A question for native English speakers!LEARN a 2nd LANGUAGE

j   Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:17 pm GMT
Polyglot :"Your linguistic philanthropy is rather a camouflage concealing the insecurity of being monolingual, while still seeking approval and gratifying in a hedonistic manner the only ability you posses. Or is it just plain inter-socializing because there are more native English speakers on this forum than pupils?"

As I said before: 'the diagnosis is clear: syndrome of envy. Very simple. And bad education: nobody taught you to appreciate unselfish help and at least to say 'thank you' to people who helps you.'
Tiffany   Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:43 pm GMT
My husband (Italian) lived in Italy up until the age of 19. Now we only return every year or two. His Italian has become so rusty that it takes him at least a week there to recoup and apparently he now has an American accent - which doesn't lessen till the third week. I have no problem believing that if we stayed in the US permanently and never went back to Italy, he'd lose most of his Italian.
polyglot   Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:53 pm GMT
>just DON'T NEED a second language! They don't need it to do business, to travel, to communicate with other nations - first, America is so big, you can live here your whole life without going abroad<

I wrote:

1. You sound like a redneck
2. Don't you people have any intellectual challenge, an invitation to engage in a learning contest? Are you so dumb and boring? Learning a language is not always a necessity! It’s a PASSION, HOBBY, Intellectual inclination, Linguistic passion, but most of all is EDUCATION. Don’t you have any of this?

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE ! (unless you're a working class sub mediocre with an IQ of 96 )

Well, Here I found an intellectual proving my point that - Learning a language is not always a necessity! It’s a PASSION, HOBBY, Intellectual inclination, Linguistic passion, but most of all is EDUCATION.

*****************************************

Geoff_One wrote:
"Geoff_One Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:31 am GMT

I live in Australia. As a hobby, I have an interest in studying languages and the two main languages that I am concentrating on are Spanish and Japanese. In regard to these two languages, I still have much to learn. I am also spending a bit of time on French and Chinese."

******************************************

I am sorry, but I can’t say the same thing about 98% of you guys.

P.S. I don't think that the Australian "Geoff_One" envies you "j". I think that is the other way around.
Guest   Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:03 pm GMT
Polyglot

I am a native English speaker from the UK, who also speaks German. I have started a thread on the Languages side of this forum, trying to encourage more discussions in and about German, as I was disappointed to see most of the posts dominated by the Romance languages. So far I have found a couple of non-native German speakers to converse with, however I would be very happy to see posts from native German speakers as well, as I'm sure they would be helpful and informative. I certainly wouldn't think badly of them for discussing their own language or giving helpful tips. Likewise, if I can be of help to someone learning English, I don't see why that is a negative thing. Surely it can only benefit them.

Vielleicht kannst du auch Deutsch? Wenn ja, wuerde ich mich gerne mit dir auf Deutsch unterhalten. Wenn nicht, wuerde ich dir gerne ein bisschen beibringen.

If you didn't understand that, I was enquiring as to whether you spoke German, as if you do I would be happy to speak to you in that language and if you don't I'd be more than happy to teach you a little.
Aquatar   Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:04 pm GMT
That last post to Polyglot mentioning German was from Aquatar by the way, I forgot to put my username in.
Steve   Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:23 pm GMT
I'm a native English speaker. In addition, I speak Afrikaans, although it's a bit rusty. I also speak enough Norwegian to get by. I'm currently taking a mild interest in Icelandic and do intend to learn it thoroughly when I have a little more time.
Aquatar   Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:26 pm GMT
Also, there are native English speakers on here, who have studied English and its history in far more depth than me. I find it interesting to learn more about my own language from them, as well as learning more about a foreign language.
Aquatar   Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:38 pm GMT
Isn't something amiss with the title of this thread?

'A question for native English speakers!LEARN a 2nd LANGUAGE'

That doesn't look like a question to me, it looks distinctly like an order.
Pabz   Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:59 pm GMT
Seems that Polyglot's arguments are well-though-out enough to actually be serious. Albeit screwed up. So I will ask again: Polyglot, instead of dumping on people you don't even know, why don't you contribute something? Tell us the story of what made you so bitter towards monolinguistic native English speakers? Or, are you just bitter in general? (I can pitcure you over on the cattle farmers forum, ridiculing farmers who only use one kind of corn feed. Damn mono-cornistic farmers! THEY HAVE NO EXCUSE! BAH!)
Aquatar   Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:40 pm GMT
Pabz

I agree with you, that Polyglot has a point, in that it would be nice for native English speakers to take a greater interest in foreign languages. And I also find it unforegivable when native English speakers go to a country where another language is spoken, without having made any effort at all to learn even the basics of that language, and then almost demand that the inhabitants of that country speak to them in English. I'm not suggesting that every time you go to a country, you will necessarily have had time to learn a great deal of the language, but the tales of the native English speaker repeating himself more slowly and loudly to someone, when that person has not understood, are quite an embarrassment.

Still I don't think that's particularly relevant to his having a go at native English people who enjoy discussing their own language in an English forum, or try to help learners of the language.
Aquatar   Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:43 pm GMT
'Still I don't think that's particularly relevant to his having a go at native English people' - I meant native English speakers
euro   Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:27 am GMT
>just DON'T NEED a second language! They don't need it to do business, to travel, to communicate with other nations - first, America is so big, you can live here your whole life without going abroad<

A TYPICAL IGNORAMUS

>I live in Australia. As a hobby, I have an interest in studying languages and the two main languages that I am concentrating on are Spanish and Japanese. In regard to these two languages, I still have much to learn. I am also spending a bit of time on French and Chinese."<

A TYPICAL ERUDITE

Despite being so judgemental and authoritative, polyglot has a good point. Native English are LAZY.

>And I also find it unforegivable when native English speakers go to a country where another language is spoken, without having made any effort at all to learn even the basics of that language, and then almost demand that the inhabitants of that country speak to them in English.<

Very sad.
Guest   Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:43 am GMT
Lazy? How about you back that up with something solid, Euro? Don't suppose that the fact that everybody else is scrambling to learn our language whilst we're less keen on learning theirs proves laziness. This is just a normal result of the fact the English is the de facto international lingua franca. There just isn't so much the need. This frees up, in turn to study other things and study we do. Learning a foreign language is not the be all and end all when it comes to intellectual persuit. Not learning a foreign language in no way makes you an ignoramus.
Guest   Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:01 am GMT
People who learn a second language but don't learn brain surgery and rocket science are lazy.
Guest   Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:51 am GMT
People who learn a second and a third language and learn brain surgery and rocket science but fail to learn a musical instrument or can't be bothered with history are lazy.