Quote:
Originally Posted by Sieger
mrerick,
Not to be overbearing, but English has become the international language, worldwide, perhaps strengthened by internet usage.
Sieger
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I can confirm this... on my recent vacation to China, our English speaking guide comfirmed that after the cultural revolution, the education system, which had pushed Russian as a second language (remember, same system of government) has transitioned to English as a mandatory subject in schools. They start them on English at a very early age... so if you are lost while visiting china, don't ask any of the older generation for assistance unless you speak Russian.
Regarding German... I took two years of study in High School, and two years in College. In both cases, my instructors were native speakers so whatever accent they used is what I acquired.
When I had occasion to visit Deutschland while on active duty, my acquired accent would frequently enable me to conceal the fact that I was not a native during short public discussions with strangers such as asking directions or recommendations of menu items in restaurants... at least until they asked me something I didn't understand
and I had to resort to a phrase book or dictionary...
Once in a train compartment between Frankfurt and Munchen, an elderly lady opened her lunch and offered fruit to the rest of the occupants including me. It had been probably 15 years since I had spoken any German, but when she offered me an apple I thanked her and told her I wasn't hungry. Then she rattled off a question that had something to do with my jacket, but I didn't understand, I responded that I was sorry but I don't speak German. One of the other male occupants in the comparment quickly laughed and said, (in German) then what are you speaking? We all laughed and I told them I was an American. I had to show them my passport so they would believe me. The elderly lady then spoke to me in perfect English to tell me she had been an English teacher in the German school system until she had retired and had not had the opportunity to practice her english in years... We talked for a couple hours on the condition that she would speak only in English, and I had to respond in German if I could. When I could not, and I responded in English, she would then teach me the German equivilent of what I has said. I ended up sharing her fruit too. It was a great memory of my time in Germany.