Almost All Slovenians Can Speak One Foreign Language

Well if Slovene and Croat teenagers communicate in English, then it is not a similar language?
I do not speak Croatian very well mostly because I am afraid that I will use a Serb word and offend the other party, but I speak Slovene to them and they understand me quite well and I understand them. The grammar is similar, the words are similar or sometimes the same with the different pronounciation and accent.

I live in Slovenia for almost 8 years, and it has been quite a pleasant experience.

I understand where Luis is coming from with sticking to English - people here (especially younger generation) are able to communicate quite well. However, I do speak Slovene (enough to get by at home or in the office anyway) and it really adds a lot of value.

If I had to make the decision again I would definitely do it all over again.

Languages have characters. Even with little or no understanding of the words, most would agree that French is a romantic tongue, a language of food and intimacy.

Similarly we can tell German is the language of precision, efficiency, and Volkswagens.

So why would anyone want to learn the language of self‑preening narrow-mindedness, chauvinism, xenophobia, misguided pride, jealousy, racist blame-mongering, petty bureaucracy, backstabbing, inefficiency and moneygrubbing corruption at all levels of society, tired imitation, pretentious pseudo-intellectualism, the language of cretinous alcoholism, tobacco damage to children, widespread environmental carcinogenesis, entrenched religious and other ideological nuttery and crap, monotonous food?

The answer is simple (not simple enough for Ptuj though). We don't.

Welll, Ajda I' don't agree with you that is Croation similar Slovene. Why beetwen croation and Slovene teenagers communicate on english.

Regards

Just to comment Simon's first commentary - Croatian as a language is quite similar to Sloveve, so we only have 3 different languages to be "worried" about.
I do agree however that if the survey has just asked "How well do you speak a foreign language" most Slovenes would probably say "Very good" even if that is not the case in reality.
Charlie B. - you can connect with me, if you want.

Hey Simon. Do you work in LJ or MB ? I live in MB and... there is a big different between those 2 cities. Regarding the people behavior

I live here now 10 years and still I do not speak sloven. Its because one can perfect get along with english or german.

Anybody on here I can connect with on LinkedIn?

I have never encountered any problems and as you say, why should LJ or MB be any different to any other EU city/large town? If I could find the right role I would be over there like a shot. Every weekend in Bohinj would be ideal!

Sounds like a fellow sufferer to me. http://www.a2z.si/arses

Charlie B. Dont get me wrong - truely is a wonderful place to live and what I have experienced is vastly the minority - usually driven by drink and the younger generation still at university - to be fair probably no different to any other town or city in the EU. The thing is, its so much more noticable here because its totally not the norm. Dont be put off. Come and live here!

I did envy the fact that you live in Slovenia, until I read your first comment regarding the abusive English invective you've suffered. I have been to Slovenia eleven times and harbour hopes of living and working there. Where have you found these problems to be at their worst?

Charlie B, work for a global brand company in the electrical field and just happen to live here since the wife is from here. I travel constantly.

What do you do for a living in Slovenia, Simon?

That's the main reason we assimilate so well into other societies.At times(sadly)at cost of forgetting our own lingo.

I recently visited Ljubljana in April this year and was incredibly impressed by the way a lot of Slovenians spoke excellent English. When I queried this with local people that I met, I was told that it was taught at an early age in school. I also visited the Gimnajiza Ledina in Ljubljana to see if I could sit inn on an English lesson but at the time of my visit, there wasn't one scheduled. I now hope that my comments are now relevant.

Does the survey take into account that Slovenia has boarders with 4 other countries all with significantly different languages?
As an English foreigner living in the county it can hardly be said that being bombarded with a tirade of foul and abusive English words from a minority of Slovenes who clearly do not want foreigners here, counts as being able to "speak" a foreign language