How many languages should a well-educated man speak?

Chamonix
>>Reading Shakespeare doesn't make one educated

agree but this proves that person is intellingent and IMHO education and intelligency aren't connected at all. For example in Russia if you have money and even if you are dump(children of rich parents) you can get education, and many intelligent poor people can't go to university (this happens in most cases).

>>If one is intelligent, than he/she is able to achive alot in life, otherwise that person's life and intelligentce is worthless. I call one intelligent, someone who is able to use that intelligence.<<
Many things don't depend on us, but one doesnt need to have high education in order to start business, you need capital and some knowledge which can be got anywhere and not always in university. Many people who graduated from uni. can't find a job, does it mean that they aren't intelligent? Everything is very subjective as we can't mesure education and intelligency.

and on topic - a person must deside himself what he needs in life, if the person speaks only one language and feels OK, it s his choice, i know such people though they are "well-educated". And now many people learn english but not many people really use it, in most cases you dont need it in your life and job except your work is connected with foreign countries. Also there s a statement that english is international language, it s not so truth....for example i know a russian company which has contacts with France, Czech Rep., Italy and Belgium, french and czech guys speak russian, guys from russian firm speak Italian and french, no english AT ALL.

I agree with the earlier comments about Americans whose native language is English not usually becoming fluent in another. I can think of one place, though, where such persons are common -- in the foreign language departments of American colleges. Many persons who have advanced degrees in a foreign language (or even a B.A.) will be fluent (all of them should be, but you can't count on that).

Another group that's sometimes fluent are the persons who lived abroad for a long time, though this varies greatly depending on what kind of life they lived there.