[michèle 2]

It's just a question I've had in mind since I met English people who have been living in France for about 10 years( in the depth of the country!) and can't speak a word of French.
I asked them why and they said that they run a gite ( deal with English clients )and have their relatives around them so they don't need to speak with locals. There are pubs, English shops and bingo parties ect...Personnally I think that they miss lots of things especially in the country where there's a real sense of community in provincial France and sometimes to be a part of this community can even be a bit difficult. ( especially when you come from Paris!!)
Would you consider living ( for a long time) in a foreign country without speaking its language? I mean a non-speaking country.
( In Korea people speak English, don't they?)

[susan53]

No. I can't even visit a country for a couple of days without wanting to learn at least a few polite phrases.

[michèle 2]

That's the same for me. I'm so talkative that I coudn't live in a country without talking to people!!!

[DaveESL]

Personally, I try to learn the language. But, for example, when I was in Taiwan, I knew many foreigners who spoke no Chinese. It was surprising, actually, to meet people who had lived there for 3 years or more and didn't have even a basic vocabulary.