This is my first post on this board, I've mostly just lurked here and there(being non-confrontational and all) but I am always amused by this whole mutilingual argument. I always hear the argument that Americans should learn a second language instead of assuming that everyone else should accomodate them by speaking English. After all, other countries' citizens regularly speak 2 or more languages. But of those other countries, what is most commonly the second language they speak? From what I hear and read it is English! Why? Because a lot of people in the world speak at least some English. So someone from Italy can go to France and communicate in English, if necessary. Someone from France can go to Germany and communicate in English if necessary. So if English is so commonly learned as a second language for that reason, what do you recommend an English-speaking person learn as their second language? Personally, I can speak French well enough to get by if I needed to but where does that really do me any good? It probably won't help me in Germany, Norway, Japan, Spain, etc. unless a majority of the population there speaks French as a second language. I think when Americans go to these countries and want to communicate in English, we're seen as spoiled brats who expect special accomodations. When people of other nationalities do it, they aren't viewed with the same hostility. Why? Is it just the assumption that if we ask someone in Germany to speak English it's because we're too stupid or spoiled to learn another language and not because the other language we speak is something other than German? I'm all for Americans learning a second or even third language but let's be realistic, for most people in today's world, whatever language we choose as our second is not going to be as useful to us as English. In the future that may change and we may see another language (even Spanish) become the new "must-have" language. If/when that occurs, I have no doubt that Americans will be up to the task! As for now, I will probably encourage my kids to learn Spanish as a second lnguage because I think in today's society, that will be the most beneficial to them. But, if they choose to learn a different language, well, that's up to them!