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French Culture, Communication and Gestures.

CULTURE

Here are some of the highlights of French culture which may be useful for ESL teachers. The following are the aspects of the French culture that we found most interesting and influential to Western world. 

Nobody can deny the profound influence of France’s culture on the Western world for the last hundreds of years, especially its art, literature, and philosophy.

France has been home to many world-famous artists. In the last half of the nineteenth century, one group of artists, known as the Impressionists, created an impression of scene using quick dabs and strokes of color to capture their subject in the changing sunlight. This inspired many new artists to experiment with their own styles. The famous French artists include Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Armand Guillaumin. 

The magnificent buildings of all ages and styles throughout France also reveal its artistry. Some of France’s most impressive buildings are its cathedrals. Two of the France’s best-known cathedrals are Notre Dame, in the heart of Paris, and Chartres, southwest of Paris. The stonewalls of Notre Dame are decorated with rows of statues and gargoyles. The Chartres cathedral, rebuilt after a fire around 1200, flaunts 3000 square meters of stained-glass windows. 

French literature also profoundly influenced Western cultural development. Victor Hugo wrote the classic novels Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables in the 1800s. Alexandre Dumas was another important writer of this time. Honore de Balzac was a ‘prodigious realist author’. Other famous French writers include Guy de Maupassant, Charles Baudelaire, and Gustave Flaubert.

French people are proud of France’s contributions in philosophy. Rene Descartes, who lived in the 1600s, was one of the most influential philosophers in human history and is sometimes called the founder of modern philosophy. In his book, Discourse on Method, Descartes outlined his skepticism and his method for inquiring into the truth. He introduced his famous phrase, “Cogito Ergo Sum” (I think, therefore I am). He was a major inspiration for the Enlightenment of eighteenth century Europe. Later French philosophers include Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus.

COMMUNICATION

In this section, some of the most commonly used non-verbal and verbal communication cues are listed to help English teachers better understand the way in which French people communicate.
 

NON-VERBAL
Eye contact

 

 Making eye contact means equality in France. It is considered too personal for use with strangers, and it will be construed as a request for relationship if you look directly into a stranger’s eyes on the street or in a café.

Alternatively, refusing to make any eye contact is one way of looking down another person, especially when that person is a waiter or a salesman.

To appear friendly, brief eye contact should be established, especially with the ones who are helping you. For women, do not look back at strangers on the street who stare at you, even if you are interested.
Shaking hands French people all shake hands. Usually, it’s a brief holding for the hands with an even briefer visual acknowledgement. Yet, it is most important in French greetings among all acquaintances.

People shake hands when they are first introduced, and whenever they enter or leave a room, and before and after a meeting. It would be considered impolite if you do not do so. 

French people also say that they can judge a person's character by their handshake!
The double kiss Kissing on both cheeks is normal between close acquaintances who are greeting or parting, or family members, even in public. Often, one starts with the right cheek.
Gestures Please click here for details.

 
 
VERBAL
VOUS or TU

 

 In French, the personal pronoun for “you” has two forms in the singular – the familiar (tu) and the formal (vous). The plural form is always vous.

Tu is used for family members, close friends, fellow students or colleagues, children, animals, and God.

Vous is used for everyone else. Unless case is clear, it is better to use vous and allow the person to suggest using tu.
On On may replace any pronoun to avoid being too personal in French language.

For example, “On est invité à–” is more modest than “Nous sommes invités à–”
Monsieur

Madame

Mademoiselle

 Titles are used widely in French. Monsieur for a man, Madame for a woman or Mademoiselle for a young woman.When greeting people or saying goodbye, the French always add Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle. 

Titles are also used to address people you’re not on first-name terms with.
Ça va Ça va is often used in French conversation as a greeting. It is an informal way of asking how someone is and how things are going.

Ça va (without raising voice intonation at the end) can also be used as a reply, meaning “I’m fine.” or “It’s okay.”

GESTURES

Ten French gestures that we find most common and interesting are listed below. See if you know any of them.

1. Un, deux, trois...






When counting on the fingers, begin with the the thumb as the number one, then the index finger for the two, and the middle finger for three, etc.

2. Il a un poil dans la main






To motion that someone is lazy, hold one hand flat, and pull as if on a hair growing out of your palm, and say, "Il a un poil dans la main."

3. Délicieux!






To express how delicious something is, touch your fingers and thumb all together, kiss your fingertips, and then open your hand, as if tossing something in the air.

4. C'est fini!






To show that you are finished with something you are doing, cross your arms in front of your body, with your palms out, then move them out, while saying, "C'est fini."

5. On a sommeil






This gesture has two meanings. It can indicate someone who

  • wants to sleep, or
  • is asleep and you don't want to wake.
Put your palms together, place your hands on your shoulder, rest your cheek on your hands. You may optionally close your eyes.

6. Ça pue!

To show that something smells badly or is repugnant, hold your nose.

7. Il est cinglé 

To show that someone is crazy, put your index finger to your temple and turn your hand back and forth.

8. Je le jure!

To promise or swear to something, place your hand on top of your head.

9. Rien!

To signify "nothing", make a circle with your finger and thumb.

10. Pardon!

To apologize or indicate that you've made a mistake, cover your mouth with your hands.

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