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Cargando... The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealedpor Julie Barlow, Jean-Benoît Nadeau
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Inscríbete en LibraryThing para averiguar si este libro te gustará. Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro. All things French interest me. At least that is generally the case. Unfortunately, in this case of this book, it turned out not to be true. It is true that French conversation is explained and it is different from American conversation, and this is interesting. There are also other aspects of the French -- particularly the discussion of political correctness and the rise of the National Front -- that are explained and they are interesting. But they are bits and bobs in a book that goes on and on. ( ) This is a fascinating read. The authors, from Quebec, lived in France for two periods in recent years, the nearest time with their school-age children. They were able to witness not only how France changed over time, but how their children acclimated to their new home as well. Their insights and stories are not sneering or judgmental, but come from a place of curiosity. The book begins with the necessary starting point for anyone even considering a trip to France: the importance of "bonjour," and why. From there, it goes into more nitty-gritty nuances of communication, discussing what French culture embraces in conversation, what they avoid, and how to get by. The back of the book condenses the major points down to quick lists. In this book, the authors discuss how to navigate the social and cultural aspects of living in France -- going beyond proficiency in speaking French and learning how to "talk" French. Topics include the French school system and pedagogical approach, what the French like to talk about (and not talk about), and how attitudes have changed over the past 15 years or thereabouts. I found the chapters on language particularly interesting, whether talking about unusual French expressions, the French view of English in contrast with the Quebec view, and the approach to correcting people's mistakes. Correcting people's French is seen as totally normal and will be done with no qualms whatsoever; knowing this might not make it any easier to be on the receiving end of such corrections if you're not a confident French speaker, but it is seemingly done to educate and not to laugh at your mistakes. Another thing I found interesting was the tendency to say "Bonjour!" much more than people in North America would say "Hello!" (e.g. when boarding a bus) -- amusingly it reminded me of the opening song in "Beauty and the Beast" where all the villagers say "Bonjour!" Not having been to France myself, I can't attest to the accuracy of these observations, but they made entertaining reading. I'd recommend this to Francophiles and armchair travellers who are interested in finding out more about French culture. sin reseñas | añadir una reseña
Premios
"Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow spent a decade traveling back and forth to Paris as well as living there. Yet one important lesson never seemed to sink in: how to communicate comfortably with the French, even when you speak their language. In The Bonjour Effect Jean-Benoit and Julie chronicle the lessons they learned after they returned to France to live, for a year, with their twin daughters. They offer up all the lessons they learned and explain, in a book as fizzy as a bottle of the finest French champagne, the most important aspect of all: the French don't communicate, they converse. To understand and speak French well, one must understand that French conversation runs on a set of rules that go to the heart of French culture. Why do the French like talking about "the decline of France"? Why does broaching a subject like money end all discussion? Why do the French become so aroused debating the merits and qualities of their own language? Through encounters with school principals, city hall civil servants, gas company employees, old friends and business acquaintances, Julie and Jean-Benoit explain why, culturally and historically, conversation with the French is not about communicating or being nice. It's about being interesting. After reading The Bonjour Effect, even readers with a modicum of French language ability will be able to hold their own the next time they step into a bistro on the Left Bank"-- No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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