Brits don't speak foreign languages

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (* wrote:
William Black wrote:

On 29/11/11 16:21, Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak
only English.

Well about 10% of the population wasn't born here, so that means that
only 26% of the people born in the UK can speak a foreign language.

As every child who passes through the British school system receives
lessons in at least one foreign language I beg leave to doubt that survey.

I know it's a century since you've been to school, but even you should
know that learning a language at school doesn't mean you can speak it.

More giggles 8-). However, speaking a language fairly well and being
comfortable doing so don't always coincide. I had been teaching and
studying at the graduate level for well over a decade before I went to
Germany to contonue my studies. I predicted that I was going to have a
nervous breakdown or finally become really comfortable outside classroom
situations in a month or two. Fortunately the second case proved true?


--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad

Doug Anderson wrote:
Markku Grönroos writes:

A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak
only English.

I'd like to know what the percentage is who can't even speak English!

Giggles 8-)
--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad

Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak only English.

Does it offer figures for us here in the US? Other than the newly-
arrived, I'd guess it's pretty sad 8-)
--
Erilar, biblioholic medievalist with iPad

In Erilar
wrote:

Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can
speak only English.

Does it offer figures for us here in the US? Other than the newly-
arrived, I'd guess it's pretty sad 8-)

Why? Languages other than English are taught in the public schools,
although many Americans never have need or opportunity to speak anything
other than English.

--
St. Paul, MN

Erilar writes:

Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak only English.

Does it offer figures for us here in the US? Other than the newly-
arrived, I'd guess it's pretty sad 8-)

We Americans are very ignorant about foreign languages, but honestly
there is nothing surprising about it, and for most Americans, it
doesn't do them individually any harm.

a) It is a long way for most Americans to any where English is not a
primary language. And as far as the closest one goes, I could happily
live the rest of my days without have turista again. Consequently
most Americans probably never end up traveling to a country where
English isn't a primary language.

b) Because of the dominance of English languages popular culture, it
is actually easier for most kids in non-English speaking countried to
learn English than it is for kids in America to learn (say) Finnish.

(Not to mention more useful.)

On Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:35:31 +0000, Bert wrote:

Why? Languages other than English are taught in the public schools,
although many Americans never have need or opportunity to speak anything
other than English.

Not quite: *most* Americans never have need or opportunity to speak
anything other than English.

But considering the current ethnic makeup of the US population we have a
*lot* of Americans who speak Spanish. Living in Tucson even I can muster
up enough Spanish to get around in Mexico. In my life I've had a lot of
friends who could speak Italian or Polish. Many Americans are more bi- or
multilingual than a lot o people want to give them credit for.

Fact is, though, most Americans can get along fine with just English.
Most of the Mexicans here speak quite fluent English as well as Spanish.
In fact, I get along with English quite well in Germany and Finland, too.
I've not spent much time in Belgium, Denmark and Swede, but English did
me quite well there, too. I was Ok in France, but have the aid of some
ability in French.

--
Dave Hatunen, Tucson, Baja Arizona

On 29/11/11 19:47, David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:
William wrote:

On 29/11/11 16:21, Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak
only English.

Well about 10% of the population wasn't born here, so that means that
only 26% of the people born in the UK can speak a foreign language.

As every child who passes through the British school system receives
lessons in at least one foreign language I beg leave to doubt that survey.

I know it's a century since you've been to school, but even you should
know that learning a language at school doesn't mean you can speak it.


I have addressed this point in another post.


--
William Black

Free men have open minds
If you want loyalty, buy a dog...

Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak
only English.
I suspect that is true of an even higher percentage of U.S born
Americans! (Despite the resurgence of racism, we are still a country of
immigrants.)

William Black wrote:
On 29/11/11 16:21, Markku Grönroos wrote:
A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak
only English.

Well about 10% of the population wasn't born here, so that means that
only 26% of the people born in the UK can speak a foreign language.

As every child who passes through the British school system receives
lessons in at least one foreign language I beg leave to doubt that survey.

"Lessons in a foreign language" and "ablilty to speak" one are not the
same thing! For one thing, aptitudes vary - even within the same
family, judging by a couple of Hungarian families I knew, here in the
U.S.. (One daughter spoke fluent English, with scarcely any foreign
accent - the other had a very limited vocabulary and sounded like Zsa
Zsa Gabor, even though she was the younger, so had attended American
schools for a longer period of time.)

which is normal, as english is the universal language, even you can speak
it.


"Markku Grönroos" a écrit dans le message de groupe de discussion :
...

A recently published study tells that 64% of all the Britons can speak
only English.