There are some disadvantages which must at least be mentioned. We in Britain are in danger of turning this asset into arrogance, insularity and complacency. Since there is no commercial pressure on us to learn any particular foreign language, we tend as a nation to be very bad learners of other languages.. This cuts us off from the ability to appreciate fully the culture of others, and denies us the ability to make the wonderful outward gesture of using someone elses own language. Both personally and commercially, most British people do not know what they are missing, and our competitors are well able to take advantage of this weakness.
Busy and important people nowadays travel a lot and find themselves frequently attending meetings and giving talks, which have to be in English although everyone else shares a common language. It would improve the situation if on each occasion the unfortunate monolingual were to give a simple and sincere apology. The old adage that if you just speak English loudly enough everyone will understand, is truer than ever before, but is getting less and less effective.
In practical terms, of course, the person restricted to English could not be expected to speak all sorts of other languages, and this is an inhibiting factor anyone else knows exactly which language is best worth investing in. But we native speakers of English should always be kept conscious of the fact that we frequently force our friends, customers and colleagues into a disadvantageous position. Which English?
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