diff --git a/features/internationalization.feature b/features/internationalization.feature
index 9411809f..176dc854 100644
--- a/features/internationalization.feature
+++ b/features/internationalization.feature
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Feature: Internationalization
   Given I parse
     """
     survey "One language is never enough" do
+      translations :en => :default    
       translations :es => {"title"=>"Un idioma nunca es suficiente", "survey_sections"=>{"one"=>{"title"=>"Uno"}}, "question_groups"=>{"hello"=>{"text"=>"¡Hola!"}}, "questions"=>{"name"=>{"text"=>"¿Cómo se llama Usted?", "answers"=>{"name"=>{"help_text"=>"Mi nombre es..."}}}}}
       translations :he => {"title"=>"ידיעת שפה אחת אינה מספיקה", "survey_sections"=>{"one"=>{"title"=>"אחת"}}, "question_groups"=>{"hello"=>{"text"=>"שלום"}}, "questions"=>{"name"=>{"text"=>"מה שמך?", "answers"=>{"name"=>{"help_text"=>"שמי..."}}}}}
       translations :ko => {"title"=>"한가지 언어로는 충분치 않습니다.", "survey_sections"=>{"one"=>{"title"=>"하나"}}, "question_groups"=>{"hello"=>{"text"=>"안녕하십니까"}}, "questions"=>{"name"=>{"text"=>"성함이 어떻게 되십니까?", "answers"=>{"name"=>{"help_text"=>"제 이름은 ... 입니다"}}}}}
@@ -19,12 +20,19 @@ Feature: Internationalization
       end
     end
     """
-  Then there should be 3 translations with
+  Then there should be 4 translations with
     | locale |
+    | en     |
     | es     |
     | he     |
     | ko     |
   When I start the survey
+  Then I should see "One language is never enough"
+    And I should see "One"
+    And I should see "Hello"
+    And I should see "What is your name?"
+    And I should see "My name is..."
+  When I start the survey in "en"
   Then I should see "One language is never enough"
     And I should see "One"
     And I should see "Hello"
diff --git a/lib/surveyor/parser.rb b/lib/surveyor/parser.rb
index f6284db5..952cf940 100644
--- a/lib/surveyor/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/surveyor/parser.rb
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ def method_missing(missing_method, *args, &block)
           resolve_dependency_condition_references
           resolve_question_correct_answers
           report_lost_and_duplicate_references
+          report_missing_default_locale
           Surveyor::Parser.rake_trace("", -2)
           if context[:survey].save
             Surveyor::Parser.rake_trace "Survey saved."
@@ -122,6 +123,11 @@ def full(method_name)
     def block_models
       %w(survey survey_section question_group)
     end
+    def report_missing_default_locale
+      if !self.context[:survey].translations.empty? && self.context[:survey].translations.select{|t|YAML::load(t.translation)=={}}.empty?
+        Surveyor::Parser.raise_error("No default locale specified for translations.",true)
+      end
+    end
     def report_lost_and_duplicate_references
       Surveyor::Parser.raise_error("Bad references: #{self.context[:bad_references].join("; ")}", true) unless self.context[:bad_references].empty?
       Surveyor::Parser.raise_error("Duplicate references: #{self.context[:duplicate_references].join("; ")}", true) unless self.context[:duplicate_references].empty?
@@ -188,9 +194,11 @@ def parse_and_build(context, args, original_method, reference_identifier)
     args[0].each do |k,v|
       case v
       when Hash
-          trans = YAML::dump(v)
+        trans = YAML::dump(v)
       when String
-          trans = File.read(File.join(dir,v))
+        trans = File.read(File.join(dir,v))
+      when :default
+        trans = YAML::dump({})
       end
       context[:survey].translations << self.class.new(:locale => k.to_s, :translation => trans)
     end
diff --git a/spec/lib/parser_spec.rb b/spec/lib/parser_spec.rb
index 33f4ba90..1aef1ca4 100644
--- a/spec/lib/parser_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/parser_spec.rb
@@ -33,11 +33,65 @@
   end
 
 
-  context 'when a translation is specified as a Hash' do
-    it 'should should treat the hash as an inline translation' do
+  describe 'translations' do
+
+    it 'should produce the survey text for :default locale' do
+      survey_text = <<END
+  survey "One language is never enough" do
+   translations :en => :default, :es =>{'questions' => {'name' =>{ 'text' => '¡Hola!'}}}
+    section_one "One" do
+      label_name "Hello!"
+    end
+  end
+END
+      survey = Surveyor::Parser.new.parse(survey_text)
+      survey.is_a?(Survey).should == true
+      survey.translations.size.should == 2
+      question = survey.sections.first.questions.first
+      question.translation(:en)[:text].should == "Hello!"
+      question.translation(:es)[:text].should == "¡Hola!"
+    end
+
+
+    it 'should raise an error w/o :default locale' do
       survey_text = <<END
+  survey "One language is never enough" do
+   translations :es =>{'questions' => {'name' =>{ 'text' => '¡Hola!'}}}
+    section_one "One" do
+      label_name "Hello!"
+    end
+  end
+END
+      s = Survey.all.size
+      expect {survey = Surveyor::Parser.new.parse(survey_text)}.to raise_error
+      Survey.all.size.should == s
+    end
+
+
+    it 'should allow multiple default locales' do
+      survey_text = <<END
+  survey "Just don't talk about tyres" do
+   translations :'en-US' => :default, :'en-GB' => :default, :es =>{'questions' => {'name' =>{'text' => '¡Hola!'}}}
+   section_one "One" do
+     label_name "Hello!"
+   end
+  end
+END
+
+      survey = Surveyor::Parser.new.parse(survey_text)
+      survey.is_a?(Survey).should == true
+      survey.translations.size.should == 3
+      question = survey.sections.first.questions.first
+      question.translation(:'en-US')[:text].should == "Hello!"
+      question.translation(:'en-GB')[:text].should == "Hello!"
+      question.translation(:es)[:text].should == "¡Hola!"
+    end
+
+    context 'when a translation is specified as a Hash' do
+      it 'should should treat the hash as an inline translation' do
+        survey_text = <<END
 survey "One language is never enough" do
-      translations :es => {"title"=>"Un idioma nunca es suficiente", "survey_sections"=>{"one"=>{"title"=>"Uno"}}, "question_groups"=>{"hello"=>{"text"=>"¡Hola!"}}, "questions"=>{"name"=>{"text"=>"¿Cómo se llama Usted?", "answers"=>{"name"=>{"help_text"=>"Mi nombre es..."}}}}}
+      translations :en => :default, :es => {"title"=>"Un idioma nunca es suficiente", "survey_sections"=>{"one"=>{"title"=>"Uno"}}, "question_groups"=>{"hello"=>{"text"=>"¡Hola!"}}, "questions"=>{"name"=>{"text"=>"¿Cómo se llama Usted?", "answers"=>{"name"=>{"help_text"=>"Mi nombre es..."}}}}}
       section_one "One" do
         g_hello "Hello" do
           q_name "What is your name?"
@@ -46,26 +100,26 @@
       end
     end
 END
-      survey = Surveyor::Parser.new.parse(survey_text)
-      survey.is_a?(Survey).should == true
-      survey.translations.size.should == 1
-      survey.translation(:es)['title'].should == "Un idioma nunca es suficiente"
+        survey = Surveyor::Parser.new.parse(survey_text)
+        survey.is_a?(Survey).should == true
+        survey.translations.size.should == 2
+        survey.translation(:es)['title'].should == "Un idioma nunca es suficiente"
+      end
     end
-  end
 
-  context 'when a translation is specified as a String' do
+    context 'when a translation is specified as a String' do
 
-    context 'when the survey filename is not given' do
-      it 'should look for the translation file relative to pwd' do
-        Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
-          FileUtils.cd(dir) do
-            translation_yaml = YAML::dump({'title' => 'Un idioma nunca es suficiente'})
-            translation_temp_file = Tempfile.new('parser_spec_translation.yml',dir)
-            translation_temp_file.write(translation_yaml)
-            translation_temp_file.flush
-            survey_text = <<END
+      context 'when the survey filename is not given' do
+        it 'should look for the translation file relative to pwd' do
+          Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
+            FileUtils.cd(dir) do
+              translation_yaml = YAML::dump({'title' => 'Un idioma nunca es suficiente'})
+              translation_temp_file = Tempfile.new('parser_spec_translation.yml',dir)
+              translation_temp_file.write(translation_yaml)
+              translation_temp_file.flush
+              survey_text = <<END
 survey "One language is never enough" do
-      translations :es =>'#{File.basename(translation_temp_file.path)}'
+      translations :es =>'#{File.basename(translation_temp_file.path)}', :en => :default
       section_one "One" do
         g_hello "Hello" do
           q_name "What is your name?"
@@ -74,27 +128,27 @@
       end
     end
 END
-            survey_temp_file = Tempfile.new('parser_spec_survey.rb',dir)
-            survey_temp_file.write(survey_text)
-            survey_temp_file.flush
-            Surveyor::Parser.parse(File.read(survey_temp_file.path))
-            survey = Survey.where(:title=>'One language is never enough').first
-            survey.nil?.should == false
-            survey.translation(:es)['title'].should == "Un idioma nunca es suficiente"
+              survey_temp_file = Tempfile.new('parser_spec_survey.rb',dir)
+              survey_temp_file.write(survey_text)
+              survey_temp_file.flush
+              Surveyor::Parser.parse(File.read(survey_temp_file.path))
+              survey = Survey.where(:title=>'One language is never enough').first
+              survey.nil?.should == false
+              survey.translation(:es)['title'].should == "Un idioma nunca es suficiente"
+            end
           end
         end
       end
-    end
-    context 'when the survey filename is given' do
-      it 'should look for the translation file relative to the survey directory' do
-        Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
-          translation_yaml = YAML::dump({'title' => 'Un idioma nunca es suficiente'})
+      context 'when the survey filename is given' do
+        it 'should look for the translation file relative to the survey directory' do
+          Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
+            translation_yaml = YAML::dump({'title' => 'Un idioma nunca es suficiente'})
             translation_temp_file = Tempfile.new('surveyor:parser_spec.rb',dir)
             translation_temp_file.write(translation_yaml)
             translation_temp_file.flush
             survey_text = <<END
 survey "One language is never enough" do
-      translations :es =>'#{File.basename(translation_temp_file.path)}'
+      translations :es =>'#{File.basename(translation_temp_file.path)}', :en => :default
       section_one "One" do
         g_hello "Hello" do
           q_name "What is your name?"
@@ -103,13 +157,14 @@
       end
     end
 END
-          survey_temp_file = Tempfile.new('surveyor:parser_spec.rb',dir)
-          survey_temp_file.write(survey_text)
-          survey_temp_file.flush
-          Surveyor::Parser.parse_file(survey_temp_file.path)
-          survey = Survey.where(:title=>'One language is never enough').first
-          survey.nil?.should == false
-          survey.translation(:es)['title'].should == "Un idioma nunca es suficiente"
+            survey_temp_file = Tempfile.new('surveyor:parser_spec.rb',dir)
+            survey_temp_file.write(survey_text)
+            survey_temp_file.flush
+            Surveyor::Parser.parse_file(survey_temp_file.path)
+            survey = Survey.where(:title=>'One language is never enough').first
+            survey.nil?.should == false
+            survey.translation(:es)['title'].should == "Un idioma nunca es suficiente"
+          end
         end
       end
     end