44% of the adult Bulgarians do not speak any foreign languages whatsoever, according to an Eurostat survey.
Hungary is first in the ranking - 75% of the adults (aged between 25 and 64) there say they do not speak any foreign languages. It is followed by the UK (65%), Portugal (51%), Spain (47%), Bulgaria (44%), Greece (43%), and France (41%).
An average of 36% of the adults in all of the EU 27 do not speak any foreign languages, according to the Eurostat data. Just as many - 36% - say they use one foreign language, and 28% - that they speak two or more foreign languages.
Norway, which is also included in the survey, boasts the largest percentage of adults speaking two or more foreign languages - almost 75%; it is followed by Slovenia (72%), Lithuania (66%), and Belgium (51,5%).
The UK seems to have the worst prospects as far as foreign language knowledge is concerned with 51,5% of the high school students taking no foreign language classes, and 42,5% taking only one foreign language, most often French. Only 6,1% of the high school students in the UK take two foreign languages. The percentage for Greece is 6,9%, and for Ireland - 8,2%.
At the same time, almost 100% of the high school students in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Finland take at least two foreign languages.
The Eurostat survey is published in advance of the European Day of Languages - September 26, which has been celebrated since 2001 at the initiative of the Council of Europe.
Author: Buddy, 25 Sep 2009 00:07:59
44% of Adult Bulgarians Don't Speak Any Foreign Language
Several % of those 44 % Adult Bulgarians even do not speak BUlgarian at all, since they use and speak only turkish, and do not understand even a word of the gyuar language Bulgarian. The destoryers of contemporay Bulgaria even permited unabated that Turkish sponsored teachers educate the kids of Bulgarian Moslems who over centuries have learned to speak their native mother tongue from their bulgarian moslems mother and Father, in bulgarian in villages like Sarnitza,Belitza,Rossitza etc.in turkish and are continuing the turkish official assimilation policy on the territory of an so called European Union member state...
What next?
Slavyanovo will declare independance from Bulgaria under the protection of the red crescent!
Author: BrianfromLonndon, 25 Sep 2009 12:05:32
Esperanto
I hope that the "European Day of Languages" will encourage many people to learn a new language. Especially in the United Kingdom where the interest in learning language seems to be declining.
Did you know that four schools in Britain have introduced Esperanto, the neutral international language, in order to test its propaedeutic values?
The pilot project is being monitored by the University of Manchester, and I believe the project deserves academic appraisal.
Your readers may be interested in
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670 or
http://www.lernu.net
Author: countryhick, 25 Sep 2009 13:34:31
Esperanto
Hi
Brian
Last time I was in England, a lot of the population couldn't speak it's mother tongue properly, AND...I am astounded that here in Bulgaria the problem is worse....i find it frightening that the basic art of communication is fading away rapidly...in a few generations we'll see chimpanzees reading books, and humans on all fours...LOL
Author: Bill, 25 Sep 2009 13:51:39
Esperanto
People have enough trouble understanding each other in established languages. Thee was no need to create another. In the "old days", the educated spoke Latin, Greek or both. Nowadys, much to the disgust of the French, English has become the world language, and even at that there are a few varieties.
I once saw a cartoon on this subject. Two men were walking along, and one said something in a whole batch of strange letters. He then told his friend, "I've invented a new language so nobody will understand me". The other replies, "What for? You were doing fine with the other".
Author: Hairydave, 25 Sep 2009 14:07:05
44% of Adult Bulgarians Don't Speak Any Foreign Language
Buddy -
Steady up a bit. The "Turkish official assimilation policy" - I don't think you'll find there is an official policy even if you believe within your own paranoia that there is an unofficial one. "So called European Union member state" - no - it is an "official" EU member state, honestly it is. Check the EU website - you are there. Commissioners and money being bled from the richer EU states and so forth.. al signed and sealed.
You worry far too much. Bulgarian isn't governed by anyone anyway. I've noticed the president and the PM and walked past the parliament a few times - but they don't seem to have any formal role in running Bg. In a country where most people treat the laws as optional extras and tax is only paid on a voluntary basis I don't see why it matters which country thinks it is in charge of Bulgaria - none of the residents take the blindest bit of notice anyway.
Author: Hairydave, 25 Sep 2009 14:10:15
Esperanto
I believe that people should stop learning Esperanto, as it is a language of no real relevance (I suppose it is a legitimate hobby though). Schools should stick to languages of use, not of hobby.
Author: Bill, 25 Sep 2009 14:51:17
Language Day
I found this paragraph interesting.
"At the same time, almost 100% of the high school students in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Finland take at least two foreign languages."
I made a very short visit to a university in the Czech Republic. The majority of the students in their English program was now-unemployed Russian teachers.
I have an Estonian correspondent, now living in Finland, who speaks English. I've also met Fins who do, and I was told that English is compulsory in Finnish schools. Most interesting was that whereas--so far as I know-most European schools teach "British" English, Finnish schools teach "American" English.
Author: NellieotAmerica, 25 Sep 2009 15:22:58
Esperanto
I agree with Hairydave. No more dead languages! This means no Esperanto, Latin or Greek! Throw Turkish out while you are at it.
Author: NellieotAmerica, 25 Sep 2009 15:30:08
44% of Adult Bulgarians Don't Speak Any Foreign Language
" Bg. In a country where most people treat the laws as optional extras and tax is only paid on a voluntary basis"
HAHAHAHA! I concur with Hairydave.
Author: Bill, 25 Sep 2009 16:07:51
Esperanto
Nellie:
Agree only part way. Latin and Greek are both useful, because Latin especially is good for teaching English grammar, and many English words are derived from Latin or Greek roots, so some of the background is always helpful.
I was working a puzzle once, and was confronted with multiple-choice question alternatives for a definition of "ameliorate". Recognizing "melior", Latin for "better", gave me the meaning immediately, although I'd never seen the English word before.
Author: NellieotAmerica, 25 Sep 2009 16:15:01
Esperanto
Bill
OK, just for you we will let Latin stand. lol
Author: Bill, 25 Sep 2009 16:17:53
Esperanto
Nellie:
Thanks a heap, but philosophy, biology, galaxy and gyroscope come from Greek roots.
