French Optimism, an eternal oxymoron

I recently read an article in an online magazine that inspired me to write another post, or rather a new series of posts, pointing out the differences between the psyche of two great nations, USA and France.

Whether it is through their TV shows, movies or pop culture, we are all aware of the massive force that is American confidence. Sometimes we ask ourselves where is this magic well that fuels their seemingly impenetrable conviction to succeed? It's that cliché thought that you can be anyone and anywhere if you want it badly enough. Simply and cleanly put, it is the American Dream. I don't want to go out and just blatantly promote the American way, but rather portray what I believe to be the universal handicap of the French society.

Let us first start by identifying the problem. Pessimism is a widespread presence in all mundane aspects of French life. When I arrived in France, the first thing that struck me as bizarre was the paradoxal state of the English language. American culture is literally everywhere and the English language is defining modern French colloquial expressions like never before. Hence, one would think that a country welcoming so much English vocabulary in their already opulent and beautiful language would characterize a decent command of today's international language. Think again! The current English level of most citizens is appalling. I am convinced that somebody who has lived in a cave their entire life would not be much worse.

While I employed the above exaggeration for effect, it is not far away from the truth. Let's look at why. The first step to learning and mastering a new language is daily exposure. Without a two way exchange, progress cannot be made. It is often said that the French speak better English when they're drunk. As ridiculous as it may sound, I have often observed it to be true. Is alcohol some magical linguistic potion? No, of course not. It's just a way for the French to escape this ever-growing pessimistic virus that governs them. The number one stumbling block I have noticed with most French people is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of making mistakes without knowing it in a language they barely know. While this is a natural sentiment for anybody learning a new language, the French have mutated this into an inherent DOA attitude towards speaking English. This in addition to the dubbing of all Hollywood media has resulted in total isolation.

It would take a national Herculean effort (or lot's and lot's of alcohol) to encourage citizens to defeat their unreasonable fears of the English language. One would have to develop a positive attitude towards speaking and no longer be afraid of failure. All in all, they should borrow a little confidence from the Americans they all secretly love and admire. Come on you adorable frogs, you can do it...I believe in you!