In Germany everyone learns English at school, just like in the Netherlands from about 10 years old. I think in the big cities which have become more cosmopolitan most young / middle aged people speak english, but in the countryside and rural towns they only speak German. I learned German at school and used to watch german tv when I grew up, but when i'm there I'm more comfortable speaking english with them or my own mix of both lol.
Europeans are very good at learning and speaking multiple languages, probably because the nations are so close together and so closely tied economically. Here in the big, wide USA, a lot of Americans know a bit of Spanish because there are so many Hispanics here, but few are proficient in multiple languages.
Hollander, is Latin still widely taught in European primary schools?
