How Strong Are European Foreign Language Skills?

Europe is considered a model for foreign language teaching, and Americans are often impressed by Europeans' foreign language skills. Indeed, nearly all European students study at least one foreign language, and many study two or even three. Lessons are mandatory and start at any time from the beginning of primary school to high school, depending on the country.

Surprisingly, the number of adults claiming to speak a foreign language is relatively low, especially among native English speakers: a 2004 survey showed that only one in ten British workers could speak a foreign language. And what about the widespread belief that "everybody in Europe speaks English"? Don't count on it. Language skills vary widely, even among businesspeople, although universities and business schools are making more and more efforts to turn out English-speaking graduates.

Document translation and interpreting are thus frequently necessary when dealing with European businesses. Count on Language Translation Inc. to help your company do business in Europe. We have served the U.S. and countries abroad for over 17 years with professional document translation, conference interpreting, and software/website localization services. "We speak your language...and theirs."

Betty Carlson