En effet

For the last week, I've been attending intensive french classes at the Institut Catholique de Paris. These courses, called propedeutique, have actually turned out to be very interesting. Since I was placed in a somewhat advanced-level course, we've spent most of our time on colloquial spoken french, basically what is of the mode (fashion) right now. For instance, today our professor took delight with the english expression "il y a les autres poissoins dans la mer" (there are other fish in the sea), which he'd never heard before, but did admit made a lot of sense. Our professor, who wears criminally tight Levis and various euro-sneakers, has made a point of getting us in gear for oral communication.
One thing that stands out are certain french transitory words, like donc (so), franchement (frankly), and most importantly, en effet (basically in effect, but pronounced as one word to sound like "enfete). It is not unusual to hear en effet every sentence, our professor used it twice in one today. While americans are most accustomed to saying phrases, something doesn't seem complete in oral french unless you have some sort of filler word in it. Often, you'll draw out the "c" on donc as you search for your response, turning donc into donc-uhhh.
This partially plays into larger issues of communication. Conversation, when it turns to abstract issues or politics can get suitably contentious quickly. Often, it will turn into one person stating their point, and then another jumping in and stating their point, ad nauseum. The exhibit I saw recently (and mentioned in an earlier post), La Melancolie, is a prime example of that. During the exhibit, which was beyond packed since it was of the mode, I saw many people taking notes on certain paintings. A lot of this, as I was informed, is for conversational purposes. You write down what you like/don't like to prepare yourself for discussions about the exhibit - which could be a topic at a dinner party (don't you dare discuss the weather, trust me).
For example, I tried recently to discuss La Melancolie with Jacques, my host father here, who is, for lack of a better expression, kind of a big deal in the art world in Paris. He had his favorites, but he also had his least favorites. When I mentioned a work, there was one of two responses - enthusiasm or dismissal. Something was either amazing and well-realized, or a gaspiage (waste) of gallery space.