Why Americans feel no compulsion to learn foreign languages

[Bill Frantz]

At  2:22 AM 3/28/96 -0800, Timothy C. May wrote:
>... In any case, the issue is not the
>classes taken by _some_ (the few percent who study Russian, Japanese,
>Mandarin, etc.), but the topic of this thread: "Why Americans feel no
>compulsion to learn foreign languages."

I, at least, want to know something of the language of the countries I
travel in.  Being able to get a meal or a room for the night is useful.  As
a rock bottom minimum, I want to know the phrases: Hello, Good by, Please,
Thank You, More beer please, and Where's the bathroom.

The look of pleased surprise on the face of the Budapest resident when I
said "Thank you" to in Hungarian as he gave up his seat to me because I was
loaded down with caving equipment is something I still treasure.

Regards - Bill


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