• @Redredme
        link
        81 year ago

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

        • @Jazard23
          link
          41 year ago

          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]
            link
            fedilink
            01 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
          link
          11 year ago

          The Dutch speak better English than some parts of England.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        61 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]
        link
        fedilink
        51 year ago

        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]
          link
          fedilink
          3
          edit-2
          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]
        link
        fedilink
        41 year ago

        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]
        link
        fedilink
        41 year ago

        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.