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Sunday, June 11, 2006

Australian envoys lacking language skills of diplomacy

Australian envoys lacking language skills of diplomacy:

"CUTBACKS and a lack of departmental focus are being blamed for the ambassadors in Australia's most sensitive regional embassies being unable to hold basic conversations in the local language."

Aren't other countries supposed to switch to English when we get there? I am embarrassed when I go overseas. Most Australians stay with each other and the tourist pack. Once they do break the language barrier...which can be very hard to get them to do, they actually pick language skills up with great enthusiasm. Australians think foreigners are the only ones who should speak another language. They think only Italians should speak Italian. It's time for a head set change because there are quite a few Australians now who have broken that heaadset and who are doing great things...because we are good at languages , we just have to go elsewhere to find out. Time to come up to speed. Allez-y. A l'attaque!!

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