I notice among people I talk to more enthusiasm toward learning French than Spanish. This confuses me; my feeling is that Spanish unlocks far more countries and speakers than French does and so is a more natural first choice.

What do people think motivates this choice?

Aside from things people already mentioned, Spanish-speaking places seem to be more English-speaking friendly than French-speaking places (e.g. big parts of Canada that will refuse to serve you if you don't speak French).

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Huh, my experience is the exact opposite. In some Latin American countries, lots of people barely speak English, whereas France doesn't have that problem.

Do the Latin American countries refuse to even attempt to communicate if you don't speak Spanish? 🙃

Most French people can speak English but they would rather avoid it for some reason

Agreed. On the flip side, some folks in France will be more welcoming to French speaking visitors