One of the most frustrating experience I have had with expat Americans was a friend of my husband who had been living in France for 10 years when I met him, but still did not speak a word of French (and his wife was French). It surprised me because it seemed so illogical, but he expected everybody to speak English. Unfortunately, this is an attitude that is fairly prevalent, and it is not surprising, given the way languages are taught and the lack of urgency American people feel about speaking another language (teaching of a foreign language is not that great in France either, according to my son who is unimpressed by his masters's classmates (he is doing a master of Chinese in Bordeaux) as much as I am unimpressed by my nephews' ability to speak English, but there is at least the feeling that you NEED to master some English for work, and because of it, more and more people can speak at least some English.


So, yes, even if people understand that he probably will not be able to say a lot in their language, they appreciate that he makes the effort and that it is understandable.

But I was impressed by him remembering Norvegian. It is a hard language, that sounds quite differently from English.

I am shocked that anyone could live in France that long - with a French wife - and not learn French.

I can see how doing what he did does show respect.