> > > How's this for cool?
> > > I finally carried on a conversation in Spanish.
> > > Howard
> >
> > First, let me say that having a conversation in a foreign language IS cool. I, too, would like to be able to speak Spanish. But what got me answering to your message is that here in Finland carrying a conversation in a foreign language is not so uncommon. Especially here, in the west coast of Finland, where about 20% of people are Swedish-speaking. Almost every day I carry a conversation in a language that is foreign to one of us. Usually that is the Swedish-speaking person speaking Finnish, but sometimes it's me speaking Swedish. A conversation in English or German can also happen right in the middle of the street in the middle of the day (though I'm not really good in German, and luckily that's more rare).
>
> I'm certainly impressed by your English! Unfortunately, I live in a part of the U.S. where hardly anybody speaks more than one language. Recently, a large number of Mexicans have moved into the area, although we are 1000 miles from Mexico. Now, police and fireman are having to study Spanish. Businesses are looking for people who speak English and Spanish.

Thank you!
Here it is more common to speak two or more languages than one. All of the Swedish-speaking children have to study Finnish from second grade (age 8) and all of the Finnish-speaking children must start learning a foreign language in third grade. For most, that is English, but some study Swedish, some study German, some study French, some study Russian and so on. At age 14 (grade 7) children have to start a second foreign language, which is Swedish for all of those who didn't start it in grade 3 and English for the rest. I personally studied English for 9 years (from grade 3), Swedish for 6 years and German for almost three years.

> I'm impressed by the Mexicans. They have no fear of hard work. They come here without anything and in a short time they are buying cars and even homes. All the time they are sending money home to relatives in Mexico. They also learn English quickly. Kids learn it faster than their parents!

Yes, that is true. Children are fast learners. Here in my home town we have adopted the immersion method from Canada to be used in school for some children. Those children only use English or Swedish (the method is only used in Finnish-speaking schools) in school and their teachers are native speakers of that language. In addition to that, they start English (they who study in Swedish) or Swedish (they who study in English) in grade two. Finnish, of course, is always taught from grade one.

> I have always felt that being bilingual is a gift.
> I suppose that is because I like to travel.

About 20% of the people here are bilingual. Most of them count themselves as Swedish-speaking, but some of them like to be known as Finnish-speaking.

> One more thing, Juho. The first time I saw your name I wondered if you were Hispanic, since their names often end in "o." They would have pronounced it "Who ho!" But you answered that question.
> Howard

That's interesting. The only way people have currently messed my name, is spelling it "Juha", which is a more common form. But "Juho" is not a rare name, either. By the way, we pronounce the "J" in all words much like you pronounce the "Y" in, for example, "you".


Juho


P.S.
I have used the term "foreign language" to describe languages that are not one's native languages. But here in Finland, Swedish is officially known as "second domestic" language, not a foreign language. For instance, every government employee must speak both languages.