What They Speak in America
Of the many languages spoken in the United States of American, the most dominant is English, spoken by almost all Americans. They generally use a standard accent (native to the Midwest), popularized in the 20th century by radio, TV and movies. In the South and Texas, in New England, in New York City, and in the upper Midwest you'll find some regional accents and dialects. Nowhere should this pose any problem to a visitor, as Americans often admire foreign accents, most will be friendlier to you because of yours, and most will approximate the standard accent to help you understand them, or try to speak your language if they can. You may occasionally need to repeat yourself in order to be understood.
Many Americans are familiar with Spanish, or French, but few are fluent in languages other than English, unless they are from immigrant communities; Visitors are generally expected to speak and understand English. Even popular tourist sites may have signs only in English, or perhaps one or two other languages.
Spanish is the primary second language in many parts of the U.S. such as California, the Southwest, Texas, Florida, Chicago Metropolitan Area, and the New York Metropolitan Area. Spanish is also the first language of the U.S. territory Puerto Rico as well as a large minority of residents, mostly immigrants from Mexico or Latin America. The United States has the fifth largest Spanish speaking population in the world. Although it's rare to be in areas where no one speaks English, a good handle on Spanish can make communications easier in some areas.
French is the primary second language in rural areas near the border with Quebec, in some areas of Louisiana, and by immigrants from West Africa. Haitian immigrants primarily speak Haitian Creole, a separate language derived from French, as their second language, although a substantial number also speak French. Hawaiian is the native language of Hawaii, and in the various Chinatowns in major cities, Cantonese is common. Smaller immigrant groups also sometimes form their own pockets of shared language, including Russian, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Tagalog, Korean, Vietnamese, and others. Chicago, for instance, is home to the second largest Polish-speaking population in the world, behind Warsaw. The Amish, who have lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio for generations, speak a variety of German, and some Native Americans speak their respective native languages, especially on reservations in the west.
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