Another thing is that it seems to me to have been easier to learn to read & write spanish than to learn to speak, or even worse hear it when I was 16-20.
I can actually read and write and speak just enough to keep from starving to death in spain, but I really have almost no clue what anyone is saying to me.
Full Version: Languages
| QUOTE (Critias @ Mar 4 2005, 03:28 AM) |
| I think the main reason we Americans have a tendency (overall) towards speaking only English isn't because none of us are interested, it's because the education system waits 'till we're old enough to develop an interest (and therefore be very set in our English-speaking ways) before making classes of any sort available to us. |
Critias is right in all of his posts about the system to teach a second language.
Consider that bilingual programs--programs especially for students who are ESL (English as a Second Language) are quite unpopular because most people equate ESL with illegals with "fuck them [racial slurs]! Go back to Mexico (no matter where their families are really from)."
I'm an exception to Critias' example because I grew up in a state that is majority-minority (specifically, 42% Hispanic) where you can't avoid listening to Spanish in most public places. I also went to a private Catholic school where they were teaching us Spanish every day in my half-day kindergarten class (which IIRC just became mandatory) for at least a half-hour or so. Throughout elementary school we also had Spanish classes a couple of times a week for an hour or so. Plus my grandparents spoke it. I then studied it for three years in high school, one year in college, and spent a year in Spain. But I am a notable exception to most Americans in pretty much every conceivable way. When I was in Spain, I started to work on picking up some of the other languages in the Iberian peninsula, and I try to pick up a little French and Italian whenever I can. Plus, when I was younger my mother used to play tapes of Farsi lessons.
There was actually an article in a local weekly about immersion programs in elementary schools where the kindergarteners start out 90%Spanish-10% English, and by fifth grade it's 50-50. Those are also rarities. See above for why. This does not just apply to languages like Spanish. There are programs around the country for, notably, Native American languages which are immersion programs.
The problem is No Child Left Behind. Its testing requirements are in English, and requires a proficiency in English for students in grades where the language the majority of classes are being taught in a language other than English. The schools can get waivers--emphasis on "can"--because otherwise they would probably be listed as failing when, especially with the Native languages (this is a huge problem in Alaska) they are being taught in part to help keep the language and culture from otherwise dying out because a lot of these kids' parents can't even speak the language.
| QUOTE (Slait @ Mar 5 2005, 05:22 AM) |
| Person: Parlez Vous francais? me: oui, mais mon francais est horrible them: oh, well I was looking for this.... same person: parlez-vous francais? someone else: non them: qu'est ce que.....? |
That's pretty much a perfect example of the typical Quebecois attitude from my experiences as well.
Count me in with those saying that cursive should die a horrible death. It is, and has been pretty much since the development of the typewriter, a complete and utter waste of time.
~J
~J
I speak Portuguese (native), english (fluent), Spanish (conversational) and the barest overtures of Italian. My family is filled with people who speak several tongues, and we all have an easy time picking up languages. I couldm probably be speaking more, if I hadn't slacked off.
I'd love to learngerman, though...not only it sounds cool, but I'd finally know what all those nazi officers are cursing when they start to die off like flies in every Hollywood movie.
I'd love to learngerman, though...not only it sounds cool, but I'd finally know what all those nazi officers are cursing when they start to die off like flies in every Hollywood movie.
I'm a second-generation Virginian, sort of.
Let me explain: Although my family's roots are here, on both sides AFAIK, my paternal grandfather was originally from North Carolina.
I'm of Welsh-Scots descent on one side, and Irish-French on the other. (My maternal grandmother's family has roots in France WAAAAY back.) My first cousin, three times removed--that is, my great-grandfather's first cousin (I've never been certain how that "cousin-so-and-so-many-times-removed" stuff works
)-- rode with Major General James Ewell Brown ("Jeb") Stuart's cavalry in the Civil War, and later was a part of William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West Show. On my mom's side of the family, I'm distantly related to George Rogers Clark. (I've also been told that several ancestors on both sides of the family--other than Mr. Clark, that is--fought in the Revolution.)
(My parents are also distantly related--seventh cousins, or something like that. Apparently, they have an ancestor in common on my maternal grandfather's side of the family. Weird, but if you go back far enough, we're ALL related, whether you subscribe to the Evolution or Creation theories about the origin of life.)
As far as languages, I speak English fluently (with a Midwestern accent, sort of--as I said, I'm a Virginian by birth, but I learned to talk by mimicking the voices I heard on television), as well as some French (forced on me in grade school--sixth, seventh, and eighth grades), Spanish (five years total--tenth through twelfth grades in high school, and two years at a community college), and a few words each of German, Russian, and Vietnamese (none of which should be repeated in mixed company, I'm afraid, except for the German phrase "Ich bin Amerikaner. Sprechen sie Englisch?" ["I am an American. Do you speak English?"] ).
I never actually STUDIED the latter three; however, I've read a lot of military history books, both true and fictional, mostly covering The Civil War (or "The American Civil War", as folks from other countries sometimes call it
), World War II and the Vietnam War.
BTW: If it matters, my PC in SHADOWRUN speaks "British English" (English: 4, English (British): 6) and Japanese (4).
--Foreigner
Let me explain: Although my family's roots are here, on both sides AFAIK, my paternal grandfather was originally from North Carolina.
I'm of Welsh-Scots descent on one side, and Irish-French on the other. (My maternal grandmother's family has roots in France WAAAAY back.) My first cousin, three times removed--that is, my great-grandfather's first cousin (I've never been certain how that "cousin-so-and-so-many-times-removed" stuff works
)-- rode with Major General James Ewell Brown ("Jeb") Stuart's cavalry in the Civil War, and later was a part of William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West Show. On my mom's side of the family, I'm distantly related to George Rogers Clark. (I've also been told that several ancestors on both sides of the family--other than Mr. Clark, that is--fought in the Revolution.) (My parents are also distantly related--seventh cousins, or something like that. Apparently, they have an ancestor in common on my maternal grandfather's side of the family. Weird, but if you go back far enough, we're ALL related, whether you subscribe to the Evolution or Creation theories about the origin of life.)
As far as languages, I speak English fluently (with a Midwestern accent, sort of--as I said, I'm a Virginian by birth, but I learned to talk by mimicking the voices I heard on television
), as well as some French (forced on me in grade school--sixth, seventh, and eighth grades), Spanish (five years total--tenth through twelfth grades in high school, and two years at a community college), and a few words each of German, Russian, and Vietnamese (none of which should be repeated in mixed company, I'm afraid, except for the German phrase "Ich bin Amerikaner. Sprechen sie Englisch?" ["I am an American. Do you speak English?"] ). I never actually STUDIED the latter three; however, I've read a lot of military history books, both true and fictional, mostly covering The Civil War (or "The American Civil War", as folks from other countries sometimes call it
), World War II and the Vietnam War.BTW: If it matters, my PC in SHADOWRUN speaks "British English" (English: 4, English (British): 6) and Japanese (4).
--Foreigner
| QUOTE (Foreigner) |
| I'm of Welsh-Scots descent on one side, |
Wow wich part of Wales?
I live in Wales, I am welsh / scandinavian on my mother's side and maltese on my farthers, related to the Deborsh who I am reliably told started off the spanish inquisition. As i said before my best language is Arabic as i lived out in Saudi for some time as a child.
torz x
You lived in Saudi? In one of their expat compunds? Where exactly? A friend of mine lives there, too, in one of the Riyadh compounds (forgot the name, sadly, and she's hardly on MSN these days).
torzzzzz:
I wish I knew.
My family name is "Omohundro" (although some members of the family spell it Irish-style, i.e, "O'Mohundro"), if that helps.
--Foreigner
I wish I knew.
My family name is "Omohundro" (although some members of the family spell it Irish-style, i.e, "O'Mohundro"), if that helps.
--Foreigner
| QUOTE (hermit) |
| You lived in Saudi? In one of their expat compunds? Where exactly? A friend of mine lives there, too, in one of the Riyadh compounds (forgot the name, sadly, and she's hardly on MSN these days). |
Hermit - We were in Jedah about 20 years ago so i can't help there, lived in bangladesh, Nepal, malaysia and oman. Dad was in the UN, wish i could travel around the middle east again but short of joining the Army that is not possible right now.
Foreigner - sounds like if you have Irish in your family they are possibly from mid to north Wales which would make them Gog's, I will ask about that name though as my partners family is very Welsh and seen to know everyone in North Wales,
Di'och
torz
torzzzzz:
Thanks. I appreciate that.
Sorry about misspelling your alias earlier--I must've miscounted the "z" 's or something.
--Foreigner
Thanks. I appreciate that.
Sorry about misspelling your alias earlier--I must've miscounted the "z" 's or something.
--Foreigner
| QUOTE (Foreigner) |
| torzzzzz: Thanks. I appreciate that. Sorry about misspelling your alias earlier--I must've miscounted the "z" 's or something. --Foreigner |
One z is fine it come's form the shortening of my name Victoria - torie - torz, my mum hated me being called vicky, I use torzzzzz out of habit coz some sod had pinched it in the past so I had to pit 5 z's on it!
torz x
| QUOTE (Ancient History) |
| Does Sperethiel count? |
Yes. So does Klingon.
Oh, and just since I sort of obsessed on the "I only speak Enlighs, but I blame society" angle, and never mentioned my actual lineage...
Irish and German on my mom's side, Welsh and German on dad's. The "Irish" half of one side of my family was a great grandma who moved to America and, within a few weeks of settling down in San Francisco, getting arrested for prostitution and having her child taken away (hi grandma). The "Welsh" side over on the other branch of my family tree fled Wales and came to America over a legal dispute stemming from what seemed to be a bar brawl, and ended up with him stealing a horse (whoops), riding it to an appropriately large port town, and then selling it to have enough money for a ticket to the States.
And, well, the Germans in my family all seemed to be ethical, hard working, boring sorts. Ah well. Y'can't win 'em all.
Irish and German on my mom's side, Welsh and German on dad's. The "Irish" half of one side of my family was a great grandma who moved to America and, within a few weeks of settling down in San Francisco, getting arrested for prostitution and having her child taken away (hi grandma). The "Welsh" side over on the other branch of my family tree fled Wales and came to America over a legal dispute stemming from what seemed to be a bar brawl, and ended up with him stealing a horse (whoops), riding it to an appropriately large port town, and then selling it to have enough money for a ticket to the States.
And, well, the Germans in my family all seemed to be ethical, hard working, boring sorts. Ah well. Y'can't win 'em all.
| QUOTE (Austere Emancipator) | ||
While it's true that Finland isn't an ethnic monopoly, I think it's fair to say that our population is far less mixed than most other developed countries. |
I actually meant Europe in general. Bad me, I always assume people can figure out what I'm thinking without giving all the facts.
Which movie had the ass-u-me lesson in it?
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