"I read somewhere..."

[SueEllen]

I don't have that experience, and I worked with Northern, Central and South Europeans. Sorry.
But with is I'm not telling you that it's impossible.

These are a mixture of people I've worked with and friends'.

Oh and they write English better than the majority of people on this board, which may have something to do with it.

[Bee]

Nah I make a point of walking off and leaving them to it.

Then coming back and not overhearing/seeing a switch in language.

The people who do it tend to be Northern Europeans and/or learnt English before 7.

I don't have that experience, and I worked with Northern, Central and South Europeans. Sorry.
But with is I'm not telling you that it's impossible.

[SueEllen]

Probably because you are there.

Nah I make a point of walking off and leaving them to it.

Then coming back and not overhearing/seeing a switch in language.

The people who do it tend to be Northern Europeans and/or learnt English before 7.

[Bee]

For you it is but for some of my European friends' it isn't.

I actually find it funny that instead of speaking their mother tongue when with someone else they know or are introduced to from the same country/area they converse in English.

Probably because you are there.

[SueEllen]

This is difficult to apply because in a conversation, if there is no other nations involved we feel stupid if we don't speak our language. It's not related with lack of respect and I believe that it's difficult for a native English speaker to understand because English it's the international language.

For you it is but for some of my European friends' it isn't.

I actually find it funny that instead of speaking their mother tongue when with someone else they know or are introduced to from the same country/area they converse in English.

[SimonMac]

Say its a H&S issue and you can get away with most things!

[DodgyAgent]

I wouldn't, I do exactly the same thing here. I speak their language to them, I follow their customs (mixed naked bathing and beer drinking) and respect their culture (tulip pop music and crap television). It should be natural to do this...

And you also spend much of sad sorry existing pouring scorn on the UK

[Bee]

This is difficult to apply because in a conversation, if there is no other nations involved we feel stupid if we don't speak our language. It's not related with lack of respect and I believe that it's difficult for a native English speaker to understand because English it's the international language.

I worked in an American company (with many nations) for more than 10 years in Portugal and one day our project manager came up with a dumb idea that everybody had to speak English in the office, result, we start laughing with each other and nobody gave a tulip, in addition, we feel that was a lack of respect regarding us, was a scandal and the guy hid in the following days.

[original PM]

Now that is something a foreign national might find offensive, who has been here for almost a decade, has permanent residence, got married, and has paid much more in taxes to HMRC than the average British tax payer. It implies that the welcome is time limited.
I've got a thick skin though, so no worries.

Interesting point - I was not having a go I was actually agreeing with you.

I am off to Germany next weekend - although my German is pretty rubbish I will make sure I can say the basics in the native tongue thats for sure - it's embarrassing if you ever go to a country and cannot say some basic phrases..

Anyway know any good bars in Cologne?

[Bee]

This is difficult to apply because in a conversation, if there is no other nations involved we feel stupid if we don't speak our language. It's not related with lack of respect and I believe that it's difficult for a native English speaker to understand because English it's the international language.

I worked in an American company (with many nations) for more than 10 years in Portugal and one day our project manager came up with a dumb idea that everybody had to speak English in the office, result, we start laughing with each other and nobody gave a tulip, in addition, we feel that was a lack of respect regarding us, was a scandal and the guy hid in the following days.