The Bonjour Effect Quotes

“(Armand was just dumbfounded by the almost universal habit in U.S. academic circles of signing exchanges with “Best.” “Who is best?” he asked us. “Why are they best?”)”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“in North America, giving your name and talking about your personal life is something you do in public and it doesn’t mean anything. In France, name exchanges amount to something of a commitment.”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“We’re guessing the bonjour ritual is expanding because it underlines equality—a principle the French value much more than either liberty or fraternity.”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“You can always count on the French to talk their way out of things.”
― Jean-Benoît Nadeau, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“North Americans have a quasi-universal fear of being disliked or note being accepted. The desire to be liked produces a culture that values huge smiles, even in the most desperate and unfriendly situations. When disputes arise, North Americans usually try conciliation and consensus building first. We don’t like appearing too authoritative. We even say we don’t know when we do. It’s a way of reaching out. We also say we’re sorry when we’re not, and accept blame that’s not ours, because it’s often just the best way to keep things moving.”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“Astérix,”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“The last thing a French person will tell a stranger is that she loves her job. It just sounds naïve. At best, if she actually does love her work, she’ll tell a close friend, because liking work is a private, almost intimate sentiment in France. It’s definitely not something you advertise to the world.”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“By bringing our daughters to France, we were actually sending them to a boot camp where children learn not just to speak, but to speak a lot, and well.”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed

“The French don’t value education. They exalt it.”
― Julie Barlow, The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed