Why do French people speaking English with a French accent sound amazing

[Paq]

But English people speaking French with an English accent sound so shit.

Pondering this while doing my Duolingo practice this morning...

I think an English accent is adorable

it really is, it’s a soft cute accent

Not sure an English person can judge their own accent.

French people speaking English with a French accent sound amazing

English people speaking French with an English accent sound so shit.

Do they? I haven't noticed either.

I always think that anyone speaking English with a foreign accent sounds so lovely and exotic. And I wonder if we sound exotic speaking a different language with our English accent, to the ear someone in that country 😂😂😂. Probably not! Especially not me with my Lancashire accent.

I wonder whether it actually does sound shit to someone who speaks another language? In the same way we find an Italian/Swedish/German accent appealing, I guess other people may think an English accent is interesting/sounds good. Perhaps some French speakers think their 'English spoken with a French accent' sounds awful!

I hate people whose native language is English (not just English people) who speak normally in their normal accent then throw in a French word but in a French accent

Just the odd word thrown in

I definitely sound terrible speaking French. Comically, tragically so.

Apparently Americans view English accents in the same way we view sexy French accents.

I'm not sure it sounds shit to the French, I remember a French penfriend saying how cute it sounded when English people spoke French- I don't think she was being sarcastic.

I think it's just the allure of the unknown! I used to think Italian sounded beautiful. Then I learnt it and used it to work, to argue with dh...I mean it's still beautiful but I just can't hear it like that anymore.

I agree that we can't really judge our own accents.

My DH is good at Spanish and he has been complemented on his Spanish in Spain. To me, when he speaks Spanish, he sounds Spanish but to a Spanish person he probably sounds like an English person speaking Spanish.

My DD is good at French and her accent (to me) is amazing. I feel like a plonker when I speak French.

I speak German, oh yes they understand me, but they tell me it sounds very accented

Do you think that Americans find all English accents sexy or just posh English like Prince Harry?

I can't imagine them finding my accent sexy. When I hear myself on recordings I sound like a high pitched Gary Barlow!

Too much Allo Allo in your formative years?

Apparently frenchmen think French spoken with an English accent is very sexy. Or so I was told by one with a voice like melted chocolate.
Sadly, he wasn't a nice person.

English person here who moved to France and learned the language. I was surprised to find that a couple of (non English-speaking) friends I made described my accent as being "cute/ lovely" when I spoke French (badly). So I think it probably sounds ok OP

I have a family member who is a translator i.e. speaks languages very well.
She does this and sounds like a proper twat!

Thank you @Marmaladegin you have given me hope!