Learning About France from Emily in Paris (2020)
Who doesn’t love or at least interested to the capital city of France, Paris?
Everyone has a high and sophisticated imagination about Paris or they say, the city of love. Paris is another definition of perfection that you can see in a city since it has breathtaking views, classical buildings & roads, aesthetic cafes & restaurants, local flower & book shops, vintage stores. Those who love art, exclusivity, & aesthetic things will definitely fall in love with this city.
However, behind those magnificent lists of expectations attached to Paris, there are some dark sides that you might find in real-life situations that we can learn from Emily, so that if someday you can visit this lovely city, you won’t be that shocked or disappointed.
Firstly, most French people won’t speak English. Even though we know that English is an international language and most people around the world can speak it fluently, French people won’t. There are at least 2 reasons why most French people won’t speak English. First, not all people have great exposure to the English language in their daily lives. So, English is an unfamiliar language for them. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t understand at all, it’s impossible not to understand English a word or two amid this globalization era (Vanessa, 2017). It will relate to the next reason. Second, as French journalist Grégoire Fleurot points out on a flaw of French culture, there is a phrase ‘turn your tongue seven times in your mouth before speaking’. It reflects the idea that you shouldn’t speak unless you are sure about what you are going to say (Sessions, D. 2017). It explains a lot why French people are reluctant to speak English, because they are afraid to make mistakes. This notion contradicts with the principle of learning language that “you are learning by doing it”, by making mistakes people can learn a lot.
Secondly, if you are going to visit a new place with totally different language, culture, and tradition, I beg you to always study what are the customs & rules that they hold. It’s very important for us to learn one’s basic language, manner, culture, and tradition as a form to honor them. As Gleason (1961) argued that language is not only the product of culture, but also is the symbol of culture. Moreover, as a visitor or a newcomer it’s the most basic rule that you have to adapt to their culture, not the contrary. Looking at Emily’s point of view as an American, I feel like she is very selfish, ignorant, narcissistic, and fickle. The moment she knew she was going to France, she didn’t even bother to learn French in the first place. Although eventually, she’s studying French after she realized she needs to speak French to be able to survive there. Even in some scenes, Emily promoted American style & value to her workplace in France when she was just a newbie and all of the workers there are French. Of course, she was hated & bullied by others.
Thirdly, don’t easily fall in love with any guy you meet in Paris. This is a serious suggestion, guys. We’ve to learn from Emily’s mistakes in having relationships and hookups. I know, learning a new language is challenging, especially for those who are not really young. According to the research, children are able to learn new languages faster like sponges compared to adults Lightbrown & Spada in Oroji & Ghane (2014). Then, the most effective way to learn a new language is by using it in your daily life such as reading, speaking, writing, and listening. All of them, you can get free by having friends. But most Westerners there say that if you need to learn a new language faster, you need to have a boyfriend or girlfriend to help you out. I’m sure you already know which one is wrong and which one is right? So, it’s your decision to choose which side. If you’ve decided to commit to a relationship with a completely new & stranger person, go ahead. If you’ve decided to just have fun, go on, but make sure you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Remember, everything that is done by 2 people or more should have consent and knowing the consequences, so that it avoids hurt feelings.
Despite the critics enlisted above, I really enjoyed watching the series. Although at some points I want to curse Emily for doing certain cringey things, I genuinely love to see various breathtaking views in the outskirts of France, enjoying the music shows in gorgeous restaurants or on the street next to the Vine river, experience the beauty of park, sun, flower, tree, and picnic vibe around Eiffel tower, having field trips to countryside, and many more.
One more thing I want to comment on is that the storyline of this series is that, the higher the season, the floppier it gets. The main problem can be seen from the never ending triangle love story between Emily, Gabrielle, & Camille.
References:
Vanessa. (2017). French Stereotypes: the French Don’t Speak English.
https://lifeonlalune.com/2017/12/11/french-stereotypes-the-french-dont-speak-english/
Sessions, D. (2017). Why Can’t France Learn English?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-cant-france-learn-english
Gleason, H. S. Jr., (1961). An Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics. New Delhi: Oxford and IBH Publishing Company.
Oroji, M. R., & Ghane, A. (2014). Are Young Learner’s Better Learners Of Foreign Language Learning Or Adults? Procedia — Social and Behavioral Science, 136, 84–88.
