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Some Americans DO speak several languages!
During my junior year abroad program in Tours, France, I did the typical college student thing and got myself a Eurail Pass. This brought me to Luxembourg, among many other places. I arrived late in the afternoon, chomped on a baguette and cheese on a park bench, and then made my way to the youth hostel. The languages of Luxembourg are Luxembourgish, German, and French, so when I got to the check-in desk, I asked the man and woman there if they had any available beds in French. They answered that they did, and asked to see my passport. When I handed over an American passport, the woman took it, looked at it quizzically, and remarked in German to the man: "He spoke in French, but he's American." Frankly, she seemed a little amused that she and her colleague could comment on my "odd" behavior without my understanding. The only problem is that I also speak German, and had in fact been studying it in France. So, I explained in German that I'd been living in France, and since French was one of the languages of Luxembourg, I thought it would be more polite to speak in French than in English. I was grateful for a chance to dispel the myth that Americans aren't interested in, or are simply incapable of, learning other languages. To me, any amount of language, from fluency to just a few courtesy expressions, goes a long way in showing respect for the country and culture you're visiting. - New Jersey Tags: American, French, German, Luxembourg, Luxembourgish, newsletter, study abroad
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