Of Western Europe's five biggest nations, who are generally the best linguists?

**Tooting Carmen** · 03-01-2019, 10:32 PM

Believe it or not, and stereotypes notwithstanding, I'd actually say it is the French.

Although a higher percentage of Germans speak fluent English than do the French, their knowledge of other foreign languages is actually lower. By contrast, sizable percentages of French people know not just English but also Spanish, Italian and/or German.

**Tooting Carmen** · 03-02-2019, 01:48 AM

bump

**Mingle** · 03-02-2019, 02:08 AM

Obviously not the British or French. Between the Germans, Spaniards, and Italians; I'd chose the Germans simply cause they speak better English than the Spanish or Italians do.

https://www.vox.com/2014/6/11/579967...-speak-english

**Tooting Carmen** · 03-02-2019, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by Mingle

Obviously not the British or French. Between the Germans, Spaniards, and Italians; I'd chose the Germans simply cause they speak better English than the Spanish or Italians do.

https://www.vox.com/2014/6/11/579967...-speak-english

But we should take into account knowledge of ALL foreign languages, not just English.

**Erronkari** · 03-02-2019, 02:52 AM

Probably germans IMO.
And if dutch people were in the poll I would chose them.

**Mingle** · 03-02-2019, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by Tooting Carmen

But we should take into account knowledge of ALL foreign languages, not just English.

I know that, but I didn't find data on ALL foreign languages so I just used English.

**Bellbeaking** · 03-02-2019, 03:05 AM

not french

**Ayetooey** · 03-02-2019, 03:07 AM

Britain is the worst in the whole of Europe, and France is the second worst. Waste of time even putting either in the poll; should replace with Belgium and Netherlands.

**Daco Celtic** · 03-02-2019, 03:21 AM

The Germans. They speak better English than most Americans. No joke

**jingorex** · 03-02-2019, 04:07 AM

once summer i took a trip to greece with a german girl.

we met a lot of different people and they spoke a lot of different languages that she could understand and sometimes even pigeon speak.

if she didnt understand the language she could at least identify it.

she was no polyglot but i was impressed.

but she could just be an anomaly; 'who are the best linguists' is somewhat a bit of a hetorical question.

the BEST linguist is officially an old jew communist, living off of the USA...Noam Chomsky.