Nations Reluctantly speak English
If you are in a foreign language where someone 'detects your accent' and starts speaking back in English. (as one person mentioned happens in Germany)
Let them.
It really doesn't matter as long as you keep speaking back...for example continue to speak back in German.
It's not them saying 'as if' there English is better than your German...it is better than your German. Period.
If not, you would continue speaking back in German, and you would quickly win this little face to face.
I know I'm a bit harsh, but this is really about showing a little character and fortitude...sure you can use your charms to win this fight. They aren't going to tie you down, demand you speak English at all costs, the moment they hear your accent.
You caved, and admit it, you were all too willing.
About answering in English
It's not them saying 'as if' there English is better than your German...it is better than your German. Period.
I am not sure if you are just trying to provoke a reaction, but I wonder upon what evidence you have formed this judgement. Have you read my posts on here in German (see the thread 'Wer spricht hier Deutsch') and concluded that my German is so poor that practically any German person is likely to speak better English than I can German. I feel it's unlikely. Some Germans undoubtedly speak far better English than I do German, but many do not. I am not saying my German is perfect, far from it, but I know that I am quite capable of expressing myself in this language.
Also, I have spent a period of time living in Germany amongst Germans, and while at first they did seize the opportunity to speak English (at first this did help me admittedly, as at that time I could not speak much) after a while they got tired of this, and so I (quite rightly) spoke German. My spoken German then improved rapidly and I had no problems communicating with people after a month or two. So it is not as if I do not actually want to speak German, I have in fact used it to communicate with Germans on a daily basis.
I was more referring to my experience of going into shops or asking for directions. Possibly you are right, I should have shown more 'character and fortitude', but I suppose my automatic reaction, if someone speaks to me in English, is to answer them back in English. I do remember kicking myself about it afterwards though.
<" A question could be raised: which country their people are most reluctant to speak English, and why? " >
Why would you go and visit a country and expect that they are going to lay the red carpet and suddenly speak English? How would you feel if someone came into England, United States, etc. and began to speak a foreign language to you assuming that that particular language is the lingual franca instead of English?
The survey on 2001 says 47% of the Europeans speak English. I was trying to look at the statistical status of the sample the survey was conducted on, but did not find any trace. That left me only to presume that the sample was covering all the regions of a country included in the survey. let’s suggest too things here: firstly, it is year 2006 we are now --not 2001. Secondly, let’s stay in the bigger cities, without going to smaller cities or villages. Now, don’t you agree with me that in view of the two points just said up, the 47% will rise dramatically?
>>Why would you go and visit a country and expect that they are going to lay the red carpet and suddenly speak English?<<
In the few times I was in Europe, almost everyone I spoken to, they were able to speak English. So yes, I will expect the people in big cities of Europe to speak English (except for the red carpet; I wouldn’t even dream about it )
>>How would you feel if someone came into England, United States, etc. and began to speak a foreign language to you assuming that that particular language is the lingual franca instead of English?<<
who would be that stupid to assume so?!!
I am trying to give you the benefit of the doubt that you need to clarify the intentions of your post.
You asked who would be stupid enough to assume they could speak the lingua franca in a foreign country.
Well, you did.
You said:
<<So yes, I will expect the people in big cities of Europe to speak English.>>
Please clarify if I am misunderstanding your post.
By the way, before we talk about your assumptions are not assumptions as they based on the 47%, could you please give me a link to that survey? I'd see what level of English they considered to be passing. In my experience, the level of English in these big foreign cities is not enough to warrant 47%, but of course this varies from city to city.
Typo:
- before we talk about your assumptions are not assumptions
+ before we talk about how your assumptions are not assumptions
Tiffany: Roll down in this link:
http://www.answers.com/topic/languages-of-the-european-union
it lists the percentage of spoken langauges in the Europe Union. from the same site in other linkes, they talk more about the survey I mensioned, but lost the track as I said before...
...........................................
>>You asked who would be stupid enough to assume they could speak the lingua franca in a foreign country.
Well, you did.
You said:
<<So yes, I will expect the people in big cities of Europe to speak English.>>
Please clarify if I am misunderstanding your post.<<
>>Please clarify if I am misunderstanding your post.<<
...............................................................
you misunderstood my post Tiffany. In reply to the question: **Why would you go and visit a country and expect that they are going to lay the red carpet and suddenly speak English?** I said Yes I assume so --based on the figures of english speaking in europe, and based on personal experience when visiting the big cities in europe. And I said who would be stupid to assume people in United kingdom or the United states will understand for example dutch...
I assume people in Germany understand English, but i do not assume people in the united sates to understand German...that's my post in other words!
mike : le pourcentage pour la France (34 %) est ultra-optimiste ! Une approche plus réaliste serait le chiffre de l'Espagne (20 %) — et encore ! je n'en suis même pas sûr (—> 10 % me semblerait déjà énorme).
greg: With your persistent stubbornness to reply in French (sorry but don’t know if "stubborn" could be taken as an offensive word or not), I just give up! And just try to guess/assume/speculate/foretell what you meant from reading the figures in your message. I will see what most logically could come from those numbers, hoping my guess will be correct– just like what I do when I read Chinese.
So you said: le pourcentage pour la France (34 %) est ultra-optimiste ! Une approche plus réaliste serait le chiffre de l'Espagne (20 %) — et encore ! je n'en suis même pas sûr (—> 10 % me semblerait déjà énorme).
I “think” you are saying that the results suggested in the Wikipedia are over estimated by around 10%, which is based only on personal observations. As you always demand others to give proofs, so I will ask you to proof to me how come the results of the survey is not authentic, i.e., the Wikipedia site is unreliable.
Ton entêtement à ne pas comprendre que l'anglais n'est ni obligatoire (ni même désirable parfois) me laisse pantois. Tu ne t'exprimes qu'en anglais mais je ne t'en fait aucun reproche. Qu'est-ce qui t'obliges à m'en faire dans ce cas ?
mike : « I “think” you are saying that the results suggested in the Wikipedia are over estimated by around 10% (...) »
Ton intuition est *PRESQUE* bonne : je ne pense pas que les résultats sont suestimés de 10 %, mais de 24 % (au minimum).
mike : « (...) which is based only on personal observations. »
Absolument ! C'est une approximation subjective car en ce domaine il n'existe *AUCUNE* donnée objective.
mike : « As you always demand others to give proofs, so I will ask you to proof to me how come the results of the survey is not authentic, i.e., the Wikipedia site is unreliable. »
Il n'y pas si longtemps, j'ai fait corriger l'article du Wikipédia anglophone sur la langue française : ils prétendaient que le français comportait 15 % d'emprunts germaniques (ou francs) —> erreur grossière. Je n'ai qu'une confiance *LIMITÉE* dans Wikipédia...
NB : ich kann auf Deutsch übersetzen, wenn du willst.
I have always maintained that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for hard data, since anyone can write or modify its articles, and it has no oversight or accountability for the veracity of its information. More than likely MOST of it is correct, but who's to say? People just tend to believe it because it has "-pedia" in the name and it's one of the first things that pops up on any internet search. But that alone doesn't make it reliable.
is there any studies or figures relating to number of nonnative english speakers in Europe? any one knows?
Just wondering... you're not a native English speaker, are you Mike? What is your native language?
<I assume people in Germany understand English, but i do not assume people in the united sates to understand German...that's my post in other words!>
See why some Europeans think of Anglo Saxons of being typically arrogant? Now I'm understanding their point of view now. Sadly with people like Mike making such statements like;
"I assume people in Germany understand English, but i do not assume people in the united sates to understand German...that's my post in other words!"
No wonder.....