The user selects the language for the user interface. Also, the program will recognize foreign words in its word-processing routines for spell correction. The long-term effects here will be a major simplification of processing data between countries and a building up of international interdependencies. Office 2000 comes in four sizes. Standard includes only Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Premium includes everything.
Small Business and Professional are in between. If all you want to do is to continue your word processing and spreadsheet maintenance, don't bother with any of them. Stay with what you have. If, however, John Patrick's visions are still in your head and you want to be a player, then you have to do the Full Monty and get the Professional package. You have to put yourself through the excruciating and humbling learning curve of all eight programs because you have to develop the mindset of working along all the dimensions.