THE JOKE
A person who speaks two languages is bilingual…
A person who speaks three languages is trilingual…
A person who speaks four or more languages is multilingual.
What do you call a person who speaks one language?
An American.
Why is it funny?
Because when you answer the question ‘what do you call a person who speaks one language’ you expect a technical answer such as bilingual or trilingual. Instead the answer is ‘an American’, which plays on the popular stereotype that Americans only know one language and do not bother to take the time to learn another.
Remember: People from United States call themselves American.
Stereotype = an idea about someone or something which is based on presumptions rather than fact.
How many languages can you speak?
