![](https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2015/11/04/wir-haben-oesterreicher-auf-englisch-nach-ihren-englisch-kenntnissen-gefragt-489-body-image-1446654551.jpg?output-quality=75)
Anzeige
Anzeige
Denise, 21
![](https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images-crops/2015/11/04/wir-haben-oesterreicher-auf-englisch-nach-ihren-englisch-kenntnissen-gefragt-489-body-image-1446656976-size_1000.jpg?output-quality=75)
Denise: Yeah … I don't know. I can speak English with people, but I don't know if I understand every word an American would say. A new study finds that our English skills are pretty much OK, but not too well developed. What do you have to say about that?
I think it's OK but it could be better. Because of the bilding in school and something like that. Could be better. How often do you have to speak English in your everyday life?
Sometimes, not so often in Austria, but when I make a journey or on holiday or something else. Sometimes I watch films in English for example. What's your favorite English word?
Awesome! Do you say it a lot?
Yeah, with friends, for fun. Do you actually understand the lyrics of the songs you listen to?
Yes! What music do you listen to?
What is playing on the radio.
Paul, 25
Paul: There are some level, from A to C I would say … B. Not perfect, but yes, it's OK. What would you say, how well do Austrians speak English in general?
I think it's good—not that good like in England, because it's their mother language, but better than in France or Japan. I was there and this was terrible there. Do you enjoy speaking English? Do you like the language?
With foreigners sure, but not with Austrian. Because of the … … the accent?
Yeah! That's the problem in our language. Do you speak other foreign languages?
I'm half Japanese, half Austrian, so I speak a little Japanese. How important is English in your everyday life?
On a higher level, like in university, it's very important. I'm a student at FH Technikum („Ef Hey" ausgeprochen, Anm.). English is very necessary in electronics. But in everyday life you need some words—not the whole thing, but some words.
Anzeige
Moneyboy-Fans verwendenselbst wenn sie German talkenzu fast 50 % die englische Language:
Martina, 58
Martina: Not very good. It's just enough to travel around and get all the things I use, I can help anybody if he ask me: "Where is this, where is that?". But if I want to talk really, about serious things, I see there are not enough vocabularies. When it gets hard, i'm lacking of the words. A new study says that the English skills of Austrians are not bad, but they have been better in the past, compared to other countries. It's a little bit better than the English of Germans, though.
Really? Yes! What do you think, how well do Austrians speak English overall?
Not that well. I am always laughing when im out in other countries and I hear other people speak English. It's always the same, I can tell: From Austria or Germany. You hear it. It's the same like when you hear somebody from India, Indian English is quite different. How important is English in your everyday life?
It's very important and it's increasing. It's getting more important day by day. And I think it's very important to learn and to study it. Do you need it on your job?
Not really—I'm a teacher, but for little children, special kinds of children. And they don't really need English in their lives. But for all the other children, I think it would be better to get native speakers to our schools, so the children hear the right English. Our teachers are not that well and the children don't learn it right. And then they speak the same. What's your favorite English word?
Overwhelming.
Anzeige
Klaus, 60+ (according to Klaus)
I think not perfectly. I am not very use to it. According to a new study, our English skills are now worse than those of people in Poland or Slovenia.
I cannot say if it's true what you say, but I would be a little bit surprised. Because in Austria there is English education in schools. English was taught to my generation and even the generation before in Austria. If you say the eastern countries are better in this language I am surprised, because I thought they were taught Russian and the languages from the eastern countries. Do you enjoy speaking English?
Not really, because I think English in general is a more poor language than the German language. You have very much more possibilities in the German language than in English, where nearly each word have a broad spectrum of meanings. Do you watch movies in English?
Seldom, but from time to time.What's your favorite English word?
I never thought about it, but let's say … Queen.Great! Can I take a picture of you?
No, sorry. Can I take a picture of your dog?
Yeah, and then you can write that you spoke to the dog!
Christian ,18, and Joshua, 19
Christian: I'm from Vienna.
Joshua: And I'm from L.A. Christian, how well do you speak English?
Christian: I think my English is quite well. I don't know, I can't measure it myself. Joshua, what would you say, is his English good?
Joshua: It's perfect. How good are the English skills of the Austrian people in general?
Joshua: I'd say it's on par with Germans, but also as well as the English of people from nordic countries, or from Amsterdam. Are there a lot of countries where people speak English worse than here?
Joshua: Almost any other country. In France it's absolute rubbish. Spain—it could be a lot better there. Asia could improve a lot as well. And in the Middle East English is borderline useless. Christian, where did you learn to speak English that well?
Christian: Trough movies for example, I watched TV in English a lot. A also went to America and England a few times, for a couple of weeks. I did't learn that much in school.
Joshua: Austrians have a strange accent sometimes when they speak English. What's your favorite English word?
Christian: Fuck. Folgt Tori auf Twitter: @TorisNest