Getting “Englished”: The Struggles of Language Immersion in France and How to Manage

It has become a stereotypical interaction: an English-speaking tourist in France approaches a local, making an effort to speak in French, only to be immediately dismissed with an unamused response given in English. While commonly portrayed in the media as an archetypal example of Parisian snobbishness, this is an all-too-real scenario, which I have encountered numerous times during my semester abroad. Reflecting on this, I have found that there are many reasons why this takes place and have developed some personal strategies for conversing with locals more effectively to avoid getting “Englished,” as my IES Abroad classmates have named it.

The IES Abroad Nantes French Language Immersion & Area Studies program strives to provide full language immersion for students in France. The program offers extensive immersion opportunities through coursework taught entirely in French, guided trips led by local tutors, and the infamous French-only rule within the IES Abroad center. While these kinds of immersions are immensely beneficial, they occur in "safe spaces" among professors, IES Abroad staff, or other students who understand that they are part of a language immersion program. For a complete immersion experience, however, it is essential to venture beyond the linguistic tolerance of the center and converse with locals in different public situations. 

When I arrived in Nantes at the beginning of January, I was fairly confident in my level of French and did not expect to encounter many issues conversing. However, I was shocked to find that, despite my efforts, over half of the people with whom I tried to speak would almost instinctively switch to English as soon as I opened my mouth, most of the time without the courtesy of asking which language I preferred. I seemed to encounter this almost everywhere, including stores, restaurants, and even at the University of Nantes. For someone making an effort to learn a language, this all-too-common trend can be seen as incredibly frustrating and impolite. Many students from the IES Abroad Nantes program also experienced this unprompted language swap so frequently that it became somewhat of an inside joke among us. 

It is no secret that the English language is well established in primary schools across Europe and around the world as the de facto lingua franca. This is both a blessing and a curse for native speakers, as it offers great flexibility for international work and travel, while at the same time making it incredibly difficult to learn a foreign language and, at times, can make it seem pointless.

Despite this, I have heard from other study abroad students participating in IES Abroad programs in different European countries, such as Italy and Spain, that upon their attempts to converse in the local language, it is less common to be “Englished” like it is in France.

Granted, France is the most popular tourist destination in the world, and I have observed how visitors from a variety of countries default to English while traveling across Europe. It is valid that certain local patrons would be inclined to switch to English as a form of accommodation if they hear someone struggling in French, who perhaps assumed that the staff spoke no English. However, this does not explain why, on several occasions, locals will continue to reply in English even after you persist in speaking in passable French after the initial exchange. This tendency has unfortunately become somewhat of a defining characteristic of France.

When I discussed this with some of the IES Abroad staff and my host family, they agreed that while some people switch to English in an effort to be obliging, there are several who do it as a way of showing off their language abilities and trying to establish some kind of abstract social dominance.

Regardless, it is never arrogant to want to speak the local language while living in a foreign country. It is important to keep in mind that a semester abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be immersed in a foreign language, and you have the right as an abroad student to not let yourself be humiliated into speaking English.

As it is impossible to be sure of everyone’s motivations, it is useful to have some strategies prepared for how to best avoid this situation and know what to do when it arrives.

1. Pronunciation Training

About a month into my semester, I realized that the main reason why this was happening to me so frequently was because of my blatant Anglophone accent. Having studied French for five semesters in college prior to my semester in Nantes, I figured that my accent was not a concern, as no one had ever told me otherwise. It was not until February that I began to consider this as a significant reason for my struggles. Fortunately, I had enrolled in the theater production class at the beginning of the program in January. While I had initially done this for the curriculum art credit at my home university, I was immensely fortunate to have selected this class, as the professor works individually with each student to train their pronunciation and command of the language. 

During our meeting, the theater professor pointed out some pronunciation errors that I had never realized before, such as the distinction between nasal vowels, the difference between the “u” and “ou” sounds, and above all, the infamous French “r.” Apparently, these are common difficulties for English speakers learning French, and can act as immediate giveaways to native speakers. I would highly recommend the theater and/or phonetics class (which I did not have the opportunity to take) for anyone interested in working on their pronunciation throughout the semester. 

While it is irrational to expect to speak with a perfect native accent after a single semester of immersion, I personally experienced that focused attention on pronunciation can make a profound difference in how one’s French is received, and can demonstrate true competence in the language. 

2. Situational Preparation and Review

During my semester abroad, I encountered many unique situations that required me to ask questions and express myself on a variety of subjects. From sports sessions to the barber shop or the pharmacy, I was required to adapt my French for various contexts. When you know you will be entering a new scenario, it is helpful to look up relevant vocabulary terms and expressions ahead of time. I found that a simple search of vocabulary concerning a given subject/situation was helpful and made me feel more prepared to adapt. I would highly recommend downloading both the Google Translate and WordReference.com apps at the beginning of the semester. While not to be overly relied upon, I found these tools to be immensely useful for a quick reference. I also purchased a micro dictionary to keep in my coat pocket. 

Before prompting an interaction, I usually take a minute to plan out what I want to say ahead of time to avoid feeling ambushed and panicking. Over time, this becomes more natural and much easier.

While it is useful to look up new vocabulary on a situational basis, the real value of this comes from being able to retain and actively use new terms. For this, I carried a small notepad with me throughout my semester, in which I recorded new vocabulary I encountered, as well as interesting things I found that I wanted to remember. This helped me to retain what I learned during the semester, and it acts as a nice reminder of the experiences I had while abroad.

For more habitual situations like ordering at a boulangerie or requesting a table at a restaurant, it helps to overhear what locals say and do the same.

3. Confidence and Persistence

From my experience abroad, I found that above all, the most important part of speaking a foreign language is having confidence. You must always keep in mind that you are an abroad student enrolled at a French University (regardless of whether you take classes there or not), and not a tourist. You must trust in your abilities to speak and understand the language and show that you are at ease through relaxed body language and by speaking clearly. Make an effort to look directly at the person you are speaking with and try to enunciate clearly. 

I had initially figured that perhaps if I spoke quickly and somewhat nonchalantly, it would be easier to hide my accent, though I soon learned that this just creates more confusion. When speaking in French in particular, each pronounced syllable is clearly articulated in the same fashion. This is different from English, which is spoken with varying intonations. Speaking clearly and confidently despite any minor errors is the best practice for a successful exchange.

It is inevitable that while speaking a foreign language, there will be mistakes and unrealized faux pas. When this happens, you must not let it derail your concentration. Even if the person you are speaking with tries to switch to English, continue to insist on speaking in French, and do not hesitate to let them know that you are competent in the language and want to improve.

I have also picked up on some smaller tips that can make conversations go more smoothly.

The first of these is not to leave long pauses in conversation. Sometimes, when thinking of a response to a question, like what to order from a menu, a pause can be misinterpreted as a failure of comprehension. Do not hesitate to fill these gaps by informing the server, or whoever it may be, that you are reflecting, or would like a minute to make a decision. When others are speaking, be sure to nod and demonstrate that you are following what they say.

Also, never ask anyone to repeat themselves with the word “répéter.” This word is overused by tourists and is an immediate red flag when speaking with locals. It is better to ask “comment ?” or say that you misheard “mal entendu,” as these feel more natural.

When listening to others speak, pay careful attention, but do not try to understand every single word. It is better to search for the general sense of what someone is saying in the context of the situation, rather than getting hung up on a few mystery words. The French tend to use several language tics like “en fait” and “du coup” which are used as fillers and do not usually mean anything most of the time they are used.

4. When in Doubt, Simplify

While learning a language, there is a tendency to try to directly translate English sentences when expressing oneself. I had (and still do) this tendency when speaking in French, and have found myself on several occasions getting trapped in long, elaborate phrases that sometimes do not make sense. By listening to others speak, I have found that in most cases it is best to simplify. In French, there are a lot of single words that can serve the function of English clauses, and the language uses participles much more frequently than in English, which can express an idea while working like an adjective. 

One example of simplification that I discovered is saying “mon arrivé” (my arrival) instead of explaining the fact that you arrived by saying something like “apres que je suis arrivé.” This can be a bit nonintuitive for English speakers, as standalone terms like “my arrival” can seem stiff and pretentious, though in French they are neutral and effective.

Simplifying what you say and how you say it can make you feel more confident when speaking, and can motivate you to speak more often.

5. Don’t Worry about Blending in

After my initial shock at being exposed as an English speaker in so many of my early speaking encounters, I became terrified about continuing to be humiliated by someone who feels the need to speak to me in English despite my efforts to talk to them in French. This was upsetting for me because I felt that my commitment to studying French had been in vain, and I was at an impasse in my pronunciation. As a result of this, I noticed that I started to dread public interactions outside of my rehearsed lunch order. In doing this, I was trying to blend in with the local scene by keeping a low profile. I think that this was somewhat of a subconscious effort to substitute linguistic acceptance with the idea that I could fit in in other ways.

This mindset is unproductive and contradicts the mission of an immersion experience to learn by doing. There, I reached a point where I realized that the only way to truly learn and improve was to continue to make an effort to speak with locals despite the inevitable errors. I was inspired by the diplomatic trip of Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War, when he traveled to France to solicit aid against the British. He arrived with only an elementary understanding of French and was said to have spoken with a thick English accent, while having had many gaffes when speaking in public. Unashamed, however, Franklin embraced his American identity while abroad and famously wore his frontiersman fur cap to official functions. This history encouraged me to likewise embrace my identity as an abroad student, and not be afraid of being “exposed.” 

This new mindset greatly enriched my semester abroad, as it enabled me to have meaningful conversations with locals who were curious about where I was from and the motivations for my travel. Having these conversations also made me realize that there are still many people in France of all ages who do not speak English, or very much of it. I had some interesting interactions with people who were eager to work on their English, and we agreed that I could speak to them in French and they could reply in English.

It is important to remember that many people who live outside of the anglosphere assume that English speakers are monolingual, and your attempt to address them in French is a rehearsed pleasantry. Once I came to peace with the fact that I would inevitably get “Englished” and start being out more anyway, I felt a greater sense of progress and confidence in my language abilities. 

Getting “Englished” is unfortunately an unavoidable part of French language immersion, not only for native English speakers, but for almost anyone with a strong accent. It is impossible to perfect an accent within only a few months of speaking; however, I feel that I achieved the attainable goal of being able to speak confidently in French with an accent that is subtle enough to show that I am competent in the language. While it is true that there are people who switch to English to be rude or superior, the Francophone world is large, and there are many people who are happy to converse in French with people who want to learn. Above all, I encourage anyone doing a language immersion in France not to get discouraged when spoken to in English and use each interaction as a learning opportunity. The results are incredibly rewarding.