The thing with only asking for "willing to learn" is that it sounds very good, but isn't really foolproof in practice.
In KLM we have a fair number of foreign pilots. Most of whom have gone through the trouble of learning Dutch, but some of them who haven't.
Thinking of the Norwegians we have in the cockpit... The 3 blokes I know who have learnt the lingo enjoy their life with the comp. They of course still have their Norwegian perspective on things, which makes for some very interesting situations.
.......... FA: Errrrmmm, Jude... does the FO have a tumour on his upper lip? Me: No dear, he's sucking tobacco, it's a Scandinavian custom. It's perfectly harmless, just don't kiss him.
The guys who have not bothered to learn the lingo (I know one Norwegian, a Swiss and an Aussie who can't be arsed) to a man greatly dislike their job environment.
They moan about everything and everybody, the company sucks, the country sucks and the people they work with suck.
That it might be their own attitude, examplified in their unwillingness to learn a new language, which makes their life so miserable is something that never occurs to them.
And they don't wanna hear it either.
flyer75, a pointer from a forreigner living in Norway long-time on speaking the language. Learn it and speak it whenever you can. It's fun.
But when dealing with policemen and shop assistants, I have found that speaking English works much better.
Speak Norwegian with an accent and get treated like a profiteering asylum seeker. (Østlendinger can be particularly arrogant when you get an inflection wrong)
Speak English and get treated like a respected foreign visitor!
Foolproof!
