The Art of Conversation in France: Why Do the French Like to Debate

Florence Harang

A fundamental element of the art of French conversation is the argumentation and rhetorical tools used to convince an audience or an interlocutor. Whether it be at a dinner party, in the press, or during TV debates, no issue is too minor for discussion; sometimes even leading to great controversy.

But what are the historical origins of the French conversation? What are the specificities of this art that can seem peculiar or unusual to foreigners? A manual has just been published to give foreigners who are learning French the linguistic keys to French conversation.

In France discussion is an art

Wikipedia has even dedicated a page to the art of conversation. Debating can cover all types of subjects from the most everyday life topics such as the usefulness of roundabouts, to societal subjects such as the acceptance or rejection of the covid19 vaccine, political subjects etc. The confrontation of ideas is part of the national identity, from the highest circles of power to the smallest villages in French regions.

Seen from abroad, these discussions- often long, animated, and passionate, are sometimes criticized for being nothing but rhetorical demonstrations without practical applications.

In Elaine Sciolino's book The Art of Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life (Éditions Presse la Cité) the author writes “Americans tend to value pragmatism in everyday life. In France, we often speak for the pleasure of speaking rather than to achieve a result. "We are taught to believe in the beauty of a coherent argument, Philippe Errera explained to me, Ambassador to NATO.

 The art of conversation in French History

French history and literature reflect centuries of inventing ideas and concepts. It is in France that modern philosophy was born, with Descartes, and in the following century the Enlightenment philosophers: Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Diderot who founded a system of values ​​giving preeminence to reason, freedom, and Democracy.

 In the 20th century, the main philosophical movement was existentialism with Sartre, Camus and Simone de Beauvoir.

The confrontation of ideas is part of the national identity from the circles of power to the small neighborhood bistro. If we go back in history, the art of conversation, developed in France in the 17th and 18th centuries, became a spectacle for all of Europe through the Salons.

The Salons were a gathering of people held by an inspiring hostess, most of the time an intellectual or an artist. From the 17th century in France, Salons developed. They were the artistic and literary “Think Tanks” of the 17th, 18th & 19th century, mostly held by society intellectuals or artist ladies in their elegant homes. During the gathering they amused one another and increased their knowledge through conversation. Salons were an important place for the exchange of ideas. The Salonnières were expected, ideally, to run and moderate the conversation.

 The art of eloquence in France is taught at university

 Knowing how to argue, to develop one’s ideas and to confront the ideas of one’s interlocutors or audience is not enough- you still have to be able to convince with ease, charm, all of which we call the art of public speaking. These techniques are learned at university and sometimes earlier in France.

The annual Eloquantia competition, created in 2012, is open to French universities and high schools. Each year, selected students attend workshops and Master Classes in order to learn the techniques and tools of public speaking. A semi-final and then a final reward the best speaker in each category. All oratory forms are authorized: Rap, poetry, theater, pleadings.

In France, the art of eloquence is taught at university or in the "grandes écoles". These institutions are reserved for the brightest students.

Sciences Po (SP), or the Paris Institute of Political Studies, specializes in the social and political sciences and is regarded as an elite institution due to its prominent alumni, the students love to debate. It is no surprise that Sciences Po has numerous debate clubs, workshops, and even a debate team. What is perhaps more surprising is that the Sciences Po Debate team debates in English, using British Parliamentary style.

This year, for the 28th Edition of the annual French Debating Association Tournament, Sciences Po made it all the way to the finals - losing against the Ecole Polytechnique, another grande école, a leading institution combining top-level research, academics, and innovation at the cutting-edge of science and technology.

At Sciences-Po, there is an even a public speaking teacher Cyrile Delhay who published the book L’art de la parole (Dalloz).  In the line of great orators since ancient times, we learn the techniques to convince an audience. We must remember that debating situates itself between truth, based on tangible elements on the one hand, and the art of persuasion with the use of oratory techniques based on charisma, voice, posture etc.

A book dedicated to the art of conversation for French Learners

The secret rules of conversation in France are important to know how to interact with French people.

For foreign students learning French, the challenges are twofold: both linguistic and cultural. They have to master the French language and at the same time be comfortable with French argumentation, whether through everyday conversations with friends or in professional life in a meeting for example.

Discussing and debating presupposes being comfortable with rhetoric and being able to construct a chain of reasoned argument, linking ideas logically.

Débattre en FLE (French as a Foreign Language) published by Ellipse editions and written by the very experienced French tutor Stéphanie Holleville provides the linguistic resources to build an effective argument in many situations, including the most controversial ones.

To argue and debate in French also means being able to navigate the grey areas of discussions with ease, and to handle all the nuances that allow us to analyze a subject in all these forms. This book teaches the language tools to be comfortable presenting a point of view and comparing your ideas with other people. Designed primarily for intermediate to advanced level French learners, this comprehensive manual also offers practical vocabulary documents to enrich vocabulary and to fully master the codes of French conversation.

 During the first oil shock in 1976, French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing mobilized the country around the slogan "In France, we have no oil, but we have ideas". This slogan may still be valid today and this book provides the keys and tools to express your opinions on various topics.