Jan:
Europeans have always been multilingual. Partly because the next country speaks a different language, and it would be handy to know that language.
It's as though the folks in Georgia spoke a totally different tongue than folks in Florida. Despite the fact that a whole bunch of Floridians would say, "Why can't they learn our language," a large number would say, "Best we learn how to speak Georgian, so we can get along together!"
That's the way the Europeans think.
Unfortunately, most Americans think that the rest of the world must live by OUR standards! So, we have folks at cross purposes across the board.
Bottom line: I blame our own educational system, wherein the teaching of a foreign language is almost anti-U.S!
I'll get off my soapbox, now!
SWR
