How would a Dane talk with a Fleming or an Englishman with an Italian and so forth?
Most would have spoken French, as both French and Latin were the languages of the elites. Most people from modern day France spoke at least some French (even though it would not have been most of their first languages at the time) and the English as well would have spoken French (some English kings and noblemen didn't even know English). Most individuals of the times knew French, and those that did not could communicate in Latin.
The Crusaders were so predominantly French and Norman that the Muslims called them the Franks.
EDIT: Of course it is important to remember that these languages I am speaking of would be almost unrecognizable today. English, for example, would be illegible to most every person today. Many of the languages at this period had not divulged as much away from one another as they have now.
hi! there have been a few posts on this, so check out some previous discussion here: