Happy Bastille Day!

[Karen]

Sonia, I knew as a child that "school French" was different than "home French" - what my French-Canadian grandmother's family spoke, and Dad also told me N'Orleans French was even more different than "school" (or Parisian) French!

My French Canadian relatives never spelled anything out for me, as Grandma didn't want me to learn anything but English, so I'd never be looked down on as she had been as the child of immigrants.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Memorial Day was once known as Decoration Day here in the U.S. It would be hard to find anyone - under age 70 anyway - who would even know what Decoration Day is.

I suspect it is the same with Bastille Day?

[Sonia59]

Memorial Day was once known as Decoration Day here in the U.S. It would be hard to find anyone - under age 70 anyway - who would even know what Decoration Day is.

I suspect it is the same with Bastille Day?

You must be right. I'm not old enough to know about it

Karen and Phesina, yes there are different French. I don't really know how different the French Cajun is, but from what I have heard on TV programs about Cajuns, it's VERY HARD to understand. Most of the time there are subtitles. I imagine this is more similar to old French, but still more different from Canadian French, which is understandable depending on the strength of the accent.
But we don't have to go so far. Belgian French and Swiss French are also a bit different from French French. There are grammar differences (not that many though) and some Belgian/Swiss expressions are incorrect in French and the other way around.