Parlez-vous anglais?

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is a common trope that the British tourist thinks that if they speak English loudly and slowly the natives will understand them.

While this premise sounds absurd, there is definitely an element of truth to it. I can think of several occasions when I’ve stood shamefacedly next to a fellow Brit in another country who thought that shouting at the receptionist about their sheets would suffice for their total lack of language.

photo: Samantha Hopps

What is equally embarrassing is that no other non-English-speaking nation has the same arrogance. No Frenchman comes to England expecting everyone around him to speak French, and if he did the general attitude would probably be less than welcoming.

So why do the English expect that other nations will learn their language and communicate to them in it when the privilege is not returned, and what are the implications of English-speaking tourists not acknowledging other languages?

Here’s my humble analysis: there is a certain dragging sense of arrogance that stems from the days of a British Empire that was the largest empire the world had ever seen, with a linguistic influence on one fifth of the world’s population at the time. This, followed by the emergence of a second English-speaking Superpower, has led to English being the world’s third most spoken language, with hundreds of millions of people speaking it as a primary or secondary language.

But does this mean that the British are owed the ability to travel around the globe free from the concerns of whether they will be able to communicate with people? Or should they temper that arrogance by ensuring that they know enough of a country’s language to communicate at least at a basic level with the natives of that other country?

In a way, the answer to the latter question is yes – English speakers are lucky to be able to travel so widely, but they shouldn’t abuse this privilege.

However, on the other side of the argument is the notion that there is no necessity to learn another language. In France, there will almost always be someone to talk to you in English and, even if you can speak French, many of the French speakers want to practise their English on you, and will try to continue the conversation in English.

I don’t have any statistics to back up the following statement I’m going to make, I’m simply basing it on my experiences from travelling around Europe, but I would go so far as to guess that the average 18-year-old French person could hold a fluent conversation in English far better than the equivalent 18-year-old English person could hold a conversation in French.

I often wonder why this is the case, and I’d be inclined to suggest that it’s an indictment of our own education system when it comes to how we teach languages. I think there’s far too much emphasis on grammar and learning useless nouns (Il est un stilo dans ma trousse), and not enough on getting down to the nitty-gritty of really valuable conversational language.

Nevertheless, people have also pointed out to me when making this argument that in addition to our lack of conversation practise, the English language is pervasively prevalent in European culture, from the radio stations that blare out English or American chart music to English words that get adopted for new inventions and technologies, even down to t-shirts in supermarkets printed with English slogans. As such, young people growing up in Europe have the language thrust down their throats so much that there is a base knowledge of English outside of its teaching in the classroom.

photo: Samantha Hopps

This year’s Eurovision song contest, aired across Europe, can be used as a prime example of the ubiquitous nature of the English language. The lyrics to almost every single song were in English and, in the results part of the show, every country but France gave their points in English. It stood out for me that the French presenter did not speak in English.

I interpreted this as the presenter, or the television group she represented, sticking two fingers up to the complete lack of native languages in a contest that is supposed to celebrate and represent the varied cultures of Europe.

Why does it do this? Isn’t language a huge part of cultural identity? Haven’t countries like Wales and regions like Catalonia fought tirelessly to prevent their language dying out and decreasing their national heritage?

I strongly believe that language is an invaluable part of people’s national and personal identity, and I would be devastated if the language I love, and I do love the English language, began to be eclipsed and ushered into the realms of irrelevance and obscurity.

As such, English-speakers shouldn’t feel entitled to be spoken to in English; they shouldn’t be outraged if a tourist brochure is not available in their language. But this doesn’t mean that I believe we should not be able to travel.[pullquote style=”right” quote=”dark”]How can we, as English-speakers, expect to immerse ourselves in and engage with an alien culture without the vital aspect of language?[/pullquote]

I went to Greece last summer. I know very little Greek, and I know very little of Greek culture. I don’t think I should have been excluded from visiting the country, as an interested tourist who wanted to learn about their culture, simply because of a language barrier. What I do know is that there was a beaming pride exuded from the locals I met when I said something as simple as ‘Kalispera’, because the fact that you’ve merely tried to speak to them in their own language is a validation of that crucial part of their cultural identity, and that is something that should not be pushed aside by English speakers and should be embraced despite the widespread nature of English.

English people frequently expect to be spoken to in English because in most countries, particularly in Europe, the language is so widespread. It is arrogant, but it’s also understandable: people want to see the world and if those around them are prepared to learn English why would they bother to learn several other languages? However, as a tourist, this arrogance is also limiting: if language is such a huge part of a country’s culture, how can we, as English-speakers, expect to immerse ourselves in and engage with an alien culture without the vital aspect of language? We can travel as widely as we want, but the ability to engage with the culture of a country through language is utterly invaluable.