Cultural Observations: Language Skills

Below is an explanation I received about how Americans and Europeans represent their language skills, as well as two examples.  This is not based on an exact study nor of course representative of everyone.

When you ask a American how he is with a second language, he will say something such "I speak French" or "I'm very good".  When you ask a European how his English is he will respond "it's ok."  Now, when it comes time to speak, the American is often not as good as French as he claimed to be, while the European who says his English is "ok" will sound pretty fluent.

When I was shopping in a store in Vienna the salesman asked me if I needed help in German, I responded asking if he spoke English.  He said "yes, a little."  I then proceeded to ask him a series of questions, and receive answers in fluent English.  At one point he couldn't recall the exact word, but it took me a few seconds to think of it as well.

Before going to France with a German friend, I asked him how his French was - he said, he took it in school for a few years and was pretty good.  As I knew no French, I'd be happy with whatever he knew.  When we went to a car rental agency, he rented the car in French in a conversation which lasted a few minutes.  Now, I of course couldn't understand anything, however, they must have understood him as he was rented the car, and he must have understood them pretty well as he even walked away with some directions.

After inquiring further about the difference, here is what one European told me :

"Well, in general Americans tend to talk things up and Europeans talk things down, one is boasting a bit, the other shows fake modesty.  It is somewhat a result of education, i.e. in school here [Europe] they often rather tell you what you can't do, but they don't mention what you did ok, it is taken for granted.  In America they tell you - you can do great and do anything you want, they boost you from the start. and this seems to carry on in life."

Please leave a comment if you have any more insight.  Thank you.