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?
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.
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.
You realize that speaking a language involves talking to another person, right?? So you speak what the interlocutor speaks in any given situation… and if both parties speak both equally well, then they generally speak a mix of both, based on whim or topic.