do most French people speak English as well?

Question

I wasn't too sure if the French know English. Do most French people understand English. If so, what is the level of fluency? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Most French people understand some English.

But I wouldn't say they are fluent.



Let's say they can get by.

Sometimes they won't talk to you in English because they don't feel comfortable enough with the language...even if they understood your question, they might not know how to answer it properly.



French kids have to learn at least two foreign languages in junior high/ high school.

Most of them do learn English.

However, the first two years of junior high, you only pick one language, and then you take a second language after these two years.



So people who pick English as their first language are usually better at it than the ones who chose it as their second language.



But still, the level of fluency depends on whether you're a good student or not. Mostly nowadays with overcrowded classrooms.

Answer 2

There are many different French-speaking people around the world.



The French of France generally do not like to speak other languages. They do learn basic English, but don't count on it. Many are hesitant to use it and they insist that you try to speak French to them. This is changing though.... the younger people tend to be better at English and are more open to using it. But don't have very high expectations.



The French of Quebec generally speak much more English and with a lot more ease. But just like the French of France, some are hesitant to use it. The difference is that the French of France encourage you to speak French. The French of Quebec sometimes get annoyed when you speak to them in French with your non-Quebecois accent.



These are, of course, all a bunch of generalizations. I have done a lot of traveling and I speak French myself, so this is based on my experiences.

Answer 3

People in hotels and larger shops who deal with tourists speak English, in the most popular destinations. Probably airports as well. I've found cab drivers, people in train and Metro stations, and people in the smaller towns tend not to. As you'd expect.



Once I took a cab over the border from Barcelona, Spain into France. I was amused to see the cab driver talk to the toll booth attendant in Spanish and assume he would be understood. As far as I could tell, he was. I guess that's what you'd expect on the Spanish border.



But whether they speak English or not, French people tend to appreciate it if you make an attempt to speak and understand their language. As anybody would.

Answer 4

If you're talking about people from France, the only places you'll find people who speak and understand English is in the tourist areas like Paris, but if you're talking about Quebec, most people will be able to understand you if you speak English, but they may not be able to answer you in English. Most tourist areas around the world have bi/multilingual communities, but if you go to smaller cities and towns, you may have more trouble being understood.

Answer 5

Most educated people should understand basic questions, but may not be able to answer very well. They should read better than they understand oral, so writing it down may help.