I was required to speak German when I worked in Germany and Italian when I worked in Italy, so I have no idea where this myth has originated that Brits don't have to speak a foreign language to work abroad. If I wanted to be a barmaid in Magaluf, probably English would be enough... but professionals, or at least people who are serious, need to speak the language.

Is it a fortune? It's a small number of people to start with, and then a smaller number who wind up in a situation where they need an interpreter, it doesn't strike me as something that would cost a lot in the grand scheme of things.
And if they need help, we help them because of the benefits they and their future generations can bring to the country (as well as being because they want to improve their lives), there's a lot of british people today who work and pay into the system and boost our economy who live here because they had ancestors who emigrated here.

I think that's one of the reasons.

It is very expensive.

I worked at a large college in East London where over 100 languages are recognised, and believe me, the bill for translators was enormous.

When needing to be sure a patient understands the risks of a procedure or the potential side effects of medications before agreeing to them they have to use trusted professional interpreters to provide the correct information.

I don't think you understand the significance of that.

This expense could be avoided and the money go to better use if people bothered to learn the language.

In my work, I have come across people who do not speak English, however I've found they often have a relative that does,so no official translator needed.

In fact it has been interesting for me to actually pick up the odd sentence of their language.
My guess,I don't know for certain, is that probably many could have a family member better versed as to English to ensure ease of communication more.

In certain areas professionals are required as explained above.

I don't know enough Brits living in France to be able to comment on their language skills but would hope that the sensible ones will learn enough language to communicate.

Well to work here I guess you would have to understand what is expected of you, and make yourself understood so I would say yes.

I think everyone should make an effort to learn the language of wherever they move, yes. That applies to both those who come here and those who leave us.

If an English person moves to France and they have been claiming job seekers allowance in the UK, so long as they can prove they are looking for work, they can claim the equivalent in France. To get medical treatment they can use their EU health card (E111) and claim it back from the UK or if they intend staying, then they have to pay into the French tax system where they will receive a carte vital which puts them in the French medical system. French people coming to the UK use the same system but the problem with the British system is, the administration that is supposed to recover costs is questionable. This isn't the fault of the government or the fault of the person receiving treatment. Its the fault of a flawed administration that don't put the claims through.

Our home in France isn't a tourist area and so the small clusters of English families tend to fit in with the French and that includes speaking the language. I have met English people who just don't bother but they more likely live in large ex-pat communities.

The thing about the Brits is, unlike many of our European cousins, they aren't taught a different language at a young age. Romanians for example will learn Russian, English and French from infant school upwards. British kids don't normally start learning French/Spanish/German till senior school and language class isn't taken seriously. Most kids leaving British schools will speak little to no other language.

This means, when we go abroad for a holiday, we can usually rely on those foreigners speaking our language. If we go and live abroad, we can usually get by, by learning the minimum. For those that do make the effort to learn the language of the country who is hosting them, good for them but we have to be sympathetic to those with learning disabilities, elderly people (who often find a new language very difficult) and certain types of dyslexia which makes learning a new language almost impossible. We must carry those same sympathies over to foreigners in Britain with the same problems.

This. Working in tourist spots around the world is different to actually working within that country.

Speaking English before arrival should not be mandatory. Making a (real) effort to learn the language after arrival, if intending to stay long term, should be. There's a pretty major difference there I think.

:clap1::clap1:

Yeah, if people are expecting them to do a degree in English language in Calais before coming over then I have bad news. :nono:

I love the notion that holiday reps are on par with foreign doctors and teachers in importance and rank. :joker:

A woman handing out flyers in Magaluf for "5 free blow jobs with every fish bowl" is not a professional in any sense of the word.

Would have to get the blowjob first to be able to make such a final statement.

Just posting things like this without any source or statistics to back it up is silly.

Please show us where the wages being paid to interpreters is crippling our economy.

:joker:

Some people just see "Big Numbaz" and don't understand what they actually represent.

A quick google shows that the NHS spends £23,000,000 on translators per year. DAS BIG NUMBAZ! Economy panic!

... ... it's actually 0.0002% of the NHS budget. :joker:.

:hehe:

I work in the NHS and have arranged interpreters. How do you propose I show you the statistics of that then.

I hardly said it was crippling the economy, no dramatics please, I said it is taking money away from other areas where it is desperately needed which it is. Who knows maybe one of those who would miss out as a result would be a relative/friend of yours.

Why should others suffer because of people who can't be bothered to learn the language of the country they have chosen to live in and much needed money has to be spent on interpreters for them instead where it is really needed.

That's like saying "Let's not pay administrators for entering data into the computer, the money spent on their wages can be used elsewhere". You're being ridiculous.

Nobody is suffering because the NHS hired interpreters. You sound bigoted.

No dramatics? Yet you are overdramatising this very topic.