Here is an interesting fact, only one in four Americans knows a second language. Not really a big surprise to me. I took Spanish in High School and for a while I could actually speak passably well. Unfortunately when you don't use it you lose it and while I understand enough to get by I can't say I can maintain a conversation. I have it on my bucket list to brush up on the language but I have always wanted to learn French. I finally took the plunge and bought the Rosetta Stone French program. They say it works. I'll keep you posted.
This article was in the Sunday Washington Post Travel section. I certainly understand why Americans might not want to travel to a foreign country. If everything goes ok than travel is fine but if something goes wrong and you face a situation where the people you are dealing with have limited English speaking skills you might run into difficulty. But really shame on us Americans for not learning at least one additional language. Sure it is a requirement to take a second language in middle and high school but wouldn't it be great to teach languages to elementary school children. It is so much easier to learn another language at that age.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/confronting-problems-abroad-it-helps-if-you-parla-italiano-or-another-language/2014/02/06/82435a32-8aa2-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html
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