How difficult are social circles for an American with imperfect French living in Paris?

Question

I have the opportunity to move to Paris for almnost 6 months, but have been warned that it is very hard to fit in socially and find fun inner circles when moving to Paris. Supposedly, Paris is supposed to be very clicky, especially for an American who is only fluent in Spanish and English.....

I will be taking french once I am there, but will not be fluent for months....Should I stick to a different location in France? Marsielle, St. Tropez?Where's a friendly, classy party city?

Answer 1

I advise you to go to cities like Toulouse, Montpellier or Lyon, thise cities are quite important and are very very young and dinamical. The people are vrey friendly there because these cities are located in the south of France and the spirit is totally different compare to Paris. (And you will go to Paris whenever you want by TGV train in less than 3h)

Sorry for my English (and forget St Tropez, it's a dead village during the winter)

Answer 2

Very generally speaking, the French are more reserved than Americans, don't leap into relationships on first acquaintance, and, being somewhat more formal people, take longer to exchange personal information.

Furthermore, the French have a respect for language that can make them reluctant to speak English if they aren't fluent. So while many more French people speak English than Americans speak French they may shy away from non-French speaking Americans.

That being said, the way to make friends anywhere is the same. Demonstrate respect for local customs and behavioral norms, seek out situations where you will meet people with common interests, find ways to make even a tentative contact and make it obvious from your demeanor that you would welcome a response.

For me, this has always been a bit easier than for most since I'm a musician and jazz/blues/pop singer. Musicians all over the world speak, in a sense,  the same language and I've sat in with bands from Paris to Shanghai. But, even if you don't have so obvious a means of making yourself known to people, I'm sure you're clever enough to come up with something, be it so simple as asking someone to suggest what's good on the menu.

Use your French initially, even if you're still working on it. My own experience is that even though I do speak the language with considerable fluency, Parisians will switch to English just to avoid having to listen to my atrocious accent.

I also suggest establishing yourself at a few places. When you find a bar, cafe, restaurant or club that suits you then become a regular patron. The management and staff will quickly recognize your repeat visits and you'll find yourself greeted warmly and other regular patrons will likely acknowledge you also.

Also, don't forget that Paris is filled with expatriates. They can be a logical starting place for gaining entry to local social circles. Every Thursday afternoon the "Metropole Club" meets at Café–Tabac La Corona at 2 rue de l'Amiral Coligny by the Loivre.  its run by an American ex-pat. read about it here: http://www.metropoleparis.com/

Stick to Paris. As the biggest city in France and the center of just about everything it may be a bit less friendly at first than other places but its also the place where there are more chances to meet people who share your interests.

Answer 3

Seen your questions - I think you should learn guitar or piano,or pastry - but the problem is to learn - hard