CAN YOU TAKE A HINT? HOW TO READ PEOPLE IN PARIS
So, have you ever wanted to say something, but you couldn’t find the right words?
It’s even more difficult when trying to communicate in French… Or speak your heart!
No wonder most of human communication is non-verbal, no matter what language you speak!
Check out the article for an interesting insight on this, and watch the video for some lovely French things worth receiving!
(This week: the verb RECEVOIR – to receive)
Not everyone is good with hints.
In fact, there’s a big chunk of the population that is notoriously bad at picking up on signs someone is giving them. Socially, we don’t give hints and signs a lot of importance. there’s no instructional manual about this. Nobody teaches this stuff in school.
These kind of subtleties aren’t championed very much in America. They’re more the realm of the rest of the world, Europe especially.
If you were to be strolling through Paris, for example, there’d be a whole other world of communication under the one you can hear. The subtle chatter of hints, from romantically charged ones to small enforcers of etiquette, would be all around you, buzzing along just underneath the voices and laughter.
There’s a whole world of complexity when it comes to being human. Words, as important and integral as they are to our process of communicating to each other, fall short. Far too often there are things that transcend words, concepts, ideas, je-ne-sais-quoi’s.
This is where the unspoken word, the subtle hint, the gentle, slight gesture with the hand, the glance come into play. Depending on the culture in question, each has its own code as to what they mean. When traveling the world, or perhaps moving away from the American world, these subtleties will become your world, and it’s beyond important to learn them.
More important, I’d say, than even learning how to ask for the cheque in French, is to learn to pay attention and adopt the silent world of hints. They may just help you communicate and understand those around you better and deeper than any dialect. It might even facilitate learning that language but what it’ll do more than anything else is facilitate connection with people. It’ll rekindle a connection with yourself, with your humanity.
It’s one thing really worth getting back.
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Tell us in the comments below, what are the ways you silently communicate when you go to Paris?
Let me guess.
Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?
Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.
Immerse yourself as you FINALLY reach your dream of becoming bilingual, learn to speak Parisian French on Skype and BREAK your language barrier!
…and now, please SHARE this article with your friends. They’ll love you for it! : )
Always in your corner,
Llyane
Photo credit: Raphael Fanelli, Magdalene Martin Photography
Haha! I agree. Maybe it’s a man thing?!
Who knows, Camesha? 🙂
My husband is horrible with hints. After years of frustration, I learned that sometimes it is okay just to be direct about what I want.
That’s funny, Heather! 🙂
The ability to articulate yourself properly and clearly convey how your feeling is golden. Great post, wish I was in Paris!
Thanks, Angelica! The point thought is that verbal communication is just a very small part of human interaction. 😉
Thanks for sharing this blog Llyane!:)
Human communication can often feel as if it is not of this world and on some different level. Most things cannot be explained in words. I can totally agree with you when you say “There’s a whole world of complexity when it comes to being human.”
I speak Spanish and English, but I would love to speak French also! It is said to be the most romantic language 😉 I would love to hear more about this topic.
Again thank you very much for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by, Victoria! Danie’s article is spot on, isn’t it? 🙂
J’entends votre belle accent.
Je n’entends pas souvent français.
J’ai entendu parler français quand j’étais à Paris.
Okay, I used Google Translator, because it would take me too long to figure out on my own, and I have to run to class.
Lovely video, enjoyed your subtle changes of outfits. I agree that taking social hints is important, and can be confusing with different cultures!
Hihi! Fun, Jul’s!