Are the British out of touch with their mainland European neighbours?

Ricochet J said:
- Most Europeans I know have the courtesy to learn a foreign language (be it English or what ever). Generally I don't think Brits are susceptible to learn a foreign language for the sake of it, despite it being compulsory in the national curriculum.
Click to expand...

My inability to speak anything but English (And bits of other languages from holidays), brought about by never having been taught a foreign language, would beg to differ ^^.
 
Sure. Will Hutton wrote a great book on this question. The UK is easily the most Atlantic of the European countries, and it's not really sure if it's more European, or more Atlantic. I would say that it's definitely in between.

It was one of Tony Blair's greatest strengths, being as strong in Brussels as he is in Washington. No prime minister before, nor since, has pulled it off with such finesse.
 
cheek kissing is a definite no no gay, just totally gay. unless its a fit bird in which case its fine

learning a second language, Yup done that, I'm fluent in several languages including Teuchter, Weegie and of course English alongside some very pidgin german

as for saying that your European i think someone did that once in Glasgow and was promptly stabbed
 
I've been all over Europe and no bloke has ever tried to kiss me on the cheek so I don't know what clubs the OP goes into.
Most non Brits learn English out of necessity and not for fun.
I have never ever heard any European call themselves a European when I've been on holiday and asked them where they are from.
 
I don't really see why cheek kissing makes Europeans better than us? a simple hello will do without all the OTT posh touchy feely stuff.

English has become the global language so anyone who doesn't learn it is at a disadvantage.

If other nationalities don't feel pride in their nation and want to describe themselves first and foremost as European's that's their choice, I'll just get down to specifics and say England anyone will know from that that I'm a European without having to ask "where in Europe?".

Why can't countries be unique instead of all having to conform with one another?
 
I really hate people who try to imitate Europeans. I've noticed this a lot over the last 10 years, I think it started with Tony Blair's cool Britannia rubbish. All of a sudden it wasn't enough having one of the most noble and understated cultures in the world, you had to try and emulate more trendy ones. All this wine drinking and cheek kissing and fig and parmasan sandwiches and other sorts of European queerity. Why can't people just be proud to be British? You have middle classes emulating the worst cheesy Euro **** and the lower classes emulating the worst cheesy American ****.

Britain is DEAD to me.
 
kwerk said:
I really hate people who try to imitate Europeans. I've noticed this a lot over the last 10 years, I think it started with Tony Blair's cool Britannia rubbish. All of a sudden it wasn't enough having one of the most noble and understated cultures in the world, you had to try and emulate more trendy ones. All this wine drinking and cheek kissing and fig and parmasan sandwiches and other sorts of European queerity. Why can't people just be proud to be British? You have middle classes emulating the worst cheesy Euro **** and the lower classes emulating the worst cheesy American ****.

Britain is DEAD to me.
Click to expand...

Then leave, so we can have a party where you are not invited kwerk.

:p
 
I wouldn't want to go to your party and sit on ikea furniture and drink oringina and eat nutella like a big european gay.
 
I don't know about being out of touch with Europe, we should be out of Europe. I cannot 1 single thing being in Europe has done make my life better or this country.
 
Ricochet J said:
Take this thread with a pinch of humor.

Are the British out of touch with their mainland European neighbours? "What an absurd thing to say" - not really.

Consider this:
- Friends, family (and from what I've seen work colleagues too) in mainland Europe often greet each other by way of cheek kissing.
Click to expand...

I think we reserve that for our lady folk.

- Most Europeans I know have the courtesy to learn a foreign language (be it English or what ever). Generally I don't think Brits are susceptible to learn a foreign language for the sake of it, despite it being compulsory in the national curriculum.
Click to expand...


i remember reading somewhere that natively speaking English makes it harder to learn other languages but that may be ********.

second reason they need to learn another language cause theirs sucks on a world stage :p

- A controversial one: a lot of Europeans I have spoken to cite their origins from Europe, and not France/Spain/Italy/Germany etc.
Click to expand...

Because unlike the British they have nothing to be proud of? :p



Do you think we're out of touch? Sometimes I believe we have more in common with the United States of America than we do with our closest neighbours. Naturally there's nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...

Probably has something to do with centuries (millennia?) of war with them?
 
Telescopi said:
We have less in common with most of America than you think and they certainly don't have much in common with us.
Click to expand...

As someone that goes there quite a lot and speaks with people from there every day at work, working on the same projects as them, very much this.

Not so much the people from the cities on the coasts, they tend to be more outward looking but the people from the inland cities and countryside are just the most remarkably insular people. A working knowledge of the most basic things outside their country would be a plus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom