[Lord Starshadow]

I'd have to say that English is one of the hardest languages to learn. Not the hardest, mind you, but very difficult. And learning to read and write English is just plain awful. So I can see why people don't want to be bothered with learning English. I studied linguistics (the study of language) in college, so I have pretty good knowledge on the subject.

However, I do happen to agree that people should at least attempt to learn the language of their home country, at least enough to be able to communicate. It doesn't mean that they have to give up their native language (in fact, I'm very against that kind of loss), but in order to be a part of the country, the home country's language should be learned.

It really is a shame that many Americans are against learning a new language. Languages are beautiful, and very helpful when traveling abroad. But many Americans seem to think that everyone in the world should speak English and use that as their reason to not learn. It's a terrible attitude that needs to change, and I think it helps fuel the perception that other countries have of Americans, that Americans feel that they are "above" all other countries.