Where you live and what the weather is like

Abstract

One of the most stimulatina thing about learning another language is discovering those areas of life in which basic assumptions and ways of looking at the world are both similar to and subtly different from our own. An increased sensitivity to these things makes us more adaptable people as we become aware that the categories into which we divide up the world are not the only possible ways of seeing things. The ageing process has been neatly described as ‘hardening of the categories’, so anything that makes us less rigid must be welcome! This unit moves into one of these culturally interesting areas as it looks at people’s feelings about living in Paris or living in the provinces. Obviously, many of the issues have echoes in our own society and you will be able to reuse much of the language of the unit in explaining why you choose to live where you do. However, there is not in most western countries the absolute contrast between the capital and the rest of the country that there is in French psychology. One needs to be aware that for many French people, moving to Paris signals personal and professional success. To stay in the provinces from choice is a more thoroughgoing rejection of life in the fast lane than it usually is in Britain.