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Questionnaire for British Expats in France
Please help a student with her studies:
A Questionnaire for British expats in France
Name :....................................................................................................................................
Age :………………………………………………………………………………………...
Town of residence:.................................................................................................................
Occupation: ............................................................................................................................
E-Mail: ...................................................................................................................................
When did you settle in France?..............................................................................................
Why did you choose France? (tick as many answers as you like)
For the climate
For the landscapes
For the food and the wine
For the history and the culture
For property prices
For the cost of living
For the health system
For the people
Because you had friends there
For the rythm of French life
Other ...................................................
How many times had you been on holiday in France before?
..............................................................................................
Which area did you settle in and why?
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
What kind of documents did you use to prepare your move to France?
YES
NO
English websites
French websites
Books with advice for would-be expatriates in France
DVDs
Other.............................................................................
Is there a particular book or website which you found very helpful?
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Did you have school-age children at the time? Yes □ No □
If you did, did you send them to the local school or to an international school?
......................................................................................................................................
What did you find most difficult when you settled in France?
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
YOUR LIFE IN FRANCE NOW
Do you do any sports or music or any other activity in a club: Yes □ No □
Do you watch French TV? Never □ Rarely □ Sometimes □ Often □ Very Often □
Do you read French papers? Never □ Rarely □ Sometimes □ Often □ Very Often □
Are your friends here: mainly French □ mainly English □ mainly from other countries □
Have you ever been confronted with hostile reactions from French people?
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO ENGLAND
How often do you go back to England?
Never □ Less than once a year □ Once a year □ Twice a year □
Three times a year and over □ Once a month or more □
Were you fed up with England when you left? Not at all □ A little □ Very much □
Do you have English TV at home? Yes □ No □
Do you get English newspapers? Yes □ No □
If you do, how do you get them?
by post □ in your local newsagent □ in the nearest big city □
Are you a member of a local British or English-speaking association? Yes □ No □
Have you ever considered moving back to England? Yes □ No □
YOU AND THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
What was your level in French when you settled in France?
Beginner □ Basic □ Intermediate □ Advanced □
Did you study French at school? For how long?
.....................................................................................................................................
Did you “brush up” your French before you moved to France? How?
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
In what situations do you feel your level in French is a handicap? (tick as many boxes as you like)
Dealing with the administration (Préfecture, Mairie...)
Dealing with EDF or France Telecom
Dealing with your bank
Dealing with tradesmen (plumber, electrician, builder...)
Dealing with your children’s school
At the hairdresser’s
At a medical appointment
At the pharmacist’s
Buying clothes
Buying equipment or furniture
Chatting with French people
Other................................................................................
Can you think of any specific situation when you couldn’t make yourself understood?
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
How difficult do you find performing the following tasks in French?
impossible
Very
difficult
difficult
Not that bad
easy
Having an informal phone conversation (with friends, neighbours...)
Having a formal phone conversation (with services, companies, organisations)
Having a formal face-to-face conversation (with services, companies, organisations)
Having an informal face-to-face conversation (in the street, at a party, with your neighbours)
Writing a formal letter (to the administration, to services, to companies)
Writing e-mails
Understanding a movie
Understanding TV news
Understanding radio news
Reading a French paper
Reading an instructions leaflet
Understanding administrative letters
Thank you for your time!
Please copy / paste into an email and email directly to
berenvauterin@hotmail.com
Kids Bilingual Drama group
We have a bilingual kids (5 to 12 yrs) drama group now running in Nimes.
For more info, Call Corinne on Tel 04 66 29 71 15