french lessons

[colk100]

all british people hate the french, so why teach it in schools?

[bernardo]

So that we can understand them when we overhear them plotting to invade Britain and destroy civilisation.

[darth vader]

A bit generalistic isn't it? not ALL british hate French (i don't for one). Please remember a great number of "us Brits" are in fact descended from French origin. Even the Irish. btw we teach French in schools because (along with German and Spanish) it is one of the most popular and widespread languages on the planet and therefore useful for visiting countries other than France. And finally, all French kids have to learn English as a 2nd language in their schools, and at a much younger age, and for longer (they put our 2nd language abilities to shame) because English is also a very popular language across the planet

[sft42]

I think you maybe mean all english people......the Scots have a long standing relationship with the French called the auld alliance and have had ties for centuries with the country.

BTW Darth why isn't one of the many forms of chinese taught in schools then if we are going by number of speakers in the world?

[Gef]

Many schools in the west of Scotland also offer German, Italian, Spanish, Gaelic and Urdu (and probably others). I wonder what colk100 would prefer our children to learn.

[Greedyfly]

You must know an awful lot of people to know that 'All' british hate French!

[Postie]

Good answer Darth, I also like the French and have spent many happy times in their country and I think SFT42 unwittingly agreed with us both. The teaching [or lack of] foreign languages in our English schools is abysmal, mainly due to the very short sighted educational policy of successive British Governments since WWII but also due in part to the arrogant attitude of the insular English. Anyone who has had the misfortune to be in France when your typical English daytripper shouts "garrKon, I want some red saucio for my chippios, Danka shown" will know what I mean.

[colk100]

I'm in a job that i meet hundreds of people. Also it's well known in the media that english people have a dislike of the french. After all we've helped them on many occasions and never got any thanks from them. I think that the bottom three should get a grip of their attitudes and remember where you're from. Britain is a proud country we earned the right to dislike them and we should.

[sft42]

....and Postie has just given us the perfect example of the arrogance he was talking about by using english/british as interchangeable when they are quite clearly not.....the Scottish education system along with our Legal system has never been anything to do with westminster thankfully.

You think we "bailed them out" in both world wars for purely altruistic reasons? Nothing to do with the Germans being able to use the french coast as a launch post for an attack on our country?

Speak for england/english only please colk

as I have at least 3 French friends and would happily put them before any english person.

[thewillow]

The French call the English 'Les F@ck-Offs' due to the national predilection for the expression.

[Greedyfly]

Well colk100 I don't hate the french and I ma a proud brit. You cannot just hate a society, country or nationality because that generalisation isn't fair. It's like me saying I have had a couple of bad relationships with men, therefor I will hate them forever.

[Gef]

colk100 - you are talking out of your cul.

[darth vader]

sorry i menat most popular and widespread as in the number of countries who speak that language. The only country i know of who speak Chinese is China, and it is difficult to visit that country so not a very good 2nd language to teach kids. yes i know your tongue is in your cheek, sft :-)
Postie thanks for that yes i found it embarrassing, whilst in France recently - people should make a better effort.
colk100 you should get out more (ps by media i take it you mean the tabloid press?). Why have we earned the right to dislike them? Anyway if we hate them so much why is France such a popular holiday destination for this Island? why do all our shops stock French wines by majority? the supermarkets sell French cheese, pate, salami, bread. We drive Peugeots, Citroens (shall i stop now?)

[colk100]

obviosly, apart from bernardo, none of you have a sense of humour! all proper english folks dislike the french. i worked with french folks for 4 months. not in the tabloid press. down with france! xxxx

[thewillow]

Aha! Let me get this straight. Your definition of having a sense of humour is that people have to think that you are funny? I get it now.

[bernardo]

When I saw the question I assumed that it was a joke, so I answered accordingly. I was a bit surprised at some of the more serious answers. Maybe all the people who thought that it was a serious question should be sent to France as a punishment.

[Gef]

I would love to be sent to France - it would not be a punishment.

[darth vader]

i didn't find it funny. I'm a "proper english folk". please don;t take up comedy for a living ther are enough people on the dole already. You may send me to a little village south of Poitiers called Lezay, for my punishment - the wine there is 1 quid a litre and tastes like amber nectar

[jamessavory]

strange!

[lea-lea]

Why French is taught i'm not sure but i do wish i had paid more attention to learning the language because i live in Europe now and every other European i've ever met speaks at leat 2 languages fluently and us Brits therefore come across as ignorant because we only know the one. Frankly I think we should be taught Spanish at school because it is more widely used and taught it from when we are at primary school.