Nations Reluctantly speak English

<The survey on 2001 says 47% of the Europeans speak English.>

Well it doesn't mean that it serves you the right to go into a foreign country and expect them to speak English.

Another thing.... Americans who learnt Spanish assume it 'would be enough' to communcate with Italians which personally is a large slap on the face.

Do not forget that there are also other Americans on this board that would question the information this survey provides. I, as an American, think it is very presumptious to go to a foreign country and expect others to speak to me in English.

<Do not forget that there are also other Americans on this board that would question the information this survey provides. I, as an American, think it is very presumptious to go to a foreign country and expect others to speak to me in English.>

I APOLOGISE for stereotyping Americans.

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<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;

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In my earlier posting here, I was talking about english in European countries like Germany, but not Nigeria or Vietnam. So are you telling me if someone like Tiffany is going to a big city in Germany, she will not “ASSUME” that she will be able to mangage here life there by communicate with them in english, without the need to speak any german word?

<In my earlier posting here, I was talking about english in European countries like Germany, but not Nigeria or Vietnam.>

European, African, Asian or whatever it still shows how narrow minded you are Mike.

BTW Mike... how YOU EVER been to EUROPE? Don't ASSUME that we are all English speakers with an exotic accent like on the movies.

I'm still not convinced that Mike is actually a native English speaker though. I've asked this already, but he hasn't responded.

I am not either Benjamin, and no Mike, I would not presume that I could carry on in English as I do here in America. It's disrespectful. Now, if someone in the big city in Germany starts talking to me in English, I would not hesitate to reply in English, but I feel it is rude to expect someone to speak a language that it not the mother tongue of that country. What is so difficult about making the effort? It would be rude in the same way for a foreigner to come to America, expecting everyone to speak their language.

Guest: ** European, African, Asian or whatever it still shows how narrow minded you are Mike.**

I am going to prove to you who is the narrow minded one, your or me, Guest.

First: when I posted my opinion about English, your response was: ** 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;** So just because I am saying facts about the English language, you thought I am an American, or English is my language … well, that is not true, and the true thing is you are narrow minded person! BTW, I am not an English native speaker, nor is America or England are my favorite countries. Once I made my own comments about Chinese, greg – a regular poster here- asked me about my nationality because he thinks, or maybe believes, that my native language could have a negative influence on my judgment on Chinese. So simply why not we just stick to facts rather than accusing others being biased to whatever reasons or illusions the accusers might have in their minds.

Second: you said: **BTW Mike... how YOU EVER been to EUROPE? Don't ASSUME that we are all English speakers with an exotic accent like on the movies**. In the beginning, I tried to illustrate my point by figures. Figures which stand for surveys on how many can speak English in Europe. and later, I narrowed the circle by saying: “big cities”, or “to Manage in big cities” because I am fully aware of how typically a foreign langue can “invade" a country and from where it starts. And yet, some one like Guest pops up by saying: **Don't ASSUME that we are all English speakers with an exotic accent like on the movies** (notice the “all” in his post)… Despite all the effort to approach this with some statistics, without generalizing, but for nothing. Guest, you generalized things yourself when you said “don’t assume we ALL…” that is a narrow minded again.

I said “Manage” because I know someone might not carry on in English as he/she does in America, Tiffany.

So am I gonna be condemned because I said I assume people in Germany can understand English?

The negative response is not in reponse to any assumption that there are people in Germany who speak English. This is undoubtably true. The negative response, rather, was due to this sentence of yours: "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 )." And perhaps this one: "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!"

The attitude interpreted from these sentences is one of "I expect most people to speak English, but not the other way around." And additionally, "I expect to travel abroad and speak and be spoken to in English."

Now, most people associate this attitude with "Anglo-Saxons" - and they are indeed stereotyping you because of the attitude they interpreted.

Since English is not your first language, I think you should be given the benefit of the doubt that there has been a misunderstanding.

Or we could all find it amusing how quickly people like to make hasty assumptions and jump to those conclusions....

I was asked by a young man in Danzig (Gdansk) Poland. "Do you speak German?" I very quickly replied in English, with emphasis, "No Way !!!".

I very pleased at easily I could communicate with (Polish) people in English, and how helpful people were. I felt that, that was because English tourists are not particularly common. It is for this reason, among others, why British people search for areas that are off the beaten track. There is nothing worse for the Englishman abroad, than to be confronted by his fellow countrymen.

It is unfortunate that English people take the rest of the world for granted. It is also a reflection of Cultural Imperialism. However, I think that you should accept that not everybody finds learning foreign languages pleasurable or fun. Some people, are actually not very good at it.

Robin

>>I very pleased at easily I could communicate with (Polish) people in English, and how helpful people were<<

>>However, I think that you should accept that not everybody finds learning foreign languages pleasurable or fun. Some people, are actually not very good at it<<

This is all very convenient for native English speakers who don't find learning foreign languages pleasurable or fun, but not quite so much for speakers of other languages. We take it for granted that they are going to learn our language regardless of how much of a laugh they find it or how much of a struggle it is. Maybe it would be nice if the average English speaker, when going abroad, could put in just a fraction of the effort they make to learn English and learn a few words of their lingo.

I've never expected foreigners in other countries to speak English, and I've rarely been disappointed in that assumption -- most of them don't. Or they speak so little that there's really no chance of having a conversation.

As for monolingualism, that's hardly an English phenomenon. I think the majority of people only speak their native tongue. I've certainly met plenty of Spanish-speakers and Japanese-speakers who spoke no second language. People on this forum tend to be such snobs about the supposed superiority of polyglots, but the fact is that monolingualism is the natural state of most human beings. And there's nothing really "wrong" with that.

Uriel : « I think the majority of people only speak their native tongue. »

C'est vrai, qu'on le veuille ou non.

Indeed, people have a right to be monolinggual. I do not see what is the fuss over learning a foreign language if the person in question has a narrow-minded and insular outlook on life.

By the same token, I think languages are not the be all or the end all of a person's reason for existence. It is equally important to be mathematically literate. How about being multilinggual in computer languages as well?