PARIS, JAN 29 (REUTER) - THE FRENCH CAME TOP OF THE EUROPEAN CLASS FOR SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN A SURVEY PUBLISHED ON WEDNESDAY (29 JAN) THAT FLEW IN THE FACE OF THEIR REPUTATION FOR LINGUISTIC CHAUVINISM.

THE FIVE-NATION IPSOS SURVEY, CONDUCTED FOR THE EXPOLANGUES LANGUAGE TEACHING EXHIBITION IN PARIS, SAID THE FRENCH WERE BEST AT SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGES, FOLLOWED BY THE ITALIANS AND GERMANS. BRITONS AND SPANIARDS CAME BOTTOM.

"THE EUROPEAN LANGUAGE CHAMPIONS ARE, AGAINST ALL EXPECTATIONS, THE FRENCH AND THE ITALIANS," THE SURVEY SAID.

THE REPORT, BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH 1,000 PEOPLE AGED 15 OR OVER IN EACH OF THE FIVE COUNTRIES IN DECEMBER, SHOWED THAT 51 PERCENT OF THOSE QUESTIONED BELIEVED THEY COULD COMMUNICATE IN AT LEAST ONE FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

FRENCH WERE TOP WITH 61 PERCENT, AHEAD OF ITALIANS ON 56 PERCENT, GERMANS ON 49, BRITONS ON 44 AND SPANIARDS ON 43.

AND 35 PERCENT OF FRENCH PEOPLE RATED THEMSELVES FLUENT IN SPEAKING AND UNDERSTANDING AT LEAST ONE FOREIGN LANGUAGE, AHEAD OF 30 PERCENT OF ITALIANS, 27 PERCENT OF GERMANS AND 21 PERCENT OF SPANIARDS. BRITONS WERE BOTTOM OF THAT LISTING ON 14 PERCENT.

HOWEVER, THE QUESTIONERS DID NOT CHECK ON RESPONDENTS' CLAIMS OF PROFICIENCY IN EUROPEAN LANGUAGES RANGING FROM FINNISH TO GREEK.

THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWED THAT 39 PERCENT OF THE 5,000 PEOPLE POLLED RECKONED THERE SHOULD BE A SINGLE LANGUAGE FOR A UNITED EUROPE, AGAINST 56 PERCENT AGAINST.

AND 45 PERCENT AGREED THAT ANY SINGLE EUROPEAN LANGUAGE WOULD HAVE TO BE ENGLISH, WITH 50 PERCENT OPPOSED.