Why do most Europeans speak multiple languages?

Originally Answered: How do so many Europeans know multiple languages? People in Europe learn multiple languages because it’s the thing to do, and it’s highly useful. Still, they don’t speak more than one very well. Even in the Netherlands, I found the use of English pretty halting.

Are most people in Europe multilingual?

19\% of Europeans are bilingual, 25\% are trilingual and 10\% speak four or more languages. …

Do Europeans know a lot of languages?

While 46\% of Europeans speak only one language, the majority of Europeans actually do speak more than one language. 54\% of Europeans are able to converse in one or more foreign languages and 10\% of Europeans are impressively able to converse in at least three or more foreign languages.

What is Europe’s largest religious group?

The largest religion in Europe is Christianity, but irreligion and practical secularisation are strong. Three countries in Southeastern Europe have Muslim majorities.

Which country has more polyglots?

Papua New Guinea is the most multilingual country, with over 839 living languages, according to Ethnologue, a catalogue of the world’s known languages.

How many people in Europe are monolingual?

And the current generation is itself well on the way towards that goal: with 46\% of the population, monolingual Europeans are now in the minority. 19\% of Europeans are bilingual, 25\% are trilingual and 10\% speak four or more languages.

How many people in Europe can speak more than one language?

Just over half of Europeans (54\%) are able to hold a conversation in at least one additional language, a quarter (25\%) are able to speak at least two additional languages and one in ten (10\%) are conversant in at least three.

What are the most widely spoken foreign languages in Europe?

The five most widely spoken foreign languages remain English (38\%), French (12\%), German (11\%), Spanish (7\%) and Russian (5\%). Almost everyone in Luxembourg (98\%), Latvia (95\%), the Netherlands (94\%), Malta (93\%), Slovenia and Lithuania (92\% each), and Sweden (91\%) are able to speak at least one language in addition to their mother tongue.

Where are people least likely to be able to speak any foreign language?

Countries where people are least likely to be able to speak any foreign language are Hungary (65\%), Italy (62\%), the UK and Portugal (61\% in each), and Ireland (60\%).