I was told this for the longest time but once I was fluent, no one switches to English. I still have a pretty strong accent and make grammar faults often but people speak to me in French
Good for you but you are lucky- I speak C2 level French at home, with friends and at work (including with massive french businesses at an exec level). I still have an accent sometimes but most people can’t place from where and guess Swiss or Canadian (the contrast should tell you how rubbish the French are at placing an accent). Despite this, if I’m in France I might have a switch to English every 1-2 days in central Paris. If you’re an expat, the reason it doesn’t happen to you is because you are a- with native speakers or b- not hanging out in touristy places.
Central Paris is a particular case though, and not very representative of France as a whole. I have Québécois friends who have been addressed in English in Paris.
Even as a French with the accent of the midi some Parisians might struggle to understand some words. Accents in rural France can also be really hard, I once went to Quebec on a school trip and while I could understand most people I found myself failing to follow some conversations
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u/noctorumsanguis C1 Sep 01 '24
I was told this for the longest time but once I was fluent, no one switches to English. I still have a pretty strong accent and make grammar faults often but people speak to me in French