Why do English speakers expect the world to know their language?

Question

When an English speaking person enters a foreign country, he or she will most likely ask people if they know English or not.

You don't see Russians who travel to Egypt asking if they know their language, do you?

The top three most spoken languages in the world are (in order): Mandarin, English, and Hindi.

Answer 1

Arrogance, ethnocentrism. They believe that they are the center of the universe

Answer 2

Part of conquering an economy is having a language that everyone speaks. If your country speaks English then you are ready for American Hollywood exports and various merchandise of many varieties.

The most fiscally, culturally, and economically dominant country will always spread its language easily. English is the language of science. In my field, nearly every standard requires English to be the international language. This is a replacement for Latin and Arabic which at one time were the standard (and also to a small extent French). The reason is because it is both smaller and the knowledge transfers better than the unwieldy languages (and scripts) of Mandarin and Indians seem to prefer to learn English than spread their language.

English is compact and understood when mangled. Therefore it is a standard.

Answer 3

Not all English speakers do, but I've heard stories about it happening. My mother went on a tour with a group in Italy, and they went to an authentic italian restaurant. (i.e. no english) and some of the people had the nerve to complain that the servers knew no English. My mother said it was embarassing for her and made Americans look bad. Some (not all) english speakers think the english is THE language to speak, even in foreign nations. When visiting another country, it's good to familiarize yourself with it's languages and customs at least a little bit before you go. Assuming that the people of other nations are going to speak English just because they took it in school is ludicrous. I know people that took spanish for years in school, but now, ten years later, they can't speak any of it. Yes, alot of heads of state speak English, but most regular people don't.

Answer 4

English is a popular language learned as a second language. If someone knows a language other than their mother tongue, the chances of it being English are high. It's also more common for those in Europe and Asia to be multilingual than it is for North Americans. If the chances are good that someone in a foreign country speaks English and you are having trouble communicating in their language, it doesn't hurt to ask I guess.

Answer 5

That's a good question, but not one without an answer.
In international trade and business, English is the most widely used language, so it's only natural that English is used as the main method of communication in the world. For example, students in China are currently learning English in order to prepare themselves for the business world out there. Many heads-of-state speak English as well in order to communicate with the world. :) Hope this helped.

Answer 6

Russian is only spoken in..Russia. Therefore, there's a very, very small chance that someone in Egypt would speak Russian.

English is spoken in many countries. Egypt included. So we don't "expect" the world to know our language, because they probably already do.

I'm not sure, but I think English the second most common language in countries next to Spanish.

Answer 7

Americans have a knack for being ignorant.
Now I admit, English is a widely spoken language and chances are they will find someone who speaks English wherever they are. I wish more Americans would learn second and third languages. Maybe then they'd realize how ugly English really is, much like the American people.
(Sorry about that last part, I just couldn't resist.)

Answer 8

When I travel abroad I make an honest effort to understand the language, but unfortunately most americans are not raised learning other languages. I was only introduced to the idea of a new language in my teens. I wish I had because I've heard it gets harder to learn as you get older. I also think it has to do with proximity. The nearest foreign speaking country is Mexico and I know many many american's who are fluent in Spanish.

Answer 9

Because many people who are English like to travel. And there are people in other countries who take English just like people here take other language classes.

Another reason is that if you come here, the language is english and you should either know it or at least be trying to learn it.

Answer 10

I think the top 2 languages are still English and Mandarin.
I just have to learn to speak and write in English because my husband is English. I guess if he is French, I would learn French or would've learned French - who cares which language is mostly spoken in the world? Home sweet home, is always my motto.

Answer 11

I find it funny that English speakers are considered ignorant when they "travel" to another country without knowing the language. Yet, it is acceptable for people to move to an English speaking country without knowing or learning the language.