Pont Noir

Schoolboy error: Macron reprimands teen for using nickname

I have been having the usual 'the trouble with kids these days is ...' chat with some colleagues ( a hazard of the industry, I'm afraid) and the subject of appropriacy of language came up. I have a pet theory that as children move in smaller circles these days, don't have conversations with people in shops or on the streets and talk to their adults the same as they talk to their peers, they have no idea of differing levels of formality in language and are genuinely baffled when confronted about it.

I have a long standing personal war waging against being addressed as "Wait, ....." by my pupils. I have started using the retort (as mature teacher in full sail), "I am not a bus, I do not .. Wait!" However, this backfired the other day when one of the little darlings started with the usual "Wait, ....." when asking a question then corrected himself quickly with "Oh, sorry. I forgot you weren't a bus!"

Anyway, I had always held the up French youth as examples of still having the ability to use differing levels of formality according to the company they were keeping but after reading about the young man addressing 'M.le President' as 'Manu', am I wrong? And was Macron wrong to rebuke him?

I think that he was right to insist on the lad being more respectful - I posted a bit more about that in Call Me Sir because its in highlights some interesting language and cultural points. He was far from furious - and I think handled it very well.

I think that these days kids don't mix in adult company so much and perhaps social rules are more relaxed now anyway so they don't have any real world experience for more formal occasions.