"Americain"

So several times in the last couple of weeks, I've run into this idea that Americans speak "Americain" and English people (as in from the UK) speak "Anglais". More than one French person has said things like "oh, you speak American? I only speak a little English." This struck me as completely bizarre. So a few nights ago when my host Mom asked me how to say something in American, My American roomie and I decided to start a conversation about this perplexing phenomenon. We asked why she said American, and not English; and she said it was because they were two different languages, right? I'm not talking like different dialects or accents, she was under the impression that they were two separate languages, like Spanish and
Portuguese. They may sound a bit alike, but they are different languages. The best analogy we could come up with is Canadian French compared to France French. There are some different words, a completely different accent, but it's the same language.

So after that conversation I started to think a lot about where this idea that American is a different language, because I'd heard this from educated people, and it really puzzled me. So I'll warn you, I'm about to get a little language-nerdy here. Very often, to my consternation, I'll go get lunch or buy a postcard or something and I'll ask for it very clearly in French ("Je voudrais...." I would like...) and I'll get an answer back in English. I hate it because I'm here to speak French, but I get that they're trying to practice their English. My point is that most of the time, the way someone can tell I'm American is by my Rs. Rs make a completely different sound in French than they do in English, especially English with an American accent. French Rs that come in the middle of a word are throaty and sorta guttural, while rs on the end of a word are often silent. Take the word "Parler" (to speak) the first r is pronounced way in the back of the throat, and the second r is silent. (Pah-rr-lay). English-speakers are always screwing  the Rs up.

Now back to why American English and UK English could be perceived as two different languages. listen to somebody British speak. They do funny Rs too, but not like Americans; sometimes they add them on the ends of words that have no R (eye-deer for idea), or drop them at the ends of words (sweatah for sweater). So if many French people recognize English accents by the funny R sound, it could sort of make sense that American English would sound very different; maybe even like a related but different language. Also, American History isn't covered as much here in France in the regular middle and high school history classes, so French people aren't as familiar with the American Story here, so the idea that English is still spoken in a country that hasn't been a part of Britain for more than 230 years may not be exactly logical, especially in contrast to the French colonies in Africa where French is spoken officially, but not always spoken in social situations. It's just a really interesting concept that never occurred to me before.

So tomorrow (that's Friday), I'll be packing up and heading to Paris to live with a new family. I'll be living in the 8th Arrondissment, with the Bernard family. My little info card on them that I got today doesn't tell me what they do or anything, but I know that they live in an apartment in a pretty nice area of Paris, and that they have 5 children, all between the ages of 16 and 22. I've got more than 2 weeks before my classes at the Sorbonne start, so stay tuned for pictures and stories of my adventures (or maybe misadventures) in the City of Light! À bientôt!