1. A method of automatically establishing an input language for a handheld electronic device that stores contact information for a plurality of contacts, comprising: receiving a request to initiate composition of a new message to a particular one of said contacts and one or more additional ones of said contacts, each of said particular one of said contacts and said one or more additional contacts having a respective preferred input language stored by said handheld electronic device and each of said particular one of said contacts and said one or more additional contacts being intended recipients of said new message; responsive to receiving said request, displaying contact information reflecting said particular one of said contacts and one or more additional ones of said contacts and each respective preferred input language; receiving a selection of a particular preferred input language from among said displayed respective preferred input languages; determining whether said particular preferred input language is different than a default input language of said handheld electronic device; if it is determined that the particular preferred input language is different than the default input language, switching a current input language of said handheld electronic device to said particular preferred input language; and if it is determined that the composition of the new message is complete and the particular preferred input language is different than the default input language, switching the current input language of said handheld electronic device back to the default input language.