Scene from Sally Potter's "Orlando": Ils parlent l'anglais plus fort

This is one scene from cult classic by Sally Potter "Orlando" (1992), an adaptation from Virginia Woolf's novel by the name "Orlando: A Biography" (1928). You can find the 1st annotated chapter of the novel, in which the meeting between Orlando and Princess Sasha takes place, here: http://bit.ly/2lVEpZR In the novel it is not mentioned, only that they both were able to communicate in French and this led to a greater intimacy and eventually to a love story that scandalised the Court, but this scene of the movie is linguistically interesting for the following reasons:

-The need of a lingua franca between the British and the Russian visitors. The Russian people can talk in French as L2, and even a little bit in English (not mentioned in the book, though) but the English only know English, and most of them don't make an effort to communicate in French, Russian or any other language.

-When Princess Sasha is introduced to a few members of the Court, they address her in English. She guesses what she's being told and, at first, she answers in Russian, but the English state (with a very rude attitude) that they don't understand her, although it is easy to guess she's just politely answering that she's pleased to meet them. On seeing that, she switches to French, saying: "Enchanté". Her pronunciation is perfect.

-Again, the English show with their attitude that they don't understand her, and she, insecure, tries to change the pronunciation. Did she say that wrong? This is an example of self-correction or monitoring, when one has time enough to reflect on what has been said (Krashen). Mocking her, the English condescend and pretend they now understand. She is able to introduce herself in English, showing a far greater mastery of other languages than the noble people sitting with her at the table. Far from being impressed, at her back they joke about whether the Russian people eat quail at all.

-Orlando knows French and is the first person who answers politely to her speech. The following dialogue takes place between them:

S: Vous parlez français?
O: Un peu... Mais la pluspart des anglais ne peut pas--ne veut pas parler d'autres langues.
S: Et comment ils font pour communiquer avec les étrangés?
O: Ils parlent l'anglais plus fort.

(This is similar to the Lombard effect or reflex, which takes place when there is too much noise in the background: http://bit.ly/2l1Ufn6)

-Princess Sasha is puzzled that the English don't acknowledge the need to speak a lingua franca. As Orlando said, we see a scene in which the English King is trying to narrate an event which he deems amusing, related to the harsh weather, to the Russian ambassador. In English, and speaking increasingly louder. He even doesn't give time enough for the interpreter to translate. Communication doesn't take place at all under these conditions. Watching the absurdness of the scene, Orlando and Sasha share a smile. You can find an analysis of this scene in Gay Pearson's and Knabe's "Reverse Shots: Indigenous Film and Media in an International Context" http://bit.ly/2m3Q1Jh

As Gay Pearson and Knabe state, what is interesting here from a linguistic point of view is that the English language is used, quite rudely, to exhibit cultural superiority over the Russian group of ambassadors. This rudeness is accompanied by gossiping weird remarks about Russian customs - obviously lies. Therefore, language and culture are considered a whole in the construction of one's identity, attempting to show off power and condescendence in the case of the English, and portraying a more international, communicative attitude as regards the Russian.

If we analyse this scene in Vygotskian terms, there is no possibility of language learning at all, for there is no Zone of Proximal Development - the interlocutors are not helpful. The rudeness of the English can only lead to a rise in the affective filter. Sasha is only able to communicate with someone, even when she's got the greater communication skills, because Orlando, by chance, knows French. On the other hand, he's infatuated with her, and being able to speak the same lingua franca as her gives him a far greater chance of approaching her, leading to an eventual romance - another proof of the potential social superiority of an individual that speaks many languages - and uses them to communicate - when immersed in international environments.