The English and the French at work

Résumé

The intensifying of French-English relationships through their business dealings has not put an end to the long-lasting rivalry the two people endured across centuries. This article presents a number of examples that show that misunderstandings between the two groups involved arise from their representations of contrasting language practices as well as contrasting communicative attitudes, stressing the need for the development of intercultural competence in any foreign language communication.