[Photon]

Hi Mironek!

I can only confirm your observation that US-Americans are a lazy lot when it comes to language learning.

With one exception, in the southern states people tend to pick up a bit of Spanish for reasons of survival. Clearly, with the porous border with Mexico, many Spanish-speaking people hang around there, i.e. live and work there.

It seems to me that Americans in general show next to no interest in foreign languages and have little patience with people who speak with a foreign accent.

Though this goes only for school kids and the less educated I should think. But when you dig deeper and are with the right people, US-Americans do have an interest, some curiosity as to other languages, other peoples and also, very strongly, what those other people think of them and why the US has internationally such a bad name - at least for now.

Well, when I was for the first time in the States, I was often asked why, to put it bluntly, the world hates America. Back then I had no good answer to this - and still don't have one - and reassured them that most Germans clearly don't hate them but rather love America. I really believe so.

But generally for the masses, knowing languages is too French for them (sorry Frenchies, but you know that this is actually a compliment!), too intellectual, too East Coast. But curiously enough, when realizing that you're a foreigner and really make an effort to make yourself understood in their language (English), they are often very touched and encouraging.

But trying themselves at it is just not as fashionable, in vogue as it is here in Europe where we have the other extreme. Without knowing at least two foreign languages to show off, you're considered dumb.

Say it ain't so!