Recently, I’ve seen a lot of comments about Emily in Paris and her level in French. Well… I disagree with most of them. In this post, let me give you the reasons why she isn’t fluent yet and why you shouldn’t be too hard on her (and yourself 👀). Dear Expats in France, I’m sure you are going to like this post.
1. The show is called Emily in Paris so she should learn French!
A lot of people are saying that Emily haven’t even try to learn French. Let me agree to disagree. She did take classes, it’s how she met Alfie in season 3. She actually encouraged him to speak French when they had a group homework together so we can give her props for that 👏 She is conscious of her need to improve her French and she is taking time to do so. We don’t see her going to French class because the show is about love triangle and drama, not subjonctif and grammar 😂
2. Expats in France should use every opportunity to practice French and so does Emily
As a former expat, I can relate to Emily’s situation. Every time I moved to a new country I already knew the most spoken language in that place, except… in Bulgaria. I was terrified to go there because I had to learn a new alphabet, a language so different from the ones I already spoke and a culture I knew nothing about. It was a real challenge. Like in Emily in Paris, I was lacking opportunities to use Bulgarian. The only occasions I had were in supermarket, shops and restaurants…
Yes, by living in France Emily is more exposed to French language than she was in the US. But, all of her friends are English speakers, she can use English at work and she lives in Paris so a lot of place offers English menu or translations.
Living in France won’t make someone fluent. Using French will! ✨
Be immersed in French wherever you live
If like Emily in Paris, you struggle to be immersed in French language and culture, I have something for you! I created a workbook based on artworks including movie, song, paintings and so on. Thanks to more than 10 challenges you’ll overpass the plateau level ✨
3. Gabriel was right to call her out
🚨SPOILER ALERT 🚨If you haven’t seen the second part of the season 4, don’t read this part.
During an argument between Gabriel and Emily, he decided to switch to French to explain to her how he really feels. First of all, I agree with him : it’s important to be interested in learning your partner’s mother tongue.
Nevertheless, Emily is still a beginner so she needs time to improve her skills and fully understand his speech. I agree with the substance, not the style.
In conclusion
From my point of view, people are being too negative about Emily’s level in French. As a beginner, she should receive encouragements not negative critics. If like her, you haven’t understand Gabriel’s monologue, don’t worry! Continue working on your listening and conversation skills! You will reach your goals, I’m sure about that.
Don’t hesitate to comment this post to let me know what you think about French language in Emily in Paris. I’ll be happy to read your thoughts.
