Me Talk Pretty

The story “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris is a story about himself, a forty-one year old man who is returning to school in Paris. He went there with hopes of learning the language, but is seemed to have trouble around every turn. He finds himself struggling to even understand what the instructor is saying as she gives the first day instructions to the class. He took some French before leaving New York, but still feels lost as the teacher continues to spout out instruction. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” shows how hard it is to be a foreigner coming in trying to pick up on the language of the land and is a ridiculous argument because the language barrier is something people must overcome every day when they come to America. To show how redundant “Me Talk Pretty One Day” is the audience must consider how visitor and immigrants must learn American, when David Sedaris learns in France, and why learning a new language is nothing special.

In order to effectively communicate and function in American society foreigners must almost always learn English. Though English is not the official language of the United States it is the most commonly used Language in the United States. Granted some cities have an area known commonly as “China Town” where almost everyone speaks Chinese and in places like Texas many people speak Spanish. However, when a foreigner travels outside of those areas they are almost expected to be able to speak and understand English. Without the ability to use English outside of their respective area, a foreigner will in most cases not even be able to order food. Their best chance is to see pictures of food and be able to point at them. Next is the task of paying which is no small task if you do not speak English. The odds of being able to travel into another culture not able to communicate verbally and function as a member of society. Maybe David should have become more accustom to society in Paris and become more fluent in French before traveling to Paris. Without the ability to function as a normal citizen in France, he might as well go ahead and place himself into “America Town.” As a matter of fact, it is more common for people in other countries to speak English than it is for an American to speak another language. In America it is common for foreigners to have to learn English.

David Sedaris learns the hardships in Paris which