this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Maybe you don't need the language for work. But you will need te learn the language eventually for other day to day interactions.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Or the paper works outside of the labs.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Don't know about other countries, but in Norway you always have the option of getting websites and government information in English. Everyone speaks it including cashier's, cleaners etc.

The same thing is not true in Germany and Spain.

[–] Redredme 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Dutchie here, we do the same. Everybody speaks (some form of) English, almost everything is also available in English.

[–] Jazard23 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is true but also keep in mind that Dutch is still leading in most cases. E.g. if you have a contract that's both in English and Dutch, if issues arise the Dutch translation will usually be the one that is followed

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Dutch is still leading in most cases.

Sint Maarten should check-in and tell us about the English-Dutch separation and the class system it all but foments. It's 90% fascinating if 10% disappointing.

[–] baropithecus 1 points 1 year ago

The Dutch speak better English than some parts of England.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

My experience is purely based on Germany and I hate it even as a native. Plus having ADHD and paper being a chore doesnt help at all...

Also most folks (in my experience of south west Germany) of age >40-50 have little experience with English and can't converse beyond the most basics.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For some reason France really doesn't like giving english (or any other than french) options on their gov sites. Every other country in the eu are fine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In France, I feel French is heavily a part of their identity; and contrary to Americans fairweather-jeering their best revolutionary ally, the French do not surrender lightly. It feels like that's the one thing even the poorest French person has, and taking away one iota of that will be met with a resistance we've learned to respect.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I would most certainly disagree that every person speaks English. Especially older people don't, but in general many people here do not speak a good english

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Oh, I see that I totally forgot to mention I'm from Germany

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

No, pretty much anyone in Norway can speak English, some don't feel confident in their ability though. But if you ask any rando on the street if they speak English you get the answer of course ".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

but in Norway [:] English. Everyone speaks it

Scandinavia is absolutely killing it for bilingualism, among so many other ways they're killin' it -- no, really, other countries should just study them for clues in general. My experiences (just Sweden, Denmark and bonus Iceland, so far) is that they say Hejdo and listen for your "hello", flipping over into beautiful and perfect English without hesitation. Their language programmes are just fucking astounding, really.

Spain's fine in the touristy spots, but Spanish itself is VERY accessible as a language, so it's kinda moot like France.

In Germany I will have to rely heavily on the kindness of strangers as I will never grok the language.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

They're exposed to English every day from multiple sources. You aren't allowed into university unless you can read and write English to a high level. Your text books are in English at university and classes open to exchange students are taught in English. All English media is subtitled. And school lessons in English start when they're 6. No mystery, just practice.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

never needed german knowledge to do standard burocracy stuff

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

im in the country for almost 10 years now without speaking a word. not true.