Tuesday 10 June 2008

Anyone here speak English?

The sun has come out though it keeps threatening to rain. I have vowed never to believe anything any taxi driver ever tells me anywhere, especially one that says the weather has been sunny and dry. Maybe the Frenchman is right and I misunderstood what she said, though "very dry" and "peeing down with rain" are not exactly phonetically close.

Still La Fille is in her element (she was born under the sign of the fish not that I believe these things) and has made a new special friend...a little boy who is half French and with whom she communicates...in French. He is a lovely, happy, friendly little boy and I'm delighted she has found a friend. They have been enchanting other guests at the hotel by standing with their arms around each other. Having said that, one of the reasons for being where we are on holiday is that the local language is English. I told the Frenchman I wanted to get as much English in as possible before she goes to school and he agreed it was not an unreasonable, nor obsessive, idea.

So here we are, on an Anglophone island, surrounded by families who have, like us, come from England and brought with them dozens of English-speaking children. I have heard a few Scots speaking what could be considered to be English and a couple of people speaking what I assume was English with a Welsh accent but could not say for sure as I have to admit I did not understand a word. There are also some Americans who might also be said to speak English, albeit in their case always very loudly. There is a Spanish lady with a little girl who speaks fluent English, an Indian couple whose child speaks perfect English and handful of Italians who have no children so who, for the purposes of La Fille's linguistic education, do not count.

In short, La Fille is surrounded by her mother's mother tongue and what does she do? She finds the one boy in the whole hotel, resort, village and for all I know island, who speaks French, and she decides he is her new best friend.

I give up.

6 comments:

Laura Jane Williams said...

Sounds like she is a dedicated Frenchie then!

Anonymous said...

Seriously grave error!! Scots talking in language that could be vaguely described as English.
Take La Fille to the Isle of Skye or any of the Outer Islands and she will learn the purest and most stidently correct delivery of a language to be proud of.

Nicol said...

How funny! She must feel at home with her new little friend. Even though her little friend is speaking french, She is still hearing the english around her.

As an American myself, I do agree that we get a little loud. I wouldn't say myself specifically, I do try to keep my conversations to myself.

You'll have to share where you went when you get back!

Maggie May said...

Typical! Don't worry, if you speak English to her every day, then even when she goes to school, she will learn both languages & speak both fluently. My granddaughters are doing that in English and Japanese. One aged 3 and the other aged 5. Of course written japanese is going to be a problem!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, I knew that would wind you up!
Nicol, nothing personal, I was playing with stereotypes, though these particular Americans were quite loud!
Maggie May and GWTM, thanks for your comments.

Carson R said...

Good bless