John is American đŸ‡ș🇾, he is 65 years old and has recently retired. For years, he has dreamed of spending part of the year in France đŸ‡«đŸ‡·, enjoying the French way of life, sitting at a terrace ☕, a good glass of wine đŸ· in hand, and chatting in French with locals.
 

But there is a problem. Every time he tries to speak French, people reply to him in English ❌.
 

Yet, he has a A2/B1 level, he understands simple conversations, he can express himself, but French people don’t even give him the chance to speak. With every attempt, he feels this frustration building up đŸ˜€: how can I practice if no one lets me speak?
 

And that’s exactly the question he asked me by email. Today, I will tell you John’s story and how he managed to get the French to speak French with him.
 

 

💡 Enthusiasm... then frustration

When John arrived in France, he was thrilled đŸ€©. He had set himself a clear goal: to practice his French at every opportunity.
 

First day, he enters a bakery:
 

  • John: "Bonjour, je voudrais une baguette, s’il vous plaĂźt." đŸ„–
     
  • The baker: "Sure, do you want anything else?" 😐
     
  • John insists: "Euh… non, merci. C’est tout."
     
  • She hands him his baguette with a kind smile but continues in English: "That will be 1.20 euros."
     

John walks out, puzzled đŸ€”. He wanted to speak French, yet he was immediately answered in English ❌.
 

He did not give up. The next day, he enters a cafĂ© ☕, orders in French. Same scenario.
 

On the third day, he tries with a neighbor in the street. Same thing.
 

At that point, he starts asking himself questions:
 

  • đŸ€š Is my accent too strong?
     
  • đŸ€·‍♂ Do French people not want to talk to me?
     
  • 😞 Do they think I’m bad at French?
     

He feels stuck. He is in France, but he has no real opportunities to practice his French.
 

 

🔍 The realization

John refuses to give up đŸ’Ș. He starts doing research: Why do the French always switch to English?
 

He comes across several forums where other learners share the exact same frustration. He watches videos, reads articles… but no solution seems truly effective.
 

Then, during his research, he stumbles upon a video that catches his attention: đŸ“ș "20 essential phrases to speak French with a native"
 

Curious, he clicks and starts watching 🎧.
 

He takes notes 📝, repeats some phrases out loud. The more he watches, the more he thinks:
 

"That’s what I’m missing! I need to structure my sentences better from the start to show that I want to speak French!"
 

At that moment, he decides to send me an email.
 

"Bonjour, my name is John. I love France and visit regularly. I have a A2/B1 level in French and I want to improve, but I have a huge problem: whenever I speak French, people reply to me in English. How can I convince them to speak to me in French? I really want to practice, but it’s frustrating. Do you have any advice for me?"
 

I read his email and decided to reply with 5 concrete strategies he could apply immediately.
 

And that’s where his journey towards more natural and fluent French truly began.
 

📱 The Strategy Shift

After reading John’s email, I immediately understood his frustration. He makes an effort to speak French, but people don’t even give him a chance to practice.
 

So, I sent him a detailed response with concrete strategies to apply right away.
 

1ïžâƒŁ Understanding the Situation and Context

John thought that the French refused to speak French with him because they found his level insufficient. But in reality, it’s not at all a question of level, it’s often a matter of context.
 

Employees in restaurants and stores are working. Their goal isn’t to help customers practice French but to be efficient and quick.
 

💡 Tip: Avoid overly touristy places 🏹. Instead, go to **small bistros** or **neighborhood restaurants**, where staff are less rushed and more open to having a conversation.
 

2ïžâƒŁ Making It Clear from the Start That You Want to Speak French

The French often switch to English out of politeness or because they think they’re being helpful.
 

💬 From the start of the conversation, he had to set expectations clearly by saying:
 

  • đŸ—Łïž "I prefer speaking in French, even if I make mistakes."
     
  • 💬 "I want to practice my French, do you mind?"
     

This simple change made a huge difference.
 

3ïžâƒŁ Showing That He Understood French

If your conversation partner thinks you don’t understand well, they will automatically switch to English to make things easier for you.
 

💡 Tip: Use small reaction phrases in French:

  • "Ah yes, I see." 👀
     
  • "Okay, I understand." ✅
     
  • "Yes, that makes sense." 🔄
     

And even more spontaneous reactions like:

  • "Oh really?" đŸ€”
     
  • "Wow, interesting!" 😼
     

Result? ✅ The French felt more comfortable continuing in French.
 

4ïžâƒŁ Insisting on French If He Didn’t Understand

Many learners, when they don’t understand, let their conversation partner switch to English.
 

💡 Solution: If he didn’t understand, he had to stay in French and ask for explanations in French:

  • "Sorry, can you repeat that in French?" 🔁
     
  • "I understand better in French." 🎯
     

He tested this in a pharmacy. The pharmacist started in English, but as soon as he said, "Sorry, I prefer in French," she stayed in French until the end!
 

5ïžâƒŁ Gaining Confidence When Speaking French

Despite these efforts, John still felt blocked. He didn’t have enough confidence to speak fluently.
 

That’s when I suggested he join Ohlala French Coffee, my French conversation group.
 

And that changed everything.
 

  • 🚀 He gained confidence, because he spoke French regularly with natives.
  • đŸ—Łïž He improved his fluency, because the sessions are designed to help him express himself without hesitation.
  • 📖 He corrected his mistakes smoothly, thanks to personalized feedback from teachers.

A few weeks later, he wrote to me:
 

💬 "It’s incredible. This time, people spoke to me in French the entire time. I had a 10-minute conversation with a waiter without him switching to English. I feel so much more comfortable now."
 

 

🎉 An Inspiring Transformation

Not only does John no longer fear speaking French, but he now experiences situations he never imagined.
 

One day, in a bakery, he orders his coffee ☕ and his croissant đŸ„. The baker starts to speak quickly. Before, he would have panicked. But this time, he follows along and responds naturally.
 

And then… she doesn’t even realize he is American! đŸ˜Č
 

✅ Danielle’s Example – Another French Coffee Success Story

Danielle, another member of Ohlala French Coffee, is also a passionate lover of France. She travels frequently and wanted to feel comfortable speaking French everywhere.
 

She had exactly the same problem as John: every time she tried to speak French, people replied in English ❌.
 

But after several months of regular practice with French Coffee, her French became so natural that…
 

One day, while traveling in France, she walked into a pharmacy 💊 to buy some medicine.
 

She asked a question in French.
 

The pharmacist asked for her health insurance card.
 

💡 He thought she was French.
 

At that moment, Danielle realized she had reached a huge milestone.
 

She was no longer just a foreigner trying to speak French. She spoke French naturally. đŸ‡«đŸ‡·
 

If you’re reading this, you probably feel the same frustration that John and Danielle experienced.
 

You put in the effort, you express yourself in French, but the French reply in English. Every time, you feel that small sting of disappointment.
 

You are in France, you want to improve, but you don’t have enough real opportunities to practice French.
 

Do you know what’s missing?
 

👉 An environment where you can speak French without pressure, without stress, without fear of being interrupted by English.
 

That’s exactly what Ohlala French Coffee offers.
 

That’s what helped John move from frustration to natural conversations in French.
 

That’s what allowed Danielle to be mistaken for a French person in a pharmacy.
 

And that’s what can help you achieve the same milestone.
 

Imagine…

👉 You’re in a cafĂ© in Paris ☕. You order your coffee in French, and the waiter responds… in French. ✅
 

👉 You chat with locals. You no longer search for words, you speak fluently and confidently. đŸ—Łïž
 

👉 You finally enjoy France without being stuck behind a language barrier. đŸ‡«đŸ‡·
 

💡 Does that sound impossible?
 

That’s exactly what John and Danielle thought before joining Ohlala French Coffee.
 

Now it’s your turn. 🚀
 

👉 Try Ohlala French Coffee for free for 7 days, no commitment! Start now!