Brits and Americans are terrible at learning languages!

[Happytofita]

Hello,

British and American people are notorious for their incompetence in learning foreign languages. I was shocked when I read that only 5% of British people could count to 20 in another language (a survey made by an employment agency).

What do you think?

[SkiIucK]

Hey,

I think this is an overexaggerated statement.

Best regards

[Torsten]

I think Americans and Britons are as capable of learning foreign languages than any other nationalities. For example, there are so many native English speakers living abroad teaching English or working for international companies. Based on my experience they usually blend in perfectly with the local population and also pick up the local language. Think of all the Hispanic or Chinese born Americans -- most of them are bilingual. You can go check the facts -- in a huge number of US households another language than English is spoken at home while English is spoken outside. If English native speakers really were that terrible at learning foreign language they would not have been able to create so many international companies and organizations.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Happytofita]

[Torsten]

Hi Happy,

Before 'everyone else' started learning English the English speaking nations had to do a lot of work. Why do you think so many people from around the world are learning English as their second language? Is is just because they like the English language? Or maybe learning English is just a hobby to them?
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Happytofita]

[Diverhank]

I think many native English speakers don't learn other languages because they don't have to. Those who want to excel in learning foreign languages due to excellent learning opportunities and better teaching methods afforded to them.

[Prezbucky]

Happy

Many American college students (if not most) are required to fulfill a foreign-language requirement in order to earn their degrees.

Even among those who don't attend college, a good number of high school students take foreign-language courses.

While many never become fluent in those languages, rest assured that it's not due to a general lack of intelligence. It's probably, in many cases, due to a loss (or original lack -- some feel forced) of interest in learning that language.

I took Spanish for four years in high school and two more semesters in college (undergraduate). I enjoyed it and have been able to converse -- slowly -- with native speakers in Mexico and a Spanish foreign exchange student who stayed with my family while I was in high school.

I'm curious to learn how you came to espouse the belief that Americans and Brits don't have an ear for foreign languages. We could learn them as well as any other people.
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[Torsten]

Happy,

The US and the UK are countries with a great cultural diversity. If you walk down a street in London you will hear all kinds of languages. That's because so many British people are immigrants from other other countries. Those immigrants speak at least two languages -- their mother tongue as well as English. I don't who conducted that survey you are quoting but the numbers clearly don't add up. Do you have any idea how many Britons, Americans, Canadians, Australians, Irish and other native speakers work as English teachers abroad? The vast majority if not all of them are very good language learners.

I think Hank hit the nail on the head -- if native English speakers see the need to learn a second language they will quickly and effectively learn it. You probably have noticed that there is a correlation between a nation's economic power and the popularity of its language. Why do you think so many Dutch people speak two, three of even four languages? It's simply because the Netherlands is a very small country and in order to keep up with bigger nations they are forced to learn the languages of those nations. The same holds true for the three Baltic states -- Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. On the streets of Tallinn or Vilnius you will hear a mix of languages. I know that especially Estonia have made tremendous progress since their independence from Russia largely because they have invested into new technology and democracy. To achieve that, they had to learn from their Scandinavian neighbors as well as other countries. That's why they are aware of the importance of foreign languages.

Especially young Estonians speak at least two language fluently and they are eager to learn even more languages. The significant point here is this: People usually don't learn languages just for the sake of the languages. They learn languages when they understand that a language is a tool to achieve other goals -- economic, political, cultural, spiritual, etc.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Happytofita]

[Prezbucky]

The contention was that Americans and Brits are challenged when it comes to learning foreign languages. You probably meant to say that we didn't know foreign languages, but it appeared you were saying that we had difficulty learning them (when we tried).

I said that if we don't know foreign languages, it's the result of a lack of interest.

(as it is with anything, if you're not interested in learning, you probably won't learn)

I think we got our lines crossed. hehe
_________________
Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.

[Happytofita]

I can see what you mean. Do you think something must be done to interest people in studying other languages?