Good job it's not standard to use Spanish or I would never have been able to fly!
And therein lies the nub of the problem. English-native speakers always shout that all communication should be in English, without ever having made the effort to learn a second-language themselves. If it is mandatory that all aeronautical communication be in English, that would kill off most GA in non-English speaking countries - as outside English-speaking countries most PPLs don't speak much English. Why should a French PPL be obliged to learn to speak English in order to fly around his own country?
My view on this is simple - in controlled airspace both local language and English should be acceptable. Outside controlled airspace only local language should be acceptable - and if you can't speak the local language don't go into uncontrolled airspace!
The problems that I have seen arising in France are due to pilots flying around in uncontrolled airspace using English - thereby not being understood by local pilots.