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Consider yourself as lucky ... the official "international business language" in Europe is English

Of course every interlocutor appreciates a few words in his own language.

You might get some ideas from the OECD website. I think it's (OECD is an economic committee, or something...)

Not everyone speaks English, but you can always find SOMEONE who does, it's easily the "universal second language".

German and Russian are also common in Eastern Europe, but younger business people speak English.

in europe people have to learn 2 foreign languages at school...

and there is a lot of people who are able to speak 2 or more languages...

for exemple french and germans usually speak together french or german!

specially when it has to be serious, it is polite to speak the language of your partner...

desf2 wrote:

in europe people have to learn 2 foreign languages at school...

and there is a lot of people who are able to speak 2 or more languages...

for exemple french and germans usually speak together french or german!

specially when it has to be serious, it is polite to speak the language of your partner...

True!! You have to learn two languages at school, but was in high school in France and trust me, after some many years, I could hardly speak with native.
It's when you open yourself to other countries that you want to learn!

But nowadays, quite a lot of people can speak two languages or none...

But trully, it's better to speak, at least a little bit, the language of your partner! It shows that you care.

Of course, english is the language to know, i personnaly don't even think it should be optionnal.

Kro