▲ 706 ▼ Culturally insensitive (media.piefed.world) submitted 5 days ago by The_Picard_Maneuver@piefed.world to c/lemmyshitpost@lemmy.world 210 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] jif@piefed.ca 17 points 5 days ago (3 children) This is an outdated stereotype. I'd be willing to bet more French speak a second language than Americans. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] Tja@programming.dev 11 points 5 days ago (1 child) But not than Belgians, Dutch, polish or Germans, which are the most frequent comparisons. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Miaou@jlai.lu 2 points 5 days ago (3 children) Why would the Dutch/Polish/Germans speak more languages? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] dalekcaan@feddit.nl 5 points 4 days ago (1 child) Idk about the Polish and Germans personally, but for the Netherlands at least it's a relatively small country with a limited amount of entertainment made there, so a ton of media is imported and subtitled. Since a lot of it comes from the US and UK, and most of it is subtitled (for the most part only kids' shows are dubbed over), the majority of people speak or at least understand English. According to Wikipedia, it has been estimated that as much as 90% to 97% of the population is proficient in English. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago Also English, French and German are part of you high school curriculum next to Dutch so at least you get a basic understanding of 3 other languages, of the 3 English is the one that sticks the most because of the aforementioned media that gets imported. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 4 days ago (1 child) Belgium alone has 3 official languages: French, Dutch and a German speaking part. The French part refuses to learn any of the other official languages, even in school. They don't see the need. While the other parts are a lot more open to other languages. You will be hard pressed to find someone in Flanders that doesn't speak French on top of their Dutch. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago ? What are you talking about. We have obligatory 2 foreign language in our school curriculum. Most people take English lv1 and then whatever of Italian/Spanish/German is closest border to them. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Tja@programming.dev 1 point 4 days ago They do, each country for different reasons. permalink fedilink source parent [–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 5 points 5 days ago (2 children) lol not in absolute numbers terms, no way. The US has 5x the population, and there are tons of immigrants that speak multiple languages. So regardless of how stupid native-born citizens are, there are still many bilingual+ people. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] dreamkeeper@literature.cafe 2 points 4 days ago* Absolute numbers? what kind of intentionality disingenuous comparison is that? We have like 4x their population. Try visiting France. Almost everyone in the major cities speaks English to a competent degree. Only like a quarter of Americans speak Spanish equivalently. I mean not even all Latin people speak Spanish in the US. permalink fedilink source parent [–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 point 4 days ago most people i know who grew up in california took at least a couple years of high school spanish. i was a snot, i took german with the goth kids instead. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 days ago (2 children) I've been in France for two days and have already met 2 young people who didn't speak more than high school English. Oh and I'm a tourist, so they were working a job where they have to interact with foreigners regularly... Now of course anecdote isn't statistics, and my French is certainly no better, but compared to other European countries their English level is... notable. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago The reality is that most French people speak enough english to get by, we just don't like speaking it. permalink fedilink source parent [–] dreamkeeper@literature.cafe 1 point 4 days ago* (1 child) Wow two whole young people. So almost everyone else spoke English right? Don't lie to me because I've been there many times and I know they do. It's crazy how Americans get defensive about the dumbest shit. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago Yes, almost everyone spoke English, I never lied about that. Just compared to other European countries I've been, 2 is still notable. In many countries it'd be hard to find a single young person who didn't speak English even if you were trying to find them for 2 days. I'd know because I live in a European country, I'm not American. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Tja@programming.dev 11 points 5 days ago (1 child) But not than Belgians, Dutch, polish or Germans, which are the most frequent comparisons. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Miaou@jlai.lu 2 points 5 days ago (3 children) Why would the Dutch/Polish/Germans speak more languages? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] dalekcaan@feddit.nl 5 points 4 days ago (1 child) Idk about the Polish and Germans personally, but for the Netherlands at least it's a relatively small country with a limited amount of entertainment made there, so a ton of media is imported and subtitled. Since a lot of it comes from the US and UK, and most of it is subtitled (for the most part only kids' shows are dubbed over), the majority of people speak or at least understand English. According to Wikipedia, it has been estimated that as much as 90% to 97% of the population is proficient in English. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago Also English, French and German are part of you high school curriculum next to Dutch so at least you get a basic understanding of 3 other languages, of the 3 English is the one that sticks the most because of the aforementioned media that gets imported. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 4 days ago (1 child) Belgium alone has 3 official languages: French, Dutch and a German speaking part. The French part refuses to learn any of the other official languages, even in school. They don't see the need. While the other parts are a lot more open to other languages. You will be hard pressed to find someone in Flanders that doesn't speak French on top of their Dutch. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago ? What are you talking about. We have obligatory 2 foreign language in our school curriculum. Most people take English lv1 and then whatever of Italian/Spanish/German is closest border to them. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Tja@programming.dev 1 point 4 days ago They do, each country for different reasons. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Miaou@jlai.lu 2 points 5 days ago (3 children) Why would the Dutch/Polish/Germans speak more languages? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] dalekcaan@feddit.nl 5 points 4 days ago (1 child) Idk about the Polish and Germans personally, but for the Netherlands at least it's a relatively small country with a limited amount of entertainment made there, so a ton of media is imported and subtitled. Since a lot of it comes from the US and UK, and most of it is subtitled (for the most part only kids' shows are dubbed over), the majority of people speak or at least understand English. According to Wikipedia, it has been estimated that as much as 90% to 97% of the population is proficient in English. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago Also English, French and German are part of you high school curriculum next to Dutch so at least you get a basic understanding of 3 other languages, of the 3 English is the one that sticks the most because of the aforementioned media that gets imported. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 4 days ago (1 child) Belgium alone has 3 official languages: French, Dutch and a German speaking part. The French part refuses to learn any of the other official languages, even in school. They don't see the need. While the other parts are a lot more open to other languages. You will be hard pressed to find someone in Flanders that doesn't speak French on top of their Dutch. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago ? What are you talking about. We have obligatory 2 foreign language in our school curriculum. Most people take English lv1 and then whatever of Italian/Spanish/German is closest border to them. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Tja@programming.dev 1 point 4 days ago They do, each country for different reasons. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] dalekcaan@feddit.nl 5 points 4 days ago (1 child) Idk about the Polish and Germans personally, but for the Netherlands at least it's a relatively small country with a limited amount of entertainment made there, so a ton of media is imported and subtitled. Since a lot of it comes from the US and UK, and most of it is subtitled (for the most part only kids' shows are dubbed over), the majority of people speak or at least understand English. According to Wikipedia, it has been estimated that as much as 90% to 97% of the population is proficient in English. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago Also English, French and German are part of you high school curriculum next to Dutch so at least you get a basic understanding of 3 other languages, of the 3 English is the one that sticks the most because of the aforementioned media that gets imported. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago Also English, French and German are part of you high school curriculum next to Dutch so at least you get a basic understanding of 3 other languages, of the 3 English is the one that sticks the most because of the aforementioned media that gets imported. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 4 days ago (1 child) Belgium alone has 3 official languages: French, Dutch and a German speaking part. The French part refuses to learn any of the other official languages, even in school. They don't see the need. While the other parts are a lot more open to other languages. You will be hard pressed to find someone in Flanders that doesn't speak French on top of their Dutch. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago ? What are you talking about. We have obligatory 2 foreign language in our school curriculum. Most people take English lv1 and then whatever of Italian/Spanish/German is closest border to them. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago ? What are you talking about. We have obligatory 2 foreign language in our school curriculum. Most people take English lv1 and then whatever of Italian/Spanish/German is closest border to them. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Tja@programming.dev 1 point 4 days ago They do, each country for different reasons. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 5 points 5 days ago (2 children) lol not in absolute numbers terms, no way. The US has 5x the population, and there are tons of immigrants that speak multiple languages. So regardless of how stupid native-born citizens are, there are still many bilingual+ people. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] dreamkeeper@literature.cafe 2 points 4 days ago* Absolute numbers? what kind of intentionality disingenuous comparison is that? We have like 4x their population. Try visiting France. Almost everyone in the major cities speaks English to a competent degree. Only like a quarter of Americans speak Spanish equivalently. I mean not even all Latin people speak Spanish in the US. permalink fedilink source parent [–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 point 4 days ago most people i know who grew up in california took at least a couple years of high school spanish. i was a snot, i took german with the goth kids instead. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] dreamkeeper@literature.cafe 2 points 4 days ago* Absolute numbers? what kind of intentionality disingenuous comparison is that? We have like 4x their population. Try visiting France. Almost everyone in the major cities speaks English to a competent degree. Only like a quarter of Americans speak Spanish equivalently. I mean not even all Latin people speak Spanish in the US. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 point 4 days ago most people i know who grew up in california took at least a couple years of high school spanish. i was a snot, i took german with the goth kids instead. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 days ago (2 children) I've been in France for two days and have already met 2 young people who didn't speak more than high school English. Oh and I'm a tourist, so they were working a job where they have to interact with foreigners regularly... Now of course anecdote isn't statistics, and my French is certainly no better, but compared to other European countries their English level is... notable. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago The reality is that most French people speak enough english to get by, we just don't like speaking it. permalink fedilink source parent [–] dreamkeeper@literature.cafe 1 point 4 days ago* (1 child) Wow two whole young people. So almost everyone else spoke English right? Don't lie to me because I've been there many times and I know they do. It's crazy how Americans get defensive about the dumbest shit. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago Yes, almost everyone spoke English, I never lied about that. Just compared to other European countries I've been, 2 is still notable. In many countries it'd be hard to find a single young person who didn't speak English even if you were trying to find them for 2 days. I'd know because I live in a European country, I'm not American. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] AceOnTrack@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago The reality is that most French people speak enough english to get by, we just don't like speaking it. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] dreamkeeper@literature.cafe 1 point 4 days ago* (1 child) Wow two whole young people. So almost everyone else spoke English right? Don't lie to me because I've been there many times and I know they do. It's crazy how Americans get defensive about the dumbest shit. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago Yes, almost everyone spoke English, I never lied about that. Just compared to other European countries I've been, 2 is still notable. In many countries it'd be hard to find a single young person who didn't speak English even if you were trying to find them for 2 days. I'd know because I live in a European country, I'm not American. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 point 4 days ago Yes, almost everyone spoke English, I never lied about that. Just compared to other European countries I've been, 2 is still notable. In many countries it'd be hard to find a single young person who didn't speak English even if you were trying to find them for 2 days. I'd know because I live in a European country, I'm not American. permalink fedilink source parent
