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From: mlf@grkermi.UUCP (Matt Fichtenbaum)
Newsgroups: net.travel,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Usenet Phrase Guide--request for help
Message-ID: <837@grkermi.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Mar-86 13:27:59 EST
Article-I.D.: grkermi.837
Posted: Wed Mar 19 13:27:59 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Mar-86 07:46:24 EST
References: <1646@mtgzy.UUCP> <248@kvvax4.UUCP>
Reply-To: mlf@grkermi.UUCP (Matt Fichtenbaum)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
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Xref: linus net.travel:2080 net.nlang:3999

>>We found that anywhere we went in Sweden, Denmark or
>>Norway everyone knew English since they must start learning it in 3rd
>>grade.

English has been taught universally in Sweden only since W.W.II, so
the "everyone" of whom you speak probably omits older people.
I have been in many places in Sweden where my imperfect Swedish was
the most effective way for me to communicate with people there.

Furthermore, having studied a language doesn't mean that one is
comfortable speaking it.  Some of the best discussions I have had
with Swedes were in our respective languages - I speaking English
and the other party speaking Swedish.  Speaking a "foreign" language
is much more effort than listening to it.

Conclusion: many people in Scandinavia will be able to communicate
with you in English; some won't, and there will be times that the
latter group are the only ones around.

-- 


			Matt Fichtenbaum
			...Henry VIII, Henry VII, Henry VI, Henry V, Henry IV,
			Henry III, Henry II, Henry I, William Sydney Porter.