The UK in fact gets out of its way to provide translated material and even translators and interpreters for immigrants in many languages, something Spain doesn't do. So its "not expected that everyone who comes here should speak good English". Definitely not to the extent French or German are "expected" in France or Germany, I don't think.
The fact that English speakers have come to expect foreigners to speak English wherever they go is a different story - may have to do with the British Empire, may have to do with English being lingua franca. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
If there were communication difficulties, rather than acknowledging it as a two way thing, the blame was put entirely on the tourists which I always thought was a little unfair. Ad astra per aspera
To avoid resentment when travelling in Europe, I'd have to learn upwards of five languages.
There's a case for French and German, perhaps for Spanish, but if you try to include all possible languages in the school timetable they could eat it alive.
A more interesting plan might be to start a Euro-literacy project for the UK, with subsidised holidays and visits, evening classes, and family exchanges.
This assumes that the government would be pro-EU, which clearly it isn't. But I think for many adults school - especially not school in the UK - is not the best way to teach anyone about being an EU citizen.
No, the resentment doesn't come from not speaking the host language but from expecting the hosts to speak yours.
Except that, apparently, Britons do resent tourists who don't speak English, from what In Wales says. When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
