Newquay Are you serious? People should be able to speak to each other in whatever language they choose.
So far as translating/interpreting services are concerned, I think it's better that people learn to speak the language of the country in which they live. But it takes time, and some people (particularly elderly people) have more trouble learning a new language. I have friends from other countries who, after a few years, are as fluent in English as someone born here. I also have friends who have been here for decades but who still have very strong accents and still have trouble with phraseology and pronunciation - not because they lack intelligence or motivation but because we all have different aptitudes.
And, of course, as others have said before, the British are notoriously bad at learning any language other than their own and are often quite indignant when travelling abroad if they encounter "foreigners" who can't speak English.
There is much I admire about France but I don't think it has a particularly welcoming attitude to people of different cultures.
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