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Talk about Discouraging

Hazel_BHazel_B member
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I've been learning French for what seems likes ages. I'm told by co-workers that I'm getting better all the time. Having just come from a 2 hour French class where I spoke non-stop the entire time, this was particularly frustrating.

On my lunch hour I went into a dollar store and an elderly black woman approaches me with a pot of lip balm (with only english labels) and asks, in French, if it was for your mouth. I replied, in French, that yes it was. To help her out I tell her, in French, that it was mango flavouered. She then looks at me and says, in French, I don't speak English, I'm Haitian and I speak Creole.

WTF? I haven't spoken a word to you in English! So discouraging that she didn't understand me when I barely said anything to her.
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Re: Talk about Discouraging

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We...sorry Hazel! At least you can attempt to speak another language. I took Spanish all through HS and 2 years in college...and I've hardly retained any of it.
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  • NurseyKNurseyK
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    edited December 2011
    I might have said, in English, "I don't speak Creole, I am American". And in French, "Do you have anymore questions about your mango lip balm?"
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  • Hazel_BHazel_B member
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    edited December 2011

    My co-worker and I were wondering if it a combination of my english accented french, her creole and, her being elderly, perhaps being hard of hearing?

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  • cu97tigercu97tiger member
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    edited December 2011
    Hazel, I definitely think Creole has a much different accent, so if you have an english accent when you speak french (which I'm guessing you do), plus the fact that she was probably expecting you to speak english, probably resulted in her thinking you were speaking english. Don't let it discourage you!

    By the way, where are you that there are creole-speaking natives? Lousiana?
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  • Hazel_BHazel_B member
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    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_talk-discouraging?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:21f663a2-13c5-4f23-bfe9-2d281d0c81e0Post:94a028e7-af06-4243-81f4-f88846051721">Re: Talk about Discouraging</a>:
    [QUOTE]Hazel, I definitely think Creole has a much different accent, so if you have an english accent when you speak french (which I'm guessing you do), plus the fact that she was probably expecting you to speak english, probably resulted in her thinking you were speaking english. Don't let it discourage you! By the way, where are you that there are creole-speaking natives? Lousiana?
    Posted by cu97tiger[/QUOTE]

    I live near Quebec (Canada's French speaking province) where there is a large Haitian population.

    I
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  • mandi921vhmandi921vh member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hmm that is weird, maybe she had trouble hearing. 
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  • heyimbrenheyimbren member
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    edited December 2011

    Learning French just sucks.

    I have nothing useful to contribute, except it's probably the different accents. I was on the phone with a VIA worker today and he was French Canadian speaking English and I had a hard time understanding him.

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