British Complaining!

Pennywise

Like being able to speak German is helpful at a Spanish hotel.

You can't learn all the languages for all the different countries you visit.

It's common sense for tourist-related workers to have the basics of the languages of their customers. After all, they're hardly fluent. Waiters need to know basic food/drink translations for all their likely customer languages. Hotel receptionists need to know the basics concerning the hotel services etc. Try speaking to a Spanish waiter about something other than the food they serve and their "English" soon disappears.

English is the Western World's most popular second language for non English speakers. That's a fact. French, Spanish, Italian and German kids mostly learn English as a second language.

As said above, rather than hand-wringing about Brits not learning Spanish just in case they go there on holiday, our schools should be teaching Mandarin instead of French and German, which is likely to be far more use in the next 10,20,30 years and could easily become the West's second language.

Pennywise

Elsewhere wrote: »

Back in the Middles Ages all educated people in the European area spoke Latin...

Our village had a free grammar school in the 1700's and 1800's. It basically taught Latin free of charge. Funny thing, though, is that they also taught the 3Rs, but they charged for it!

I queried this with a local historian who told me it was true. The principle being that Latin was essential for several professions and also for trade and commerce across Europe, hence being free (in fact paid for by local wealthy benefactors).

3Rs were charged for because it was expected that parents and extended family were able to and would teach their children the basic living and working skills. The ones who paid were the wealthy locals who were cash rich but time poor!

How things change.

dawyldthing

trukdiver wrote: »

My mother was Spanish and my grandmother couldn't speak any English so I had to learn Spanish (it was my "mother tongue"). I was bilingual when I was four but that was soon knocked out of me at school! Spanish wasn't a "respectable" language like French or German. It was only for speaking to waiters and cleaners, so wasn't worth learning... I forgot most of it and can only speak English now!

If you went to Spain you'd be surprised what you remember. It's like driving - I haven't learnt in over 5 years and might restart next year and everyone keeps saying you'll be surprised what you remember