Yeah, English is a widely used language, I wish everyone would learn it. It'd be fair to have the most used language as the 'world's language', then if you want to know another one, then fine, go ahead. I got into trouble at work for not socializing... we all have our own offices. So to socialize I have to stop working, get up, and walk into someone else's office.

Spanish is more widely used than English is, so if there should be a "universal language", Spanish is the forerunner. Honestly, YLIF to the OP. This whole "Our country is the best, learn our language or **** off" mentality is stupid, regardless of whichever country it's in. Bravo to the OP for being a decent and helpful human being. If someone doesn't want to learn the native language, it's their choice. They have to live with not being able to communicate well if they need any goods or services, but again, no one should force them to learn a language simply because of where they're living.

Not that I think the OP shouldn't have helped the customer in their first language if she was able(I mean, most customer service jobs think it's an advantage if you can help their customers in other languages), but English is far more of a universal language than Spanish 77, so you're wrong about that part.

no its not english has 1.8 billions speakers as opposed to around 400million spanish speakers in europe english is one of the biggest secondary languages as in india and china as well

I believe that one should learn the language of any country they choose to go live in simply out of respect for the locals. I am currently planning a move to Norway and in spite of the fact that the majority of the younger folks there taught english in school, I'm learning the local language. It seems to me like a rather dickish thing to do to move to another country and expect them to converse with me in my language.

The most widely used language is MANDARIN. English is the most widely used SECOND language. If you are going to sit there and demand a universal language, at least make sure you know which one is the most common one! Just because you speak English, it doesn't mean everyone else should have to as well!!!

Mandarin might be spoken by more people, but it's not spoken as widely. English is pretty much mandatory in a lot of fields now, regardless of where you're from.

"no one should force them to learn a language simply because of where they're living." they should be forced to learn the language specifically BECAUSE that's where they're living. trust me, i've been on both sides of the issue - while growing up in germany i was surrounded by turks, russians, and various other eastern europeans who refused to learn german. it was really frustrating to be in a class where half the kids couldn't speak the language, so the teacher had to dumb everything down and spend all her time trying to make the foreign kids understand, which really wasn't fair to the german kids and decreased the quality of our education. you say if someone doesn't want to learn the language, it's their choice, but hey, moving to that country is their choice in the first place! if they decide to move, they need to take the steps to learn, and teach their children, the new language. yes, we can still be respectful of their culture, but they need to respect ours and our society so they don't cause problems. as someone who had to learn english when i moved here, it really pisses me off to see other people getting cut slack like this...

No matter where you are in the world, the air traffic controllers there will speak English. I think that's pretty close to being a "world language".

Coma, growing up in Germany you are exposed to many different languages and can't travel that far without being in a country that won't understand you. People in countries like America don't have that exposure to other languages. Just like it is next to impossible to learn to speak if you can't by the time you turn 5 because of the way your brain has become set in its ways, it is also much harder to learn languages when you are older and have never learned or been exposed to another language. So no, I don't think you really are seeing this from both sides. And at any rate, I doubt you learned English on your first day in the country and you don't know the customers circumstances. They may have been there visiting for a short period or have just moved there. I've never seen a foreign person become angry with someone local not knowing their language. I don't get this mentality that it somehow causes problems for others. If the person plans on living there long term without the language it is probably going to cause problems for them, but just them.

I am secretly learning spanish so that I can tell what is being said around me.

comawhitexox, Yay! Finally, someone with some sense!

Yay for #85! That's plus one to the logical and respectful "outsider" population :)

I spent about $1,500 in Spain - Should I have become fluent in Spanish just to do so, when I was only there for a few days?

You're an idiot. I never said the US was the best, or that English was the most widely used language and should be used in the world. However, due to cultural differences there should be one. AND when you visit a country or move, you should be prepared to speak the dominant language. So again, I will say, LEARN ENGLISH DIPSH*T!

If you want a world language it would obviously have to be Spanish, why? It's better to speak, learn and the grammar is very easy, even if you have an accent you can still easily understand someone speaking spanish, unlike most languages. When someone's sencond language is English, it usually is harder to understand what they're saying when using words that are pronounced the same such as "They're, there, their" "it, eat", etc . Spanish has nothing like that, every word has a meaning and a way to pronounce it. My first language is English as i was born in the US but even if someone from other country learns english, it is still very difficult to speak it...and 95% of people, will just laugh at them at how their accent is and how they pronounce or don't pronounce certain words... I just hate it when some patriotic idiot comes to someone from other country and tells them to learn englsih, and when they try to speak english, they're first in line to start laughing at that person. If that didn't happen, everyone in the U.S would be speaking english

well, if people shouldn't go somewhere because they don't want to learn/hear a language, maybe you shouldn't go to Miami? after all, Miami, as well as many cities in southern states, is known for having a large hispanic population. with that, you should probably avoid China Town, Little Italy, and all other places that are well known for NOT speaking English... within the United States. the reason that the people in those areas don't speak English as well as everyone else is as some have previously said - they work within their own neighborhoods, not for huge businesses that travel everywhere. Most immigrants I know that have recently come to the states do try to learn the language - like you said, it is needed to go most places, work most places, etc. But some people choose to stay in their "safe haven;" their own community, and don't bother leaving it. That's their choice to stay there, as it's a choice to want to travel to different cities and areas. all in all, i'll close with this: "the world's problem today is creating more divisions than bridges. the more globalized we become, it seems the less open we are with other people" "live your life peacefully, and let others live theirs"

sorry #101 this was meant for someone else... i clicked reply on a different comment. :p

hey, you are so wrong when you say that spanish is more spoken then english, english is the most commonly known language in the world look stuff up before being mr. detective, in france 80 % of people speak english, italy is 70%, germany is 90%, china is 80%, india is 95%, thailand is 78%, canada 99.9 %, US 99.9%, mexico 80%, southern america 60%... and what is the % in those countries of spanish speakers? oh and btw, in spain, 85% of people know english.

Yeah right! have you ever been to any of those countries? Probably not. The only time English was widely used was at Berlin during the World Cup the rest of the summer would have been very stressful if I didnt speak fluent Spanish and enough of a few other European languages otherwise I would've had a rough time.

Btw, buddy, Spanish is the 3rd language, like you said, chinese, english, then spanish. But definitely Spanish is spoken thorugh out Europe more often than French. Period, i go to europe on business trips and i find it easier to travel speaking spanish rather than french.

#80, it really doesnt matter what language is spoken the most, the point is that nobody should be forced to learn another language (in this case, english) just because it is the most spoken. Everybody has there own language, whether they want to learn other language, it is their choice.

#101, that is entirely untrue. I started French Immersion in grade 1 when I was 6 years old and I did really well. I still speak French rather well despite not using it very much since high school. (I'm 24 now).

I think that when people go to a country they should learn to speak the language. no one in canada would have complained if you were talking in any asian language in fact that's all they speak in a lot of the stores and it's a load of crap when you speak the countries language and no one working there understands you because they spend more time learning chineese when they really need help learning english

No, the universal language should be latin, spanish, english, french, german Etc are all descended from latin. I dont see why people dont bother to learn it anymore, its easy to learn and easy to speak. Latin for all.

I just want to correct poster # 154 you did not even correct yourself on the Chinese speakers end.. There is different dialects which can make it impossible for someone from one part of china to understand somebody from another part.. just thought i might help you out on that one

*sigh* you are so wrong, 80% of chinese peopple do infact speak english, not fluently, but they speak it, and indias population is in the billions, india's national language is english. boom, thats maybe 1.5bilion english speakers? im not even counting, australia, new zealend, us, canada, great britain, the majority of europe, and russia...

u forgot about Africa,.. they speak English too

you could always call someone from your office and call to another office

Technically Mandarin is the most widely spoken language by numbers... Although to be correct the most widely used, worldwide, would actually be English. Whether it be American or British English, it is still English. So you are wrong, American is the forerunner, for it is most world wide spoken language.

I think we should all have to learn Latin, because it's dead so nobody would be offended. And most languages are based off it, so it would be easier than making everyone learn Mandarin or something.

well actually mandarin chinese is.

i agree with 172. the universal language (its called a lingua franca) WAS latin throughout the middle ages, but this was gradually phased out presumably with the advent of the british empire? i disagree with the idea of multiculturalism since its so easily exploited-im all for tolerance but this normally just means people can come into a country without even attempting to integrate. i think if youre going to live in a country you should have to speak the language before youre granted any leave to remain, since otherwise it breaks up the countrys existing culture and if anything breeds intolerance of "outsiders" who dont have the respect for the countrys culture to at least learn the language spoken there.

America doesn't have a national language

You might be a little retarded if you think Spanish is more widely spoken than English.

It is. Maybe do some research before calling other people "retarded".

We should, I hate having to loose a sale to my co worker Jose because a person can't speak English.

You are a ******

That is pretty stupid... these are obvious times where the rules need to be stretched a little.

the trick is...just pretend you speak the language you got written up for. in this case it was spanish, so the moment they start bitching at you, run out of the room screaming NO COMPRENDO!!!

Funny Joke.. You can't even spell.. You are kidding right?

next time plz use better English dint understand wat u meant

Hey, i think you need to learn better English...

You're a dumbass.

******' dumbass. Can't even spell right. Hypocrite.

His name has troll in it. Ofcourse he was just ******* around.

... except that the French population is largely in Quebec (East), not in British Columbia (West)...

But it's still an official language of the whole country. So it's less likely to land you in a situation like the OP's.

Just because most people who live in Canada speak either french or english doesn't mean that they're the only languages spoken. there are a lot of people from other countries living in Canada whose native languages are not one of those two. also, many people in canada learn different languages in school (which may be how this person learnt spanish).

don't be ignorant. do you honestly believe there is not a single Spanish speaking person in Canada?

Uhhhh, have you not heard of people visiting? Foreigners...?

someone has to do their yardwork

yea don't be a dick... they can do way more than that.... like concrete work, roofs, etc.