Half of Europe's population speaks at least 2 languages

[web_norah]

Half of European citizens speak a second language, according to a
European Union survey released Friday.
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The poll, conducted in June across Europe, found that tiny Luxembourg had the highest percentage of bilingual citizens, with 99 percent of those questioned saying they could master a conversation in a second language.

Hungary had the lowest number with 29 percent of its citizens able to speak another language. Britain was second last with 30 percent.

The survey also found that almost eight out of 10 students — ages 15-24 — can have a normal conversation in at least one foreign language.

In the United States, by contrast, 9 percent of Americans speak both their native language and another language fluently, according to a U.S. Senate resolution designating 2005 the "Year of Foreign Language Study."

In the European survey, English was identified by 34 percent of respondents as their second language, followed by German which was a second language for 12 percent, then French which was spoken as a second language by 11 percent, according to the survey.

Spanish and Russian are spoken as a second language by 5 percent of those surveyed. Russian has become more common due to its widespread use in the 10 mostly eastern European countries that joined the EU last year.

It is not, however, listed as one of the EU's 21 official languages, and so receives no funding from EU education programs.

The poll, which surveyed 29,328 people across the 25-nation EU, Turkey, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, was released to coincide with European Day of Languages on Monday, which aims to promote the study of languages. The survey had a margin of 3.1 percentage points.

[pod]

I speak English and Foul.

[mursa]

..Europes education requirements/level is light years ahead of ours .



i speak 3 languages fluidly ! ;D

[saintjohn]

Originally Posted by mursa

i speak 3 languages fluidly !

I believe you mean "fluently."

[V. Barbarino]

I speak english and jive...

[slamminshaun]

Originally Posted by Mr

I speak english and jive...

http://larry.teamoverkill.com/jive/illness.wav

[mursa]

Originally Posted by saintjohn

[quote author=mursa link=board=6;threadid=20474;start=0#msg242902 date=1127534103]i speak 3 languages fluidly !

I believe you mean "fluently."
[/quote]

Nope , i did mean Fluidly .......as in smooth and conitnuous/natural and without any noticable accent .

[web_norah]

i thought it was kind of cool this article.

[saintjohn]

Originally Posted by mursa

Nope , i did mean Fluidly .......as in smooth and conitnuous/natural and without any noticable accent .

I understood what you were trying to say, but you could've chosen a much better word to characterize your mastery of the English language.

fluent - adj

1a. Able to express oneself readily and effortlessly: a fluent speaker; fluent in three languages.

1b. Flowing effortlessly; polished: speaks fluent Russian; gave a fluent performance of the sonata.

2. Flowing or moving smoothly; graceful: a yacht with long, fluent curves.

3. Flowing or capable of flowing; fluid.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fluent

fluid - adj

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a fluid.

2. Readily reshaped; pliable.

3. Smooth and flowing; graceful: the fluid motion of a cat.

4a. Changing or tending to change; variable: a fluid situation fraught with uncertainty.

4b. Characterized by or allowing social mobility: a fluid society.

5. Convertible into cash: fluid assets.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fluid

Google search for the phrase "speak fluently" = 131,000 hits

Google search for the phrase "speak fluidly" = 820 hits

I'm just teasing you, though. I have enough trouble with one language. You wouldn't want to hear my attempts to speak French - très désagréable!

[Fez]

Europeans speak various languages, most of the time...
but only 1 fluently...not all of them...

Spaniards, Italians and Portoguese....usually speak all 3...w/out problem...

I speak Spanish, Italian & English...
i took 8 years of French...but i never liked it...i speak a little...but i don't like it...