bilingual bêtise
© Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Jumping on a one-way plane to Paris and submitting to a year of lingual humility was my way of learning French. Although I have mastered everything except for the French art of negotiation, my bilingual brain is continually at a loss for words, my speech peppered with long pauses and tortured hand gestures. With my brain tuned to Franglais, I have started translating from French to English, leaving me with a strangely proper speech pattern. Is this one of the proven benefits of bilingualism?
Nevertheless, here is an imagined conversation between two expats inspired by my bilingual bêtise:
A. How do you go?
B. I go well. I am enchanted to finally meet you!
A. Would you like to take a coffee?
B. Yes, it would make me pleasure.
A. I know a bar in the Marais which is quite agreeable. The prices are correct for the neighborhood. Although the music is strong, it is the most interesting option.
B. Yes, that has a sympathetic air.
A. What do you take to make pleasure?
B. I am feeling greedy. I will take a chocolate good and hot, if you please.
A. I must go. Embrace your boyfriend very strongly for me.
B. It made me pleasure to see you!
A: Salutations!
. . . . .
haha! SO TRUE!
Makes perfect sense to me!
You and you only.
Oh yes, French so lyrical! Thank you for this…and your wonderful blog!
It makes me pleasure, Maria.
this is amazing! i am still laughing!!
It needed to be done!
Globally, this is a problem we all have — profit from these experiences!
Ha! I completely forgot about those two.
Bryan totally used globally in conversation the other day, made me laugh! Also we tend to use ‘normally’ incorrectly too
Haha, this amazing! And so accurate! <- I say the latter based on my own expert level of franglish
Yep, like Sandy this seemed pretty normal to me too. Sigh.
Globally, I assure you.
Frankly, Franglais is not evident!
Totally, totally get the above (imaginary) conversation. I can’t remember how to speak English either!
Adventures of a Sequin Cat