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lunch and invite you to join them, but once at the restaurant
the conversation turns to politics, and a roaring argument
develops, in French. Your reaction is:
To sit in shock, unable to eat, fearing physical violence
will erupt at any moment.
Realise that your new French friends have turned their
back on you, speaking quickly in French to one another
without regard for your limited language skills. Assume
you are an outsider and expected to sit quietly by while
they discuss the details of their own political situation.
Vow to improve your language skills so that you can
participate, and follow the conversation closely.
Make your comments, if you understand the gist of the
conversation, even if you can only express yourself in
English, when there is a lull in the conversation and you
see a chance to jump in without interrupting.
Scold the group for being far too heated on the subject of
politics and try to turn the conversation back to English
and to matters of business that are on your mind.
Comments
Option
. Many French people love to discuss and debate,
especially on the subject of politics. Debate, itself, is an art
form in France, and their English skills may not be sufficient
for such parrying. So resign yourself to French, during the
lunch hour, often to heated debates, especially on the subject
of politics. Your growing skills in the language, and growing
knowledge of French politics will make these experiences
more interesting. They are a vital part of living in France.
SITUATION 4
You are invited to dinner with French acquaintances. It starts
at 8:00 pm and you arrive early to an elegant apartment,
with a bottle of white wine which needs chilling. You offer to
put the bottle in the refrigerator and ask where the kitchen
is. Your hostess takes the wine, leads you to the living room,
instead and keeps you there until dinner is served in the
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