If you lived on a border of a country that speaks different languages how is it chosen what language you speak? If you lived on the border do you just learn both languages?
Or is it more if you lived even like 500 meters of a border do you learn the language of the country your in? Do people choose it based on nearest popular city to where they’re at?
I mean… Babies and small children don’t “choose” what language to learn, they just pick up whatever’s spoken regularly around them. So whatever their families and community speak, same as everyone else?
Language isn’t defined by borders. What people speak in an area is what they grew up speaking and have learned to speak.
Such people are sometimes called Grenzemensch (border person). They grow up speaking multiple languages and don’t even realize til they’re older that the languages are different. They just think you have to talk to Uncle Fritz one way and Grandma Mireille a different way.
Love that German seems to have a word for everything. Neat.
Yes we do have a word for everything: alles.
I do love German humor
Why is there so little crime in Germany?
Because it is illegal.
Or is it more if you lived even like 500 meters of a border do you learn the language of the country your in?
That tends to be how it’s done. States tend to be rather protective of their official language, and it’s generally impractical to send your children to school in a different country. Being somewhat proficient in the other country’s language is quite common, but to truly be bilingual you pretty much need to be some kind of ethnic or religious minority.
Also depends a lot on the relationship between the countries and languages; some borders are easier to cross, and some languages easier to learn.
