I’ve got a mate here that used to be a supply teacher in what sounds like pretty posh schools. Anyway, he ended up teaching a French class when the snooty Parisien teacher was on holiday.Count Steer wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 8:59 amWe had a rather delumptious young French exchange teacher* one year at school. She said I talked like a French peasant.Noggin wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:00 am
They asked for my licence, whilst one was checking that and the vehicle, the other chatted - he said I have “un petit accent du sud de la france” - I guess that’s a smidge better than an english accent.![]()
(I pronounced Pentecôte as 'pen' rather the 'pon').
* 'Assistant rather than teacher. She just took 'French conversation' in small groups. It ended in a bit of a hushed up scandal. One of the 6th form boys and mademoiselle got a bit jiggy. Far from being scandalised we (the boys at least, maybe one or two of the girls too) were all a bit jealous. (The age difference wasn't much. I think they both decided to leave and the romance continued).
Now my mate speaks good French, but he’s more about communication than perfection
But when Ms Parisien came back she had a full on case of the vapours (this was probably 30 years ago!). Apparently she was horrified that all her students now spoke French like peasants. Viv replied with, but Madame, they can all have a conversation now. She didn’t think that a peasant conversation made up for not being perfect

