--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: German and Spanish are accessible to…" description: "\"German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English is not accessible even to Englishmen.\" — George Bernard Shaw" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png" --- # German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English… ![“German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English is not accessible even to Englishmen.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png) > “German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English is not accessible even to Englishmen.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language accessibility varies; some languages are easier for outsiders than native speakers of another language, pointing out paradoxes in linguistic openness. **In simple terms:** Some languages are easier for foreigners than for native speakers of another language. Key Takeaway Recognize and address linguistic barriers. Themes language accessibility paradox education Mood analytical inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - language learning programs - translation services - curriculum design Key Concepts linguistics cultural exchange policy making Questions to Reflect On - Why are some languages more open than others? - How can we make English more accessible? A Different Perspective Assumes all speakers have equal access to language resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foreigners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreigners/) [German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/german/) [Spanish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spanish/) ## Related quotes > [“the people in this country who feel most like foreigners to each other are English people who’ve just arrived and the ones who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scott/the-people-in-this-country-who-feel-most-like-foreigners-to-each/) [Paul Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scott/) > [My heart rebels against any foreigner imposing on my country the peace which is here called Pax-Britannica.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-heart-rebels-against-any-foreigner-imposing-on-my-country-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The Indian struggle is not anti-British, it is anti-exploitation, anti-foreign rule, not anti-foreigners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-indian-struggle-is-not-anti-british-it-is-anti-exploitation-anti/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [At twelve noon, The natives swoon And no further work is doneBut mad dogs and Englishmen, Go out in the midday sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/at-twelve-noon-the-natives-swoon-and-no-further-work-is-donebut-mad/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [There is nothing so bad or so good that you will not find Englishmen doing it; but you will never find an Englishman in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/there-is-nothing-so-bad-or-so-good-that-you-will-not-find-englishmen-2/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [There is nothing so bad or so good that you will not find Englishmen doing it; but you will never find an Englishman in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/there-is-nothing-so-bad-or-so-good-that-you-will-not-find-englishmen/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What is wrong with the prosaic Englishman is what is wrong with the prosaic men of all countries: stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-is-wrong-with-the-prosaic-englishman-is-what-is-wrong-with-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it. They spell it so abominably that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-english-have-no-respect-for-their-language-and-will-not-teach/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-is-impossible-for-an-englishman-to-open-his-mouth-without-making/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [An Englishman does everything on principle: he fights you on patriotic principles; he robs you on business principles; he enslaves you on imperial principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/an-englishman-does-everything-on-principle-he-fights-you-on-patriotic/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The poor silly-clever Irishman takes off his hat to God's Englishman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-poor-silly-clever-irishman-takes-off-his-hat-to-god-s-englishman/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [How can what an Englishman believes be hearsay? It is a contradiction in terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/how-can-what-an-englishman-believes-be-hearsay-it-is-a-contradiction/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men trifle with their business and their politics but never trifle with their games. It brings truth home to them. They cannot pretend they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-trifle-with-their-business-and-their-politics-but-never-trifle/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Englishmen hate Liberty and Equality too much to understand them. But every Englishman loves a pedigree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/englishmen-hate-liberty-and-equality-too-much-to-understand-them-but/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [If you eliminate smoking and gambling, you will be amazed to find that almost all an Englishman's pleasures can be, and mostly are, shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-you-eliminate-smoking-and-gambling-you-will-be-amazed-to-find-that/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Englishmen quotes > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [My motto is "Unite now, today if you can; fight if you must. But in every case avoid British intervention."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-motto-is-unite-now-today-if-you-can-fight-if-you-must-but-in-every/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [ The fact that an Englishman has an Argentinian as an idol is very rare. I keep watching my \[title-winning\] goal against QPR and every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-aguero/the-fact-that-an-englishman-has-an-argentinian-as-an-idol-is-very/) [Sergio Aguero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-aguero/) > [The collectors of revenue and the policeman are the only symbols by which millions in India's villages know British rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-collectors-of-revenue-and-the-policeman-are-the-only-symbols-by/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I am by nature the most intolerant and insular Englishman... If you happen to be a person like that and you learn from evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-dowding-1st-baron-dowding/i-am-by-nature-the-most-intolerant-and-insular-englishman-if-you/) [Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-dowding-1st-baron-dowding/) > [I think the French have a romantic cliche that Englishmen have great style, great music, irony and sense of humour. Well, sometimes cliches are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-de-la-baume/i-think-the-french-have-a-romantic-cliche-that-englishmen-have-great/) [Josephine de La Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-de-la-baume/) > [When you play test cricket, you don't give the Englishmen an inch. Play it tough, all the way. Grind them into the dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-bradman/when-you-play-test-cricket-you-don-t-give-the-englishmen-an-inch-play/) [Donald Bradman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-bradman/) > [My attitude towards the British is one of utter friendliness and respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-attitude-towards-the-british-is-one-of-utter-friendliness-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Remember that those five hundred words an average Englishman uses are far from being the whole vocabulary of the language. You may learn another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/remember-that-those-five-hundred-words-an-average-englishman-uses-are/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [Personally I crave not for 'independence', which I do not understand, but I long for freedom from the English yoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/personally-i-crave-not-for-independence-which-i-do-not-understand-but/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [ I think it impossible, utterly impossible, for any Englishman to live here \[in America\], and be happy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-think-it-impossible-utterly-impossible-for-any-englishman-to-live/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [My love of the British is equal to that of my own people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-love-of-the-british-is-equal-to-that-of-my-own-people/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Here the Frenchman, Spaniard, and Englishman all passed, leaving each his legend; and a brilliant and more or less feudal civilization with its aristocracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hervey-allen/here-the-frenchman-spaniard-and-englishman-all-passed-leaving-each/) [Hervey Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hervey-allen/) > [Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/mad-dogs-and-englishmen-go-out-in-the-mid-day-sun/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) Browse all 395 Englishmen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English is not accessible even to Englishmen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Bernard Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-foreigners-english-is-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Englishmen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-foreigners-english-is-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/876/george-bernard-shaw-68_englishmen_german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-for_187650.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English is not accessible even to Englishmen.” — George Bernard Shaw", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Bernard Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "German and Spanish are accessible to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-foreigners-english-is-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/german-and-spanish-are-accessible-to-foreigners-english-is-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```