Very happy to have been invited to the convention organized in Paris by the group in which he works, Paul was disillusioned when he realized, at lunch time, that half of the guests around him did not speak French. .
The composition of the tables was planned to encourage exchanges between employees from different subsidiaries.
Paul, who in his work has no contact with his counterparts abroad, felt embarrassed when English naturally became the common language at the start of the meal.
His discomfort increased when he noticed that his three French colleagues were speaking fluently.
Although he understood, in broad terms, what they were saying, the matter was much more complicated when the American colleague took the floor.
Paul was even more frustrated because this tall guy, from Massachusetts, seemed friendly, and he would have liked to be able to communicate with him.
To save face and not make a complete impression, Paul tried to make a few remarks, taking care to warn:
“My English is a bit rusty
”.
But, he is certain, no one will have been fooled by his shortcomings, and it was with a feeling of shame that he returned to the conference room in the afternoon.
On par with the Cubans
As unpleasant as it may be, Paul's mishap does not make him an isolated case...
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