Perhaps the first few sentences for anyone to learn at school ought to include things along the lines of “please speak more slowly”
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I remember years ago when we used to go on holiday in France, l noticed most of the French children spoke perfect English. I was surprised but my husband said, most children in Europe are taught to speak English in their schools.
l struggled with learning French at school and then at college. I think l got 5/100 in an exam!
Never mind, what they taught us in school, my husband termed as ‘Schoolboy French’ and totally unsuitable tor everyday conversation.
I was taught Latin at school, which I dropped as soon as possible, and French to O level; but that was simply just another subject to do, I had no real interest in it
Later, at work, we had visits from Danish & Swedish engineers, and I thanked them for speaking English.
Their replies were -
It’s simple - Denmark is a small country, if we didn’t speak English we wouldn’t speak to anyone else
And - You’re lucky, you don’t have to learn it.
At college we did conversational German and I started to pick that up reasonably well, but didn’t take it any further
I’ve occasionally occasionally thought again about learning it but never did. Life is too busy and too short to do the things I want to do, let alone those that I only half or a quarter want.
And incidentally; during WW2 when the Germans, Italians, Japanese, and any other Axis forces wanted to discuss their progress & make plans, guess what language they used?!
That’s right, because English was the only language they had in common
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I’m attempting to learn Italian (Duolingo), but just like Spanish, they also speak too fast, and I have to get their statements slowed down, so that I can understand what they’re saying. I speak quickly too, (so I’m told), but bloody 'ell, the Italians easily outstrip me for speed.
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It must depend on the parents and their attitude + aptitude to learn other languages. My Scandinavian wife and I speak several and so do all of our children; BUT, our grandchildren less so. My paternal grandparents, who raised me, spoke three fluently and I’ve kinda built on their foundations.
I don’t have a problem with communicating with foreigners, l just raise my voice and speak loudly!
I don’t really but that’s what people do. They think the louder they speak, the more the non English speaking person will understand!
I learn best and quickest if there is a good reason for doing so. We learned Latin at school - not so much as a spoken language but as the root of so many other things - which I found fascinating.
We also were taught french - and I was always at the bottom of that class as I saw no point in learning it and found it such a nasal and very boring language.
Since leaving school I have learned:-
Italian - not fluent because I had no-one to practice with - am improving since the Italian chef moved in across the road. It is a lovely, very musical language.
Japanese - because Japan and Japanese culture interests me - useful phrases
and spoken only - could never master all those lovely characters. Came in handy when watching “Shogun” on TV!
Russian - because I was planning a trip to Leningrad to see the Kirov Ballet - unfortunately the trip never happened and I forgot a lot - but - our resident Italian chef is married to a lovely Georgian - and the language is similar - so some of it is coming back. Their 10yr old daughter is fluent in Italian, Georgian, Spanish, French and English!!
Hindi - because I was going to India and staying off the beaten track with a family who spoke no English - it seemed sensible and was fun.
Irish- work in progress - complex and difficult to learn as an adult. Fewer letters in the alphabet, nothing pronounced as it is spelt, and without the words ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ - definitely not fluent - but trying hard !
Yep, I know the score - not with Spanish but with Chinese. I spent a lot of time there - about a year in total. They taught me Mandarin which is fine - except the local language was Fukein…
IIRC, my own school experience of learning French and Spanish at school tended to be with us sitting in silence doing bookwork, or (as a class) reading out loud verb declensions which were written on the blackboard.
Can’t imagine why we weren’t all fluent conversationist speakers by the end of it all !!
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Why do other nationalities speak English well?
The first reason, I should say, is that English is the main international language used in politics, business, etc., all over the world.
Why do we speak so few (if any) other languages?
Many reasons! The answer above applies to us as well, I think. We know that many people all over the world know English so don’t bother to try. Perhaps we are embarrassed, or lazy!
When I was at school I took no notice of French lessons. They didn’t interest me and probably confused me too, as many of the letters sounded nothing like the English equivalents. It also appeared illogical to me, being based on quite different foundations to most of English.
German, however, I found attractive. As the German master (who, incidentally, was a better and more encouraging chap than the French master, and also possessed a sense of humour!) once said, as I remember, that German sounds are very similar to those spoken in the North of England. That, too, encouraged me!
I also remember that he ran a school visit to Germany every year (or most of them, I think).
Although I was invited, I’m sorry to say that my parents (being very poor) couldn’t afford to pay for me. Nevertheless, I have always had an interest in learning German.
Even Marge, who has never really had an interest in German, changed her mind when she and her choir were learning the music to perform Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion (in German). She (like many) sruggled with some of the sounds and asked me if I could help her, specifically with the Ö and Ü sounds (Ä is pretty easy). We both had quite a laugh when she was trying different tongue and lip positions, and producing a range of interesting sounds! 
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Has to be said that this sentence alone could be the op in an entirely new and differently themed thread. lol
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Oh no! I don’t talk dirty on this forum!
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Nor do I. But there are a few chaps on the bosom thread who are struggling to contain themselves.
Bosom thread?
I think I may have mentioned before that when it comes to ladies my real interest is legs, and after that their faces. Tits have never really interested me, to be honest, whatever shape or size!
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I learned French and German at school and can still converse in the basics if needed. When I lived in Italy it was absolutely necessary for me to become more or less fluent in the language even though the company’s house language was American English (even when the Japs took over). Now, when V or I want to say something to each other without anyone else present knowing what we’re talking about, we speak in Italian.
My daughters from my 1st marriage could speak fluent Italian, French and Spanish within a couple of years of us moving to Italy.
To piss the French off. 
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Bosom thread? What have I missed?
Goes to search bar…
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Well… we are all at least bilingual in our school, most become trilingual and some quattrolingual
A lot of our students who study languages do go on to study another language at degree level, Mandarin being the most common chosen language at present
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And some seem to be so unable to contain themselves that they are spilling it out into other threads. Or at least one chap on one other thread. 
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That, presumably, includes Welsh?
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