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Yeah but Europe's got awesome countries all over the place right next door. All we've got is Mexico and Canada. All the cool countries are sooo far. In Europe you can just hop on a train.
How INCREDIBLY condescending. "all we've got is Mexico and Canada."
And most Americans have been to neither. And tend to disparage both, despite their complete lack of personal experience of either. In a word, parochial.
1st, My family is not typical. We all speak English; My son and I speak Spanish; He also takes Japanese; My daughter is from China, so my (late) wife and I speak a little Cantonese; My wife was fluent in French. This does not make us cosmopolitan or liberal. It does mean that our outlook is more broad-based (Another antonym of parochial.) toward other cultures.
2nd - Language skills are a good positive indicator, but not a good negative indicator. My mother could only speak English and was born among hillbillies in Arkansas. Her father was a whiskey tenor with a traveling gospel quartet and a first class piano tuner in Southern Oklahoma and North Texas. She got to see all the big bands of the era through her dad's backstage passes. In 1945, she went to college at SMU. While there, she roomed with a Brahman woman from Delhi and sang soprano in the university show choir. The show choir traveled to 36 performances in 7 countries and 9 states. She decided to become a gracious Southern Hostess, arguably the best woman's role available in the US in 1948. She achieved that and raised 4 boys. She lived her life as a gracious Christian Southern woman by her own choice. Although you would have expected her to be parochial, she was not.
In the United States, hers is a typical story. Sure, there are lots of people who have never been more than 100 miles away from home, but they are the minority.
[1 point]3 years ago by JWBrothersReplyEdited 3 years ago by JWBrothers
Having lived in several different countries it is my impression that Americans (on average) do indeed have less knowledge of - and interest in - other countries than people elsewhere.
Not really a question of language. Here in Europe if four people from, say, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Spain meet they will almost certainly communicate in English.
This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)
I feel that we are about the same as any where else.
Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded two years ago by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan. [www.fredjsmilek.com]
United Kingdom
Fewer than 13% of American citizens have ever had a passport.
Most Americans would think you were asking about attending a Catholic school (parochial school).
And most of them can't spell it, either.
Yes we are, but no more so than anywhere else in the world and less than most.
I really can't agree. Most of Europe speaks at least two languages and travel outside their country of birth.
Yeah but Europe's got awesome countries all over the place right next door. All we've got is Mexico and Canada. All the cool countries are sooo far. In Europe you can just hop on a train.
Which doesn't make Americans any less parochial. ;o)
Beat me to it.
How INCREDIBLY condescending. "all we've got is Mexico and Canada."
And most Americans have been to neither. And tend to disparage both, despite their complete lack of personal experience of either. In a word, parochial.
Really? Less than most, you say? How many languages do you speak, JW?
That's the wrong question Plawler.
1st, My family is not typical. We all speak English; My son and I speak Spanish; He also takes Japanese; My daughter is from China, so my (late) wife and I speak a little Cantonese; My wife was fluent in French. This does not make us cosmopolitan or liberal. It does mean that our outlook is more broad-based (Another antonym of parochial.) toward other cultures.
2nd - Language skills are a good positive indicator, but not a good negative indicator. My mother could only speak English and was born among hillbillies in Arkansas. Her father was a whiskey tenor with a traveling gospel quartet and a first class piano tuner in Southern Oklahoma and North Texas. She got to see all the big bands of the era through her dad's backstage passes. In 1945, she went to college at SMU. While there, she roomed with a Brahman woman from Delhi and sang soprano in the university show choir. The show choir traveled to 36 performances in 7 countries and 9 states. She decided to become a gracious Southern Hostess, arguably the best woman's role available in the US in 1948. She achieved that and raised 4 boys. She lived her life as a gracious Christian Southern woman by her own choice. Although you would have expected her to be parochial, she was not.
In the United States, hers is a typical story. Sure, there are lots of people who have never been more than 100 miles away from home, but they are the minority.
Nor does it make you liberal--another antonym for parochial.
Having lived in several different countries it is my impression that Americans (on average) do indeed have less knowledge of - and interest in - other countries than people elsewhere.
Not really a question of language. Here in Europe if four people from, say, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Spain meet they will almost certainly communicate in English.
This comment has been moderated down. (Show Comment)
I feel that we are about the same as any where else.
Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded two years ago by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan. [www.fredjsmilek.com]
Some are, some aren't. Most atheists are not.