Stop le mocking
Linked to the problem of a lack of confidence is French people's tendency to ridicule each other's level of English – and it’s got to stop!
Whether they are sensitive about their accent or just too scared to really give it a go, the last thing a French English learner needs is to be mocked, but it happens a lot (just see the video below where the president is laughed at for his English)
“The fear of being ridiculed, of making a mistake, and being told off by the teacher is rooted in the psyche of most young French people. So just imagine how it feels when we have to do it in English,” said French student Lea Surugue.
“Being mocked for having a strong accent in English is a fear most teenagers cannot shake off in their language classes and that doesn't disappear into adulthood.”
Lead from the front
Can we really expect the French people to speak better English when the leaders of the country can hardly string a sentence together as the video below shows?
Surely the ministers and the president himself could lead by example, especially in this day and age, where English has become the language of business and diplomacy.
French leaders are often mocked by their own public for their poor levels of English, which you couldn’t imagine being the case in the Nordic countries.
Another version of this story was published in November 2015.
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