It's become quite hard to hear it on the streets because of mass immigration of people determined to keep to their own languages. Even immigrants from English speaking parts of the old Empire and Commonwealth of Nations - Jamaicans are a good example - have kept their own Patwa and slang versions thereof and are corrupting the English language. On top of that is the younger generation's use of alternative spellings and the dreaded txtspk - SMS language they use on mobile (cell) 'phones. Every generation has had its own lingo to hide what they're saying from the elders but this current crop seems determined to make theirs stick. I'm no stick in the mud and I recognise language must evolve but I care very much for English and fear it could die out from its present form. I expect someone like me said the same in 1066 and thereafter when the Norman French invaders corrupted our native Anglo-Saxon but at least we had the chance to fight them off. Any mention of immigration over here or attempts to have serious debates about it is branded as racism and suppressed.Very sad indeed to hear this.

I speak no Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) beyond yes and no and thank you. French and German no problem ... since I did these at school. I spend quite a bit of time helping a chinese mech eng who is working on part of my project - I edit her poor English on documentation and she teaches me construction assurance - its a good deal. She is very polite, patient and thorough, and I have a lot of respect for her. I just don't want to see chicken feet on my plate at lunch ... :)