Why dont Americans speak more languages
 

We get pissed off because other Nationals"refuse" to speak English. I hate this mentality. We expect foreigners to learn English the minute they come to the USA or to know it even before they get here. We also expect everyone to speak to us in English when we go abroad. Can you imagine if someone from another country came here and said "oh the Americans were so rude. They pretended not to speak French or Spanish"

Dave-The average American can barely read and write nowdays let alone speak a foreign language. The other problem is Americans think everyone should speak English so why bother...

Im not so sure about that. I think the the days of the ugly American are over. People are doing more research on a foreign country before they go there and part of that research is learning a few phrases in the local language. This must be appreciated by locals! Also I have friends from othere countries and what they have always said about coming here was that people generally are very hospitable even if they didnt speak English.

X, you say the average American can barely read or write "nowdays". What does "nowdays" mean? Don't you hate when you post a message to put people down and then you end up making a fool out of yourself? Doh!

Get off your high horse DB you twit! Look at school tests scores for crying out loud. And McDonalds has to put pictures of food on their cash registers because their workers are so illiterate. The illiteracy rate in this country is appalling!!!

I have never met an illiterate person. The "average" American most certainly is not illiterate. You say to look at the test scores...I can't help but wonder how I'd do on those tests if I had to take one today. I'm 42 and I think of everything that has happened since I had to take a standardized test - history is happening every day, borders are changing, countries are merging and dissolving, power is shifting, the whole computer age has exploded. My child's 5th grade teacher was amazed at some of the questions on her class's tests. They dealt with marketing strategies and global commerce. <BR><BR>The reason most Americans don't speak more languages is that they don't have to. They can travel for 15 hours and at the end of their travels English is still being spoken. There is an influx of other cultures here, but we can't be expected to learn every language that's spoken in every home in our cities. <BR><BR>People learn languages out of curiosity, a sense of adventure, a quest for knowledge, a chance to live and work in another country. That's good enough for me.

I always find it interesting that people think that knowledge of a second or third -- or more -- language is the barometer by which intelligence is measured. Certainly we've all run across the person who knows multiple languages but couldn't find his way out of a closet. Conversely, who doesn't know a genius or two who only knows his native tongue?<BR><BR>I agree; it would be great if we all spoke more languages. I also think it would be great if we all knew more physics.

I disagree with you Kit. I think that people who speak and take the time to learn another language have a broader scope than those who are monolingual. I also think that they are more open minded people and are more tolerant of others.

No one has yet mentioned the biggest reason there's a bit less impetus for Americans to learn other languages: English is considered the international language of business, and is the closest the world has to an accepted international language.<BR>If you grow up in France or China or Japan and aspire to become a leader in science or business, learning English is practically a must.

First most Americans have to learn to speak English, then they can figure out other languages.

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A raz&atilde;o &eacute; simples, mas tem causas hist&oacute;ricas que deveriam ser apuradas com alguma seriedade. Por um lado os norte americanos n&atilde;o precisam, por outro t&ecirc;m a arrog&acirc;ncia de serem o centro do mundo ( o que n&atilde;o &eacute; verdade).<BR>H&aacute; o factor pregui&ccedil;a e a iletracia que marginaliza milh&otilde;es de americanos. No fundo &eacute; uma quest&atilde;o cultural...

We don't have to learn other languages. Even in China, I had little trouble finding someone who understood English.

Take a look at a map of Europe. On the continent you can travel just a few hours and get to a country that speaks French, Dutch, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, etc. Americans can't take a quick weekend in a foreign speaking country and practice their language skills.<BR><BR>I'm sure if Americans were challenged to use foreign language more, then we would be more proficient at it.

But most Europeans dont just hop into a car and go off to another country for the weekend. Its not that easy! I think we inherited a "you learn my language" from the English. Its a shame that we didnt at least keep their accent. Instead it developped into a flat monotone pitch which sounds worse the further from the east cost you go.

Which language do you propose that we learn?<BR><BR>I have taken 2 1/2 yrs of Spanish and have spent a total of 2 weeks in Spanish speaking countries. It is moderately useful in Arizona.<BR><BR>I have taken 1 1/2 yrs of Japanese. I have spent 2 weeks in Japan. with luck, I will maybe spend another 2 weeks there before I die.<BR><BR>I have taken 1 year of 'tourist German' and have spent a total of 7 weeks in German speaking countries.<BR><BR>I have taken no French, but have spent 7 weeks in France.

Good point Steve.<BR>I believe most who speak a language oher than their own, have a reason for doing so. We were in French Polynisia last year. So many people there speak three languages, their own native native language, French (they are owned by France) and English. (They have many tourist who speak English and tourism is one of the ways they make a living) They are taught in school and yet Tahiti was the only Island with a high school. The other Islands only have grade and junior schools. My point is, they have a reason for learning other languages, most of us in the United States do not use a language other than our own and when we do learn one, we use it so little we forget it.

Having travelled and seen Americans in action I have learned you don't have to speak the language of the country. You just have to talk louder until they understand what you are saying.

One of you mentioned that, first, Americans should learn how to speak English, themselves. I couldn't agree more! It's rather discouraging to see how we butcher our native tongue. One of the most maddening things I often see is that people are clueless for something as simple as using a plural noun. How the hell do you come up with using apostrophes & possessives with the plural? This is a national plague, andis pathetic. On signs, on the internet, it's everywhere. "Rug's For Sale" Aghhhhhhh!!!<BR><BR>As for lack of a foreign language, I do think that far more of our kids nowadays study a foreign language in school, and at a younger age, than ever before. Unfortunately, most of them don't stick with it when they leave school. C'est bien dommage, n'est-ce pas?

Here is one that gets me crazy-<BR>on a manicure shop window..<BR><BR>WE DO NAIL.<BR>:0)<BR>C