Maybe if you spoke English a bit slower, and louder, and put a little French accent on it, they might understand you better.
I think you might be the type of English that I hide from in the supermarket and brico.
Try harder, it’s france:fr:
, live it and love it, or bugger off.
Amazing. I’ve always found the French people I have contact with are only too happy to endure my imperfect French usually with the rider “I do wish my English was as good as your French”. Your comments about the Great War, largely a family squabble between the German Germans and the English Germans and its sequel are the sort of nonsense one expects to hear from the Faragistes. If you don’t like it there’s always a boat in the morning as the Manx used to say.
Why on earth did you come to France?
Did you do no research?
We live in their country and it is only polite to speak their language.
Have you tried to find any Anglo/French group that you could join which would help you with your French?
I am glad that you expect to receive criticism because you certainly deserve it.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but it is 100 years since The Armistice and it is time to look forward, not backwards.
Just keep trying and if necessary write down what you need to say. If you apologise for your lack of French I find French people are very understanding and helpful. Remember that you are a foreigner in their country, it really is your responsibility to fit in.
I reckon you are in “wind 'em up” mode… it is unclear which one of “John&Vicki” you are… but it is clear that you have time on your hands… 
You’ve been on this Forum for so many years… you will have already seen this sort of Thread… and I reckon you just need another good laugh… 
I suggest you chuck another log on the fire… and snuggle down, today looks grey and chilly…
I think you said it all many years ago.
A post like this in the early hours of the morning, was alcohol a factor? Your title was enough to ensure that you would not get any sympathy from me, you make it sound as though tens of millions of people act in exactly the same way. My nearest British neighbours speak no French and I’ve been amazed by the number of local people who are happy to speak English to them. People that I had never considered would have more than a word or two of English.
Do you think an elderly French couple in the sticks in the UK would find many people capable of, or making an effort to, speak French to them ?
Re war:
in WWI France lost over 4% of its population, at a conservative estimate, Britain about 2%
In WWII France lost 1.4% of its population and Britain about 0.9%
Maybe be a bit more tactful.
Well I agree with the OP, we live in a small hamlet of five houses and all our neighbours are French, not once have any of them said ‘good morning’ or ‘how are you today?’, all we get is ‘bonjour’ and a wave and the odd kiss or two, miserable sods.
how could they be so cold and unfeeling… ???
You probably have a different attitude towards your neighbours, Tim. The OP seems to feel that they are owed favours.
Actually if OP prefers they could live in Germany , the Germans speak very good English.
There have been times on this forum this week I have felt like I am living on a different planet
I literally despise this type of person and shall continue to look upon them with scorn when I come across them in shops and bars. Unbelievable.
Before anyone chokes on their breakfast…
let us give thanks that this “wind-up” has stopped us talking about Brexit for just a little while…
Jumping on the bandwagon here - why oh why oh why do the French embrace just a single measuring system, why just metric?
It is so much simpler to use a hybrid of metric & imperial depending on what purpose - it is sooo easy to remember how many inches there are in a groat and how many shillings in a sheckle. I just love the diversity of different measurements in UK it is so much simpler than just metres.
For some reason the French do however understand and embrace my national traditions - I see this when in France I drive on the LEFT - the joy I see in the French people faces and the loud shouts of encouragement and enthusiastic waving could almost suggest the French are jealous of not normally driving on the left - they do however get to experience the joy of driving on the left as they drive past me as I am occupying their normal lane.
It is such a joy to be embracing French life whilst also educating my neighbours.
If it had not been for the determination of the Wermacht in 1944 we’d probably be speaking Russ.
Dobray din, dva piva pachulsta.
Please DFTT
My step grandfather in the Luftwaffe got shot down behind Russian lines in 1943 - meanwhile my French grandfather the para was a Japanese POW and my Scottish grandfather was in SOE. Only the latter two survived.
What a shambles.
This has to be a wind up!? Did you also vote for Brexit?