Nobody spoke English and there was nothing to do

[AdoraLovesCake]

Sorry, this might sound like I am complaining when obviously in another country they won't speak much English.

I decided to go to France this summer as a single pregnant mum with a 1 year old and a 5 year old. Fortunately my friend and her 3 year old son decided to join us.

I booked in a place, by the beach in Northern France, I had been to when I was a young adult, I remember it being quite touristy but very kid friendly. Photos of the place looked like a touristy city where people would speak English.

I speak quite a lot of French and was teaching bits to my oldest daughter so she could ask for a crepe or say please and sorry and simple things like that, under the expectation that most people would speak English. My 1 year old can only speak a few words, so I am not going to teach her French. My friend speaks French well too, and her son also learnt please, thanks, sorry.

We arrived to find a really untouristy place. We unpacked and looked around the town for fun kids stuff. There was nothing. By this time I was exhausted, with an overexcited child and a screaming baby. So we hunted for a cafe or restaurant. Nothing. We went into a small bakery, asked in French for some stuff then asked in English, "Are there any children's playgrounds here?" The baker looked blank at us and soon there was about five French men shaking their heads and repeatedly telling us, "Me French"

So we left and went to the beach. No kids on the beach, just a couple and their dog. Thankfully they let the children stroke the dog. No places to buy ice cream, buckets, spades, balls, paddle boards or anything.

The next day we took the bus, still nobody spoke English and still, towns bare of tourists and kids, beaches bare of anyone and anything.

Thankfully the kids took it quite well, it could have been a whole lot worse. It's just that the research I did made it look good. Maybe I didn't do enough? Maybe I shouldn't have used my memory from 20 years ago? Maybe I should have taught my kids more French?

xxx Cora

This is the same all over though. I mean, a French person who had learnt southern UK English would probably really struggle in, say, Northern Ireland or Glasgow (and the distances involved in the UK are much smaller).

I think sometimes people are just keen to practise their English, forgetting that maybe other people are keen to practise the language of the country they're visiting.

I'm shit at French but even I can manage a ou est la parc

He has no desire to speak English, thus he ruled himself out of managing in England, and as a result he has no need to speak it.

The French are unique in the world when it comes to their far greater opposition than elsewhere to speaking English.

In cinemas it's worth looking for screenings of American films in the VO (version originale, i.e. in English).There aren't always many, but we found a screening of Barbie in English in a town of 6000 people, not touristy.

I suspect @AdoraLovesCake has not returned 'cos she and family have had a good night's sleep, a hearty petit dejeuner and driven the few miles needed to find a beach and Aire de Jeux. A disappointing place when jaded after travel seems such a big thing. Remember being exactly same arriving at a campsite near Le Puy after several nights at my favourite site near Le Mont Dore.

Small pitches, noisy and goodness knows what other slights.

A decent dinner of saucisse aux lentilles, wine (lots!) and by the time we got back it was all good.

Next morning they'd got lots of Chateaux Gonflables inflated which the kids - 7 and 5 then - loved.

AI bot alert people.

Maybe next time a French camp site would be good, with a pool and some other entertainment and other children for your kids to play with. As for speaking French/English, you were maybe unlucky but I do go with the assumption I need to speak French and if they do speak English that can be helpful!

The French are unique in the world when it comes to their far greater opposition than elsewhere to speaking English.

I think that was true some years ago, but not anymore. Many young French people are just as keen to learn and practice English as their contemporaries elsewhere in Europe. You read lots of posts in these discussions from people who speak French in France but have the locals insist on responding to them in English.

Afternoon, everyone. We're going to pause this thread while we check a couple of things out behind the scenes.

As previous posters have pointed out, you can't really expect a place not to have changed over the years since you last visited and more research would be better next time.

I would say that it does piss me off that we expect people from other countries who visit here to speak English and when we visit their countries we STILL expect them to speak English.

Re speaking less than perfect French, I must say that where we’ve most often stayed, at a BiL’s place not far from Dijon, the locals have never been sniffy about it.

I did A level French and so mine is sort-of passable, but certainly not fluent, though my French SiL (and bilingual BiL) tell me my accent is good.

Dh OTOH has for some time been to conversation classes to brush up his exceedingly rusty O level. TBH he still makes a lot of very basic mistakes that make me cringe, but he’s always keen to practise, and I’ve honestly never seen any of the locals be less than kind and doing their best to understand - not so much as a wince!

It may well be different elsewhere, perhaps especially in Paris.