Here's a Question for Americans.?

thebig

Interesting, but yanks are in denial

To freemanb
That sentence of the sun never setting on the empire belonged to the emperor Charles V from Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Holy Roman empire, Italy, Philippines, Holland, Belgium, most America, and some other places that I don't remember now

freemanbac

For the question of why English is dubbed the "universal language," the reason is of the days when England owned many colonies to the point where "the sun never set on the Empire" the english language spread around the entire world. England also owned the East India Company which also carried the english langiage to many parts of the world.

Although Mandarin is spoken by the most people, it is hardly known or used outside of Asia, therefore it is not a good language to be considered as universal.

Mario S

Dude, like it or not, English is the world's most spoken language - yes, it is. And you see, I am Brazilian. That's a non-native speaker telling you that.

hansblix222

The universality of English also has to do with the old English Empire and the Commonwealth states. It's not just a US thing.

I do agree with you in general about Americans abroad, however. In addition to not learning the language, few of us are interested in learning about the culture in general.

matt p

Jealous. He is jealous of us hehehehe!

World's Greatest

It is the universal language. The world is required to speak the language of the most powerful nation.

Deedee-D

I've been to France and Germany and honestly the only people that were rude to me the middle eastern immigrant clerks at stores, the average french and German is very well mannered, and when they hear me trying to murder their language they are willing to speak to me in English for them is not a big deal, even when I asked for directions in the streets, and if they didn't speak English they asked other people for help, Only trouble I had (I've been to France three times and Germany about ten times) the only rude people that I found were foreigners themselves.

my name is not relevant

english actually came from the europeans so dont rant about the US. and 2 continents are technically america. and i know that people from other countries learn our language through movies. they get american movies, watch them, and after a while of watching many american movies, english is somehow implanted in their brains. that how my dutch friend told me she leaned english. so its not our fault. our movies are just more popular.

No, We Can't!!!

"you people forced it upon us."

You're whining. You know this, don't you? Then why do you keep on doing it?

As for "what country can I visit that doesn't hate americans.", that poor woman has been brainwashed by our far-left wing media into believing that foreigners "hate Americans". She was probably shocked when she got to wherever she was going and discovered that nothing could be further from the truth!

Lori K

That's just not true. Most Americans do attempt to learn some of the language and carry translators or pocket phrase books. Those things sell like hot cakes in bookstores. If citizens of other countries chose to learn English, that's their choice. Many so choose.

While traveling abroad, I have only seen one tourist give anyone a really hard time and it was my very first trip to Paris. The trouble maker was a middle eastern man and he belittled our sweet little Parisian tour guide until she cried. My husband and an Englishman escorted him off the tour bus. That poor young woman was shaking.

What's your issue?

Everyone else is crazy...but me!

Foreigners in foreign countries learn english to accomodate American tourists because if we had to learn foreign languages to an intermediate level of fluency before traveling abroad, we would never leave the US. Because foreign countries like American tourist dollars, they make it as easy as possible for Americans to have a good time while traveling by learning English; tell us, in English, to stay home, and keep our money with us, and we will. I wonder who'll be hurt by that the most?

â‰¥

ddd01

We are the most powerful nation in the world, if we don't want to speak your language, then we won't. Quote " The duck may swim on the lake.......... but my daddy owns the lake!" And about your mandirin kick, how many nations that speak mandirin are powerful enough and influential enough for me to waste my time learning mandirin. Don't think because you'll be a while. The answer's none! We don't try because we don't want to SIMPLE! you want to waste your time trying to speak english when you're goin back home to timbucktoo to speak giberish, that's your problem not mine so don't drag me into it!

ettubozo

you talking about ENGLISH?
go bee eye itch at our friends in ol blighty

deedeeinatl1

I 've being to several European countries over the years and I noticed a trend, the more middle eastern immigrants you have the ruder people are in these countries, because to tell you the truth the average European is very friendly to Americans or anyone, is the golden rule if you treat people rudely you should expect the same thing back,if you are nice then they'll be nice to you, the only ones, in my experience in Italy, Spain, France, Germany etc, the only ones rude and with no manners were the muslim immigrats, because europeans are generally well mannered and will treat you with the same respect you treat them and will try to communicate in English and will not get insulted if you are not fluent in their language, for them that is a very common occurrence, given the fact that europe is a multi-cultural continent.

Lillian

I think it's stupid that you are generalizing all Americans as expecting others around the world to speak English. I have never expected anyone in another country where English is not the main language to speak English; I carry a pocket dictionary with me and attempt to communicate.

You are generalizing all of us as ignorant and bigoted; your lumping of everyone into the same category makes it seem to me that you are the ignorant bigot here.

ProUSA2

There is a BIG difference from a tourist visiting a country for a couple of days or a week and people actually moving to another country to live.

Tourists are not EXPECTED to learn the language, immigrants are. Understand the difference?

BTW, I have been to over 50 countries, and I have always experienced tourists from every country, including America, attempting to learn a little of the language before visiting.

Giggles

People in other countries do not have to speak English for Americans. When they do they're making it easy for Americans to believe they don't have to know any of the language.

Unlike European countries, America is huge, and mostly isolated, geographically, from other languages. Think of a Europe where every country spoke the same language. There would be much less of a need to speak anything else. Here there is no draw to places you would generally need to speak another language. There just isn't that much reason to go to Mexico, or to Quebec. Those are the only 2 places we are attached to that has a different native language. In Europe, there are tons of reasons to go to different countries. We go to different states like Europeans go to different countries, except the language is still the same. So in America there is no big push to learn a new language, since the vast majority will never leave the country.

People in other countries are not learning English because of tourism, many are learning because they like something about America, or want something from it. We have the most power. Many other countries try to imitate us because they like something of our culture. The clothes, gadgets, movie stars, music, tv, technology etc. It puts learning English in the position of being a way to obtain something. It gives English way more power than it otherwise would have had. Does Mandarin have the same kind of value to them?
Massive amounts of people want to work here, or live here, or do business with us. If everyone were leaving, there was no financial incentive, and we had nothing to offer, English would lose value. It's the people in other countries that want something from us that make it look like the universal language, even though it is not.

The real universal language is Esperanto. It is much easier to learn and has no culture bias as it is a created language. Here's a website: http://en.lernu.net/index.php. It was created to be the universal language so everyone could have their cultural first language and Esperanto second, and everyone could talk to each other. What it lacks is the power, and money, of English.

Now the only people you talked to were a very, very small subset of Americans. Not all. Not most. We have the belief that most countries have people that speak English because they actually do. You do, and the reason is not because I or any other American forced you. Most are too busy working, taking care of kids and wondering if they are going to have to get another job to put gas in the car to care what you are doing. Often some wealthy people suffer from entitlement issues. But that is not a country by country thing, that is a rich thing. I met a rich Ethiopian that had that problem, and he told me how Ethiopia was like a vacation wonderland. Should I judge all people of Ethiopia to be that way, or that I'm just more likely to meet a wealthy Ethiopian since most could never afford to get out.

I am learning Esperanto. I have taken other languages, and yet I am an American. I was living in another country for 3 years, way before the war, and despite the fact I learned a good bit of the language some of the people there treated me like dirt. Some of them were incredibly rude, even poked me, while they were just a guest in the building I was in. BUT I knew better then to judge all the people of that country by just those that I met. Just like everywhere else, some were wonderful, and some were horrible. I would rather go where someone taught me the language, than speak mine. That hardly makes me not an American.

As far as the woman's statement, I am inclined to believe she was having problems due to the war. Many people don't like Americans because of it, even though most of us did NOT want it. Politicians are often more likely to be like politicians in other countries than like the regular people of their own country. So it would stand to reason she had problems.

Swift Wind

even i dont know and i am american, every time i vist another country i go to classes to learn the language, but some people, no matter where they live are just lazy or have a hard time learning other languages

Another

Well, yes English is one of the most touted languages.
Why? Because we are the people that are Capitalists beyond most others. That is changing. The Chinese are going strong.

I would have to imagine that there are no other languages as you suggest because there is LESS value in making a living in those other languages. LIke in Spanish.

Here now in the USA, so many illegals who speak Spanish have come that Spanish is literally a second language. Why? Because of their numbers ...and the $$$$$ they deposit as they live here and PAY.

It's all about money. Your concern as articulated about hating Americans could very well be nothing more than JEALOUSY.
I have found most people as I travel understand the difference between individuals ...and they way their country or government operates.

Your question seems to be a bit of a rant on hate and race. Do you have unresolved issues with this?

Ponts

The name of the language is not American, it's English.

America is not a country, it's acually 2 continents.

The langauges that Americans speak acually came from Europeon countries.

So America did not create a language.

The most spoken language in America is Spanish, not English.

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