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I don't expect anyone whom I meet overseas to speak any english whatsoever, except the pilots that get me there (because English is the de-facto standard for ATC communications).
If I do happen to meet someone who speaks English overseas I'm pleasantly surprised.
If I travel within the USA or Canada, I do expect everyone to know at least a modicum of english, it is the de-facto national language in the case of the USA (along with spanish in a few places), and is one of the two official languages in Canada. I do find it sad that a few people do not wish to learn English if they live in the US or Canada. It speaks volumes of the isolation they either find themselves in or they fall into without any desire to get out.
I do also expect tourists who come to the USA to at least, in a broken way, ask basic questions and comprehend my responses if I slow down and keep it to baby english. Or at least one in their group to understand.
I don't expect people to know English when I travel, but English seems to be the de facto international travel language, for better or for worse.
The way I see it, if you were a Chinese or Japanese tourist traveling to South America or Africa or Europe and you were going to learn one other language, 9 times out of 10, it's probably going to be English and not Spanish or Swahili or French or German.
Likewise, if you were from South America and traveling to Asia to some place like China or Japan, and you were going to learn one other language, 9 times out of 10, it's probably going to be English and not Chinese or Japanese.
I don't expect people who come here for brief tourist visits to speak English. However, I live in such an un-touristy part of the country that it's unheard of for people who truly speak no English to pass this way. If you visit a major tourist destination and speak a language that is rarely studied here, I don't think you should count on being able to get by with just your native language.
If you come here as a student, I expect you to know at least some survival English. If you plan to settle here, I expect you to at least be learning English.
Where do you live? You don't even have migrant farm workers there who don't speak English?
No and this is a stereotype. I think Americans have come a long way with regards to traveling abroad. We're no longer the most hated tourists anymore--(see what hospitality people think of the Brits and Chinese).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cjseliga
I don't expect people to know English when I travel, but English seems to be the de facto international travel language, for better or for worse.
The way I see it, if you were a Chinese or Japanese tourist traveling to South America or Africa or Europe and you were going to learn one other language, 9 times out of 10, it's probably going to be English and not Spanish or Swahili or French or German.
Likewise, if you were from South America and traveling to Asia to some place like China or Japan, and you were going to learn one other language, 9 times out of 10, it's probably going to be English and not Chinese or Japanese.
Yeah speakers of other languages communicate with each other in English. Most people in the tourist industry in many parts of the world know at least some English.
If I travel within the USA or Canada, I do expect everyone to know at least a modicum of english, it is the de-facto national language in the case of the USA (along with spanish in a few places), and is one of the two official languages in Canada. I do find it sad that a few people do not wish to learn English if they live in the US or Canada. It speaks volumes of the isolation they either find themselves in or they fall into without any desire to get out.
- speaks only French but reads books from a variety of languages (incl. English) translated into French
- eats at various ethnic restaurants where the staff from all over the world are immigrants who speak French as a second language
- vacations in the winter in Dominican Republic and Cuba and muddles through with a mix of French and a few Spanish words
- watches TV shows and movies from Quebec, Europe and the U.S. which, when not originally in French, are dubbed into French
- has visited France, Spain, Italy and maybe the Middle East or North Africa and used French as a lingua franca in those places (which is possible)
... is somehow more "isolated" than Farmer Brown from Nebraska or Saskatchewan who speak only English, consumes only Americano-centric cultural products, and has never vacationed anywhere more exotic than Las Vegas or Disney World?
Simply because the second guy's native language is spoken more widely around the world than the first one's?
I don't expect them to know English but there's not much I can do about it if they don't know English.. I can speak Chinese and a little French but other than that, I'd be SOL.
I've been overseas around 25 times, and have certainly never seen anyone get UPSET at people because they don't speak English. I normally hope I deal with people who can speak English, but I certainly don't expect them to know the language. It's their damn country!
For the most part people in the USA are terrified their first time overseas at not being able to communicate with anyone, and then are happily surprised when they find that 99% of people in heavily traveled tourist areas speak English.
English is the universal travel language in many areas. I've seen plenty of Italian shopkeepers and Asian tourists trying to get by in English.
I travel with friends a lot going to Europe, and one thing that bothers me is that my friends start to get lazy and assume that everyone must obviously speak English. Granted everyone we've come into contact with DOES speak English, but I always start off by nicely asking if they speak English before I just start talking. I usually walk up and say "english?", and almost always the person will smile and nod or say "yes yes". Then I talk. It's all I can do to at least acknowledge that they're doing me a service by speaking my language in their country.
Of course I always learn the "hello" "goodbye" "thank you" "please", etc. so I can get by in stores without having to ALWAYS say EVERYTHING in English. My friend Monica always says "THANKS!" when she leaves a store. I try to get her to at least do the greeting or a thank you in their language.
I've been overseas around 25 times, and have certainly never seen anyone get UPSET at people because they don't speak English. I normally hope I deal with people who can speak English, but I certainly don't expect them to know the language. It's their damn country!
For the most part people in the USA are terrified their first time overseas at not being able to communicate with anyone, and then are happily surprised when they find that 99% of people in heavily traveled tourist areas speak English.
English is the universal travel language in many areas. I've seen plenty of Italian shopkeepers and Asian tourists trying to get by in English.
I travel with friends a lot going to Europe, and one thing that bothers me is that my friends start to get lazy and assume that everyone must obviously speak English. Granted everyone we've come into contact with DOES speak English, but I always start off by nicely asking if they speak English before I just start talking. .
You've been abroad 25 times and you've never run into someone who didn't speak English? I find this really hard to believe. I can speak what are probably the three most widely-spoken European languages (English, French and Spanish), I haven't been overseas as often as you, and I've run into to frequent situations where I couldn't communicate with people in either of the three. I've had to deal with people who spoke only German, only Italian, only Portuguese, only Dutch (rare I realize but it happens), only Flemish (yessir, I've been there), only Polish, only Czech, only Hungarian, etc.
Sounds like more Yank-stereotyping. Although maybe Europe is another matter? Maybe Americans expect most Europeans to speak English as a second language? In Asia some Americans expect Asians to know basic English phrases, but most Americans seem to at least understand the idea that people in different countries speak different languages. They also don't necessarily get all their shopping done at Walmart, or get their coffee from Starbucks. As they say, if someone doesn't understand English they're not going to suddenly understand if you turn up the volume! I kind of think shows like the Amazing Race foister the most unflattering stereotypes about Americans.
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I kind of think shows like the Amazing Race foister the most unflattering stereotypes about Americans. 
