Do people there speak English?

[Texas Proud]

Yes my Dad's family immigrated from Glasgow. I learned their language when I was under 5. I never mastered speaking it though. In my twenties, I was speaking to a Space Needle guard and discovered he was from Glasgow when he detected my accent. I asked him to talk to me in Glaswegian and I still understood it.

I was talking about when they are speaking English!!! I did not even think about them speaking their own language....

 

[Mdlerth]

Accept it and move on

I had French lessons throughout grammar school but found it a waste since I never really had a chance to use it outside of class. Learning a second language is like most skills, use it or lose it, and I lost it.

+1

Americans routinely are scolded for not speaking other languages, but it's an unfair criticism. I learned French in high school and Greek in college, then spent the next 40 years encountering virtually nobody to practice with. The skill is all but gone.

In the United States, you could drive from Key West to Anchorage and use English the whole way. Foreigners, OTOH, have it much easier to maintain their linguistic skills. If you lived in Switzerland, you could go out for lunch and run across people using German, Dutch, French and Italian.

Certainly there are a few other widely spoken tongues: Chinese, Hindi, Spanish. But where's the reinforcement? American and British TV and movies are marketed all over the world, providing constant exposure to English. When's the last time you saw a Chinese movie in a regular theater? Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon was 17 years ago.

When an American learns another language, it's likely to be spoken only in a limited region of the world. What good was learning Russian if we find ourselves in India? When an student in a non-English-speaking country undertakes a foreign language, it's a no-brainer to pick English because it is useful almost everywhere.

I worked on a long project with some engineers from Japan who described a previous project they did in Brazil. They didn't know a word of Portuguese, nor did the Brazilians speak Japanese. The entire project was conducted in English.

 

[anethum]

Studying and learning foreign languages has been one of the most rewarding things I've done. I'm very envious of folks who grow up in a situation where they are native speakers of more than one language. I've had to learn foreign languages the hard way, and as my brain has aged, it has definitely become harder.

I have several friends who I never would have gotten to know if I hadn't learned to speak French fluently. I've gone on many trips to French and Spanish-speaking countries with friends who only could speak English, and they were very appreciative of how much easier it was to do some of the things we did, than if I hadn't been on the trip.

I've sometimes found myself participating in some amusing language situations. I once observed a Japanese man and a Frenchman attempting to communicate with each other in English, but neither could understand the other's accent. I ended up "translating" for them.

Years ago, I was staying in a youth hostel in the French Alps and I was perusing my maps at a table. Someone sitting at the table asked me in what sounded like native speaker French, whether I happened to have a guidebook for Switzerland. I told him I did but that it was in English. He said that was OK. I went to get it. We continued speaking in French for a couple of minutes, then he suddenly switched to English, Australian English specifically. The conversation continued but we never asked one another where we were from because we both immediately knew from each other's accent.

Before going to Thailand, I listened to some Thai language tapes to get a feel for the "tones". I brought a phrasebook with me which had Thai phrases transliterated into English. I used the phrase book a few times and got some giggles, but I also got the information I was seeking. It was very satisfying.

As for the rankings of countries by English proficiency, a few of the rankings make no sense to me. I found that it was very easy to travel in Sri Lanka (listed as "Very Low" in English proficiency) as an English speaker. Signs were usually in English, and there was virtually always someone around who could speak English reasonably well.

I'm very impressed with how Singapore has been turned into an English-speaking country, with many kids growing up there now as essentially native speakers.

I'm also impressed with how quickly the study of English has apparently been embraced in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I was in Czechoslovakia in 1979, and I recall speaking English only twice. I got around by speaking German, as most people who were 40 or older usually knew German well (better than me, typically). Also, at that time, the vast majority of tourists there were from either East or West Germany, and someone told me that employees in hotels and restaurants were required to be able to speak German.

 

[brett]

I envy my niece and nephew. They grew up in a home where the parents spoke English and Spanish. They moved to Hong Kong at an early and lpicked up some basic Cantonese. After five or six years they moved to Zurich and got a good handle on French and German. So much easier to do when you are young.

 

[Totoro]

I was surprised that France was so far down on the list (#32).

It depends - in the large cities and high-education professions English is spoken but grammar is poor. Outside of that, it is really bad.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I suspect people in Europe don't take into account the close proximity of other countries in Europe who speak another language and in the U.S. that is not the case as in the U.S. it is mostly English speakers.

So in Europe there is a big opportunity to not only learn another language and be exposed to it, but to practice it as well. I suppose if one lived in the southern border states one could learn Spanish, but many people don't seem to want to although it would probably benefit them. One can get by nicely with just English along the southern border.

The only other opportunity is to speak French in Canada and along the U.S.- Canadian border.But the bottom line is, in the U.S. at least, English is the accepted language. To be able to survive and function in the U.S. one has to be able to speak it and as far as one wants to look into the future that will be the case .

 

[athena53]

+1

Americans routinely are scolded for not speaking other languages, but it's an unfair criticism. I learned French in high school and Greek in college, then spent the next 40 years encountering virtually nobody to practice with. The skill is all but gone.

That's where I learned French, too, and then German in college. I guess I was motivated because I ALWAYS wanted to travel, and my first 2 trips to Europe, which were 2 years and 5 years after I got out of college, just motivated me to keep at it. I later worked for companies with offices in Brussels and Zurich. Business in the office was conducted mostly in English but it sure made it easier to get around in town. It was also fun to watch the reaction of two of my French coworkers who were based in Zurich at the time when we first met in person. After exchanging pleasantries in English I told them in French that I hoped that we could have some conversations in French while I was there because it was a much prettier language than German! They just about fell over.

It's far easier to keep up with foreign languages now- I get free news podcasts in French and German.

 

[HadEnuff]

Prior to my trips to Italy I had done the entire Rosetta Stone program. It helped, but I was far from fluent. In the countryside, it was very useful. I found the locals really appreciated my efforts to mutilate their language. Lots of help and giggles.

In Rome and Florence, I'd open with my best rehearsed Italian, and usually they would respond in English. I mentioned this phenomenon to my two uncles who are native Italians, but have lived in the USA their entire adult lives. They told me the same thing happens to them. Apparently, even though Italian is their native tongue, decades in the States have influenced their accents to the point that they are recognized in Italy as "foreign".

Interesting.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Prior to my trips to Italy I had done the entire Rosetta Stone program. It helped, but I was far from fluent. In the countryside, it was very useful. I found the locals really appreciated my efforts to mutilate their language. Lots of help and giggles.

In Rome and Florence, I'd open with my best rehearsed Italian, and usually they would respond in English. I mentioned this phenomenon to my two uncles who are native Italians, but have lived in the USA their entire adult lives. They told me the same thing happens to them. Apparently, even though Italian is their native tongue, decades in the States have influenced their accents to the point that they are recognized in Italy as "foreign".

Interesting.

Yes, that's what I think it is. Even if you speak a foreign language well, if the natives hear any kind of an accent, they respond in English. I doubt they do this to insult you. They probraly think they are doing you a favor.

I hear the Germans do the same thing to English speakers who are trying to speak German to native German speakers. Also it gives those in Europe the chance to speak English. This practice among native speakers in Europe is both good and bad to those who speak English.

 

[marko]

In Paris many people spoke English, but only after I'd tried to speak French to them.

+1 We lived and worked in Paris for many years and this is true.

If you start out in broken/limited French they'll immediately jump to English, most of it nearly perfect. If you start out in English, they're guaranteed to forget any English they know.

How would you like it if someone walked into your shop shouting a foreign language expecting you to understand? ("and if you don't understand I'll say it again louder!")

 

[marko]

DW and I spent 2 1/2 weeks in Norway a couple years ago and only ran into one person the whole time that did not speak English.

I was living in Oslo for a while and was in a grocery store. A (literally) crazy guy came in and started screaming at me in Norwegian.

I looked at him and shook my head essentially saying I didn't understand. He went "Oh, sorry" and started screaming at me in English.

 

[braumeister]

You could wind up like this:

 

[marko]

There are places in England where I can't understand the locals. We lived in North Yorkshire for three years, and the natives who came to fix things were no easier to understand than Spanish. In fact, I might even do better with Spanish.

I was giving a technical seminar in Scotland. A local asked me a question and I couldn't understand him. He repeated the question three times and I still didn't get any of it.

I turned to my co-worker who was Scottish for help. He shook his head and hunched his shoulders.

 

[ncbill]

here in the U.S., Spanish is the only language I'd ever recommend.

though my kid had some difficulties when they were overseas this last summer, since most teachers here have dropped a conjugation that's used all the time in Spain, but not in (Latin American) Spanish.

 

[Mdlerth]

Je n'ai les regrets

That's where I learned French, too, and then German in college. I guess I was motivated because I ALWAYS wanted to travel, and my first 2 trips to Europe, which were 2 years and 5 years after I got out of college, just motivated me to keep at it. I later worked for companies with offices in Brussels and Zurich. Business in the office was conducted mostly in English but it sure made it easier to get around in town. It was also fun to watch the reaction of two of my French coworkers who were based in Zurich at the time when we first met in person. After exchanging pleasantries in English I told them in French that I hoped that we could have some conversations in French while I was there because it was a much prettier language than German! They just about fell over.

It's far easier to keep up with foreign languages now- I get free news podcasts in French and German.

Back in the 1970s, when my language skills were still fresh, the only foreign tongue my podcast machine received included phrases like "What's your 20, good buddy?"

I suppose if keeping up my French had been a high enough priority, I could have done like my younger brother and married a woman from France. The two of them spoke French at home all the time. But considering that she was, how you say, "une piece de travail" and "extremement haute maintenance", it would not have been worth it.

 

[tinlizzy]

When I talk about our trips the most common thing I'm asked is, "What if you have a medical emergency and nobody speaks English?". My answer is that doctors treat infants and unconscious people so it doesn't really worry me.

I've only been to one place, an airport in China, where no one spoke English and there were no signs in English. But our tickets were in Chinese so we just had to show someone the ticket and they were nice enough to escort us to our gate.

 

[Clone]

I hear the Germans do the same thing to English speakers who are trying to speak German to native German speakers. Also it gives those in Europe the chance to speak English. This practice among native speakers in Europe is both good and bad to those who speak English.

I have had this happen many times. Trying to speak a bit of German, and they want to hold a conversation in English! I am not even close to being conversant, but they won't starve me out of a restaurant in Germany or Italy (although I have eaten strange foods on occasion!).

On one of the early trips to Germany, a coworker was becoming frustrated with our limited grasp of German, especially some of the technical terms. We were at a restaurant, and one of the locals was having a meal. His dog (a beautiful German Shepard) was intently sitting near him, and the owner was talking to him. My friend exclaimed- 'Look- even the dogs here know German!'

A few years ago I was at a technical event where there were many folks from other countries. The next day a co-worker asked me what I was talking about with this German reporter. He said that she was laughing and we were carrying on quite the conversation in German. I did not remember the discussion clearly (I was probably over-served), but suspect that I was discussing food and probably told the two jokes that I knew in German. (from Monty Python- "My dog has no nose." "How does it smell?" "Awful!" but said in German)

 

[timo2]

There are places in England where I can't understand the locals. We lived in North Yorkshire for three years, and the natives who came to fix things were no easier to understand than Spanish. In fact, I might even do better with Spanish.

Three English speaking groups I have embarrassed myself not understanding a word they said: London Cab drivers, Georgia call center personnel, and Alabama food service workers (waiters and fast food clerks).

 

[friar1610]

On my first (of 2) trips to Russia I was advised this about Russians and 2nd languages: If they are older, they will probably know German. If they are younger, they will probably speak English. (At least in Moscow/St. Petersburg.)

 

[audreyh1]

Some countries like the Netherlands are very aware that only a small population speak their native language, so they are highly motivated to learn a second language spoken by a larger population.

Dutch is halfway between English and German. I guess they prefer English to German, and it's true that more people in the world speak English than German, so it's the more practical choice.

 

[marko]

Dutch is halfway between English and German. I guess they prefer English to German, and it's true that more people in the world speak English than German, so it's the more practical choice.

A Dutch friend also suggested that it's a historical (WWII era) thing where speaking English was almost a protest sort of thing vs German.

 

[Totoro]

In terms of history: Europe got liberated by the English/US, so we gobbled up the culture at the expense of French and German.

I for example learned a lot, if not most, of my English by watching cartoons with subtitles and playing video games at a young age.

In addition: we learn a second language (NL, Belgium) in school starting at age 10 or so. By age 12, there is formal education in at least three languages (native, English and French/German).

Specifically in the context of Belgium: there is a Flemish movement that fought hard for its language rights. Previously Belgium only had French in the upper class and education (including universities and the army - french only) while the 'normal' worker class spoke Flemish/Dutch at home. After may 1968 that shifted, resulting in a serious downgrade of the French language and an upgrade of English as an alternative.

 

[Blueskies123]

Thank you England for spreading English for hundreds of years while our young nation was gaining strength to take the torch, after a few "squabbles".

 

[Revlefty]

Move Japan up on the list (higher than South Korea irregardless of age) & agree South Korean kids better than adults

A few years ago, I went on a missions/work trip to rural Japan--assuming that everyone in Japan spoke some English. WRONG! I felt like a fish out of water. No one in the little village understood English and I didn't know what they were saying in Japanese. At least the place we were working at was bi-lingual. But once you left their property, you were on your own.

 

[audreyh1]

A Dutch friend also suggested that it's a historical (WWII era) thing where speaking English was almost a protest sort of thing vs German.

So not surprised by that! It was a 5 year occupation. Short (relatively) but harsh.

I was amused by my Dutch sister-in-law not understanding a word of German, nor able to make herself understood, even basic things like asking a child her name.

I wasn't any help either!

My SIL does speak French however.