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How French People Communicate Differently from New Zealanders
A semi-ironic guide to talking to people
As a New Zealander living in France, I’ve noticed that the way that French people communicate is pretty different from New Zealanders. Leaving aside the obvious fact that, well, the languages are different, the ways in which people speak vary quite significantly too. Here’s a half-serious guide to how the communication styles differ.
Directness
French people are famously direct but they aren’t necessarily the most direct communicators in the world. In France, there’s much more of an emphasis placed on saying what you mean. This doesn’t mean that diplomacy and social niceties don’t exist, as of course they do. But when people have something on their mind, they’re not likely to sugarcoat it the way that native English speakers would.
I remember a colleague asking another colleague how he was. “Fine thanks, and you?” he said. “No, not at all,” she replied, and then explained what she was unhappy with.
I found the exchange interesting because no one would ever speak like that in New Zealand, where people tend to beat around the bush. Perhaps this is because in English, there seems to be a greater emphasis placed on softening words. For example, if a shopkeeper were…
