The E.U. Your opinions?

So, when on vacation in say Portugal, Greece or Norway you'd speak german and be amazed if none of them understood you?
Ive been in most european countries and most people (especially young people) know enough english to communicate at some level. I dont think that many outside germany understand or speak german at the same level they do english.

I live in Denmark. When I went to school german was mandatory. It isnt anymore, and english is being taught from the 3th grade I belive. Most young danes cant communicate in german or even understand the meaning of simple sentences writen in german - and we share borders with germany and germany is our most importend export market.

you come up with dwarf nations that are absolutly unimportant. At evry holiday i was all there at hotel did speak german. If not they get no german tourists. We are the biggest nation in europe and the Nr. 1 economy. I don´t go into a hotel that don´t speak german.

Its fact, that german is most spoken native language in europe and its 2nd most spoken second language in europe. Right after english and far infront french.

If you don´t believe, check the facts.

German (Deutsch, )) is a West Germanic Language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken mother language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by about 80 million non-native speakers. Standard German is widely taught in schools, universities and Goethe Institutes worldwide.

German is the main language of about 90–95 million people in Europe (as of 2004), or 13.3% of all Europeans, being the second most spoken native language in Europe after Russian, above French (66.5 million speakers in 2004) and English (64.2 million speakers in 2004). It is therefore the most spoken first language in the EU. It is the second most known foreign language in the EU. It is one of the official languages of the European Union, and one of the three working languages of the European Comission, along with English and French. Thirty-two percent of citizens of the EU-15 countries say they can converse in German (either as a mother tongue or as a second or foreign language).This is assisted by the widespread availability of German TV by cable or satellite.

btw you live in an unimportant 3rd world nation. I care as much about danish learning german as i care about people in Mali learning german.

Come back when you have become a real nation.

The only people that speak German, are the Germans themselves and people that have the misfortune to live in tourist destinations Germans frequent.

Everyone else has the good sense to know a globally useful language like English, Spanish, or French.

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You are a funny man - or at least I hope you are? Oder vielleicht Ossies haben eine andere Mentalität zu Wessies. I speak German as my second language while living in Germany. In business meetings when engaged with other European nationalities we speak English. If I am the only Brit in a meeting with Germans - technically they should speak English but we often speak German.

My son speaks native German and native English so I need to understand your language to keep up with him apart from that it has not been a necessity to learn German even though I live here.

If you take a merely European point of view you are right about Germans importance by weight of numbers. But as almost all top German companies recognise the global International business language is English and Germanys global export success has a lot to do with their proficiency in the English language. Germany is a global player not merely a European one. For that reason is recognises the preeminence of the English language. On a global level your choice is simple. Learn my language or go learn Mandarin. Mine is a lot easier as most Germans have already proven.

Of course the Chinese consider Deutschland an "unwichtig ein kleines Land auf einer Halbinsel in Asien". Can you believe such arrogance!?

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Great and small they rise and fall but the Lord, He is God forever!!!
Ein Englander in Deutschland.
يا أيها الذين الشفاه الجافة هي، والحفاظ يبحث عن المياه.
تلك الشفاه الجافة دليل على أن في نهاية المطاف سوف تصل المصدر
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

The EU? Well, I'm against socialism and proud of it. Also, it depends what it is. For example, Germany is against homeschooling and christians had their children taking away from them- this is a disgrace and against human rights. This is a very negative thing. I'm sure I can find something positive.

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-Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
-Abortion - 45 million dead babies and growing
**Proverbs 6:16-17 - states that there are seven things that are an abomination to the Lord; one of them is the shedding of innocent blood.
Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind, Albert Einstein.
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In addition, a leader in turkey wanted to be part of the EU union but they wouldn't let him in it for good reason. So the leader of turkey got upset and said they were a "christian group". EU I don't believe will expand into the middle east because the EU are secular humanist with a former christian history and the middle east citizens are muslim - very fundamentally different core values here.

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-Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
-Abortion - 45 million dead babies and growing
**Proverbs 6:16-17 - states that there are seven things that are an abomination to the Lord; one of them is the shedding of innocent blood.
Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind, Albert Einstein.
Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God,
Benjamin Franklin

I think part of this whole socialism image to Europe is a cultural difference with the USA. Europe has always had a more paternalistic society where individuals were catered for by the state or the state church. Americans have always had more individual freedoms in practice. The two cultures are different but complement each other quite well in the grand scheme of things.

Regarding homeschooling it is forbidden in Germany as it was in the USA in many states until recently. Its not forbidden in the UK or France or even Austria. My understanding is that if you argued on religious grounds you might qualify for one of the rare exception clauses in the German law. But overall this is a state based education system and one could argue strongly that this could possibly be a violation of certain human freedoms and in practice of freedom of worship as not all parents can afford the legal costs. Also I think it demonstrates a certain kind of determination in the German government not to tolerate the same level of diversity in Germany as is found in America, They are especially afraid of parallel religious culures and in Germany that is more likely to be Muslim in character than Christian and could end up extremist also. I understand concerns that this may be eroding the ability of some people to attain the same levels of spiritual freedom as in the USA

However I have no problem with my kids going to a German state school so long as I am there to help them work through the questions that may raise for their faith. In the end they will have to operate in this world and the earlier they work through these questions the better. I agree to some extent this may distort their thinking about important matters for a time but in the long run I hope and trust they will be the stronger for having worked these challenges through and better able to communicate their faith to others also.

Homeschooling verboten | The German Way Expat Blog

Regarding children being taken away from Christian homes. There was the example below which I suppose is the one you are referring to. It does look like Germany is quite determined to stamp out homeschooling before it even really begins here. But given other EU countries are not doing this this may backfire on them in the long run and leave them as a sort of conservative backwater without freedom of thought or speech and an education system that is not flexible enough to deal with the challenges of the modern world.

Germany Declares War on Home-Schoolers - Christian World News - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

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Great and small they rise and fall but the Lord, He is God forever!!!
Ein Englander in Deutschland.
يا أيها الذين الشفاه الجافة هي، والحفاظ يبحث عن المياه.
تلك الشفاه الجافة دليل على أن في نهاية المطاف سوف تصل المصدر
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

Actually it was the population of Turkey as well as the political elite. At the start of the process support for joining the EU was around 80% in Turkey: it's fallen significantly since given all the obstruction there's been.
Actually it was pretty much Merkel and Sarkozy that said this, or at least aides to them did, not an accusation on Turkey's part. Germany has a vested interest in not allowing Turkey access, namely it doesn't want a return to the probems of the 1980's and resurgent neo-Nazism on the back of increased Turkish immigration, which was a big sticking point for many during that period. Ditto French concerns regarding youth joblessness and what many in France see as an increasingly 'criminal underclass'. Saying that they're a Christian group is a smokescreen to avoid admitting to internal problems. I can dig out the links if you want, seeing as I did a term paper on Turkey's membership submission.
That's one reason. There are many, many others, mainly to do with problems fulfilling the acquis and questions regarding overstretching with the latest round of enlargements.

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It's another attempt at the continental bloc of Napoleon and, more recently, Adolph Hitler. You'd think Europeans would learn, but they never do.

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