Languages

An article in today's paper said that Australians are falling behind in the area of second language speaking. We are a country of migrants but only a third of the population speaks a language other than English fluently. A percentage of these are of course our own indigenous population. Many Asians and Europeans are multi-lingual and language skills will become more and more important as the world shrinks. Purely English speakers cannot rely on everyone knowing English even though it is widely spoken.

How impressive it is to hear the players in the Australian Open being interviewed in English when it isn't their first language. No doubt many of them could manage an interview in French or another 'foreign to them' language as well.

How many of you can speak more than one language? I can just about manage in French, German and Italian--or I could if I had a brush up. Far from fluent!