Hi Chas,
I think a number of the Europeans actually learn English as part of their schooling.

I have 2nd cousins in Austria & Germany and they speak better English than I do.

The big problem is, what 2nd or 3rd language does one learn. There's 100's of them. Here in Aust. during my school days, if you wanted to learn a 2nd language, it was either French or German ( the latter I can still sort of speak & understand).

Dad's Croatian, mum's Austrian ( I was too),
husband's Australian, daughter in law is Italian. We're a mixed bunch. haahaa

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cgiles:
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