There are definitely some stubborn people in the US, but I think a lot of it has to do with proximity honesty. Over in Europe you have 30(?) different countries that are all in the same space as like half of our whole country. I'm actually just guessing there, don't quote me on that. What I am saying though is that there is so much crossover it almost becomes necessary. Over here you can drive for six hours and still be in the same state!
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Very true. Well these days there are a large number of Spanish speakers everywhere in the States (last time I visited my hometown, I was amazed that so many signs now also have Spanish in addition to the English and I was hearing it all over), and there are still pockets of German speakers here and there. Brits and South Africans are also low on the second language scale and they don't have that excuse. Aussies are even lower on the second language scale than Americans, but I suppose that have an even better excuse that we do. I think for English speakers it's more an attitude of everything is in English, so what's the point.
Anyway, like I wrote above with universal translator, someday much sooner than we think there will really be no more need to learn a language. So I'm not really arguing that it's a necessity. I just think the practice itself is a useful one both for our brain and for helping us understand other cultures better, which increases empathy and understanding so the world benefits.
Yeah, I get where you are coming from. I just know a lot of it here isn't necessarily arrogance. Although that is probably the way it comes across a lot of times. A universal translator would be totally awesome!