with. For example, last time we were in France we got a flat tyre. I didn%26#39;t have the vocab to deal with the mechanic etc without using a dictionary - so I am no where near fluent.

But having said all that, I think the biggest thing to remember is that you are in a non-English speaking country - failing to remember that fact is what prevents people from enjoying themselves!

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My first trip to France was as a young backpacker with zero French. My buddy and I got along just fine, though our meals were limited as we understood hardly anything on a menu. The key is to be cordial and smile when trying to converse. With your limited French, you%26#39;ll have a fine time.

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%26gt;%26gt;There are still situations that I don%26#39;t have enough vocab to deal with. For example, last time we were in France we got a flat tyre. I didn%26#39;t have the vocab to deal with the mechanic etc without using a dictionary - so I am no where near fluent. %26lt;%26lt;

Oh goodness, I sympathize (and I know the feeling). I accidentally locked our car keys in the trunk of the station wagon in Epernay on a Sunday last fall. The saving grace was that my sister, who studied abroad in Paris this past year, had become good enough with her French to get us out of that jam, because I don%26#39;t think I would have been able to do so.

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Just tonight, I printed a few pages of common phrases that we may use when in Paris in two weeks (I love saying that!!! %26quot;When I%26#39;m in Paris in two weeks!!%26quot;).

I used the Fodor website, will try to practise before we leave and will keep these pages in my purse to use whenever we can. http://www.fodors.com/language/

Au revoir!!!