French vs German vs Spanish? Difficulty & Usefulness?

If we are talking about what countries have
positively contributed to, we must talk about the negative part as well and England, Spain, the U.S., Japan, Germany, China, the Islamic world, Russia and many others really still are in doubt with the humankind. Lots of acts in the past and in the present are shame on them, and never must be forgotten.

Tito,

Should we all just sing Kumbayah together now? Your egalitarian attitude doesn't play well with everyone. You expect that the countries that have made many historical achievements should just "shut up" as some of your Hispanophile comrades have so eloquently put it.

And then you act so negative: don't worry, people like you don't let the white European countries forget how "evil" they are.

I looked up Costa Rica + NASA to see what came up in the search engines and the most prominent result was one Frankling Chang Diaz -- and guess what? HIS FATHER IS CHINESE. So he doesn't even count as a Hispanic.

Why do you get so upset that people can actually want to defend their cultural homelands or even dare have pride in them? Just because some people are not in love with your language and culture doesn not mean that they aren't entitled to having their own opinions.

Well, I only say that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Mexico, Spain and Latinos in USA (10% of USA) is more than the GDP of Germany or France.

So, Spanish is also en economic language. For example, the most successful songs in all the world are ONLY IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH, not in French or German.


Other important point, the contribution of Latin America and Spain to the culture. If Cervantes, Lope de Vega, García Lorca, García Marquez, Pablo Neruda, or Isabel Allende are important or not is obvious.

There are also important Spanish inventions: the submarine (Isaac Peral) or the autogiro (a kind of helicopter) is invented by De la Cierva.

Other important thing. French is ONLY THE FIRST LANGUAGE OF 2 COUNTRIES: France and the liliput of Monaco, because in Belgium, Canada and Switzerland is THE SECOND LANGUAGE.

German is the FIRST LANGUAGE OF FOUR COUNTRIES. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

And all these countries (France, Germany, etc) have an important enemy: English language, not Spanish.

I can go to Germany or France, or Austria speaking English. English is the most important language in Europe.

However, ya can´t go to Latin America with English, you need a basic Spanish to understand people. Spanish is the most important language of Latin America, a big area, and French or German not.

Sam,

That's great if you want to go to Latin America -- but not many people I know are rushing to buy tickets to Latin America. If you had a prize and told someone they could go to France, United States, or any random Latin American country, which do you think most people would pick? I highly doubt many would choose Latin America -- why?

You try to shove this stuff down our throats!

EN PLUS, mon ami, you say:

"Well, I only say that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Mexico, Spain and Latinos in USA (10% of USA) is more than the GDP of Germany or France."

HELLO! So you assume that if Hispanics make up 10% of the United States population that they also must contribute 10% to the GNP? I HIGHLY DOUBT IT. Do you have even a basic grasp of mathematics or statistics?

And if these Latin Americans and Spaniards are SO WONDERFUL, why can't you name some great contributions they have made to society? No one here can! We are all waiting!

And the biggest point of all taht you seem to keep missing is that it si NOT about how many people speak it! If that were the case, you shoudl think the entire world should learn CHINESE or HINDI or URDU! But you don't seem to think so for some reason...

<<I looked up Costa Rica + NASA to see what came up in the search engines and the most prominent result was one Frankling Chang Diaz -- and guess what? HIS FATHER IS CHINESE. So he doesn't even count as a Hispanic. >>

It's odd your "perceptivity" of what is Hispanic and what is not! Then people with African, European or Asian ancestors are not Hispanic ? Since the vast majority of Latin Americans have ancestors from those continents, then they are not Hispanics. That's laughable!!!

"Curiously" you take the Chinese part so why don't you take the Costa Rican part as well ?

Mr.Franklin Chang is working with other Costa Ricans scientists in his lab in the Guanacaste province. If you want I could give you their names to see if they are Hispanic for you as well.

Why does it bother you so much ? What I can clearly perceive is that you hate anything related to Spanish. Just curious, where are you from ?

To Sam
<< However, ya can´t go to Latin America with English, you need a basic Spanish to understand people. Spanish is the most important language of Latin America, a big area, and French or German not. >>

But if you go to Africa French is one of intelligible european languages, and also a lingua franca...
You can go to Marocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Central Africa , Congo's countries, Madagascar, Djibouti, Chad also Egypt and Lebanon (It's not in Africa but geographically close) for historical reasons, and South Africa too, lot french huguenots descendants leave in this country.
Ah!
And I forgot your great spanish influence!
The only spanish speakers countries in Africa have adopted French too, because Spanish is unused...

<< However, ya can´t go to Latin America with English, you need a basic Spanish to understand people. Spanish is the most important language of Latin America, a big area, and French or German not. >>

But we can go to Brazil, would it be a Spanish-speaking country?
And the America of the South is not visited as much as France which is the world's major tourist destination (75 million tourists a year).
Other number: Paris had 1,100 congresses in 1993 (including 400 international congresses), a world record.

<< French is ONLY THE FIRST LANGUAGE OF 2 COUNTRIES: France and the liliput of Monaco, because in Belgium, Canada and Switzerland is THE SECOND LANGUAGE. >>

But French is spoken in two of the G7 countries... and spanish?

<<There are also important Spanish inventions: the submarine (Isaac Peral) or the autogiro (a kind of helicopter) is invented by De la Cierva. >>

And what else?

Ones of the great french inventions:

Ambroise Paré (1510-1590): surgical instruments

Blaise Pascal: mechanical calculator (1642)

Metric system, proposed by Gabriel Mouton in 1670, worked out by the French Academy of Sciences in 1790

Nicolas Joseph Cugnot: steam-driven car (1769)

George Louis Lesage used a single wire system to telegraph a message (1774)

Joseph M.Jacquard - first industrially applicable automatic loom (late 18th century)

Montgolfier (Joseph and Etienne): the hot-air balloon (1783)

Louis Lenormand: the parachute (1783)

Jean Baptiste Meusnier: lighter-than-air dirigible developed (1785)

Claude Chappe: optical system telegraph (1791)

Nicolas Appert - invented our canning process involving bactericide by boiling (1810)

René T.H. Laennec - invented the stethoscope (1816)

Joseph L. Gay-Lussac (1778-1850), chemist: the hydrometer and alcoholometer

Jean-François Champollion - first deciphered the Rosetta Stone(1822)

Louis Braille: printed language for the blind (1829)

Joseph N.Niepce: the principle of the photographic process (1826)

Xavier Progin (1833): a machine that used separate typebars for each letter or symbol that were activated by separate lever keys (forerunner of typewriter)

Daguerre, Louis J. improved and patented photographic process (1839)

French physicist Jean Foucault: the gyroscope (1852)

Henri Deville: invented electrolysis to refine aluminum from bauxite (1852)

Henri Giffard, engineer: first successful steam-powered steerable airship (1852)

Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville: Phonautographe:1st machine to record sound (1857), with no playback

Raymond Gaston Planté: the lead-acid battery (1860)

Rouquayrol and Denayrouse: hard-hat deep-sea diving (1865)

Pierre Lallement: rotary-pedal bicycle (1865)

Frères Michaux: steam-driven bicycle (1868)

Chemist Mège Mouriés: margarine (1869)

Charles Cros (& Edison) simultaneously invented the phonograph (1877)

Lumière brothers: first movie camera (1895)

René Panhard & Emile Levassor: prototype for modern car (front engine, pedal clutch, 4 wheels, etc. - 1895)

Jean J.E. Lenoir (1822-1900): the first practical internal combustion engine

French engineer and chemist Georges Claude: the neon lamp (1902)

Paul Cornu (1907): short flight of first helicopter prototype

Edouard Benedictus: the process for making laminated safety glass (1909)

Henri-M. Coanda: turbine engine airplane (1910)

George de Mestral: the hook and loop fabric fastener system, Velcro (1941)

Emile Gagnan and Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau: "Aqua Lung" for scuba diving (1943)

Arthur Granjean: Etch-A-Sketch [toy] in 1958

François Gernelle: the first non-kit computer based on a microprocessor (1973)

Philippe Kahn: the software or operating system for the above microcomputer

Roland Moreno: the concept of installing silicon chip computer memory on a plastic card (1974)

French launch Minitel (1980), first major public interactive computer network

Robert Cailliau and Jean-François Groff, Swiss francophone co-inventors of the WWW with Tim Berners-Lee (1992)

ATM asynchronous transfer mode - high-speed internet (not sure of details)

I see that silly Libelle is back to try and brainwash you all.

<<That's great if you want to go to Latin America -- but not many people I know are rushing to buy tickets to Latin America. If you had a prize and told someone they could go to France, United States, or any random Latin American country, which do you think most people would pick? I highly doubt many would choose Latin America -- why?>>

Who are you talking for? Did you do a survey? i think your wrong because many people percieve latin america as a romantic destination. France is saturated with western, (american) culture. The society is not true to intself anymore, while latin america hasnt been corrupted.

<<Should we all just sing Kumbayah together now? Your egalitarian attitude doesn't play well with everyone. You expect that the countries that have made many historical achievements should just "shut up" as some of your Hispanophile comrades have so eloquently put it.>>

Your having pride in your country to such an extent is akin to racism. You think your country is superior just because that's where you are from? If you were hispanic you'd be defending it instead. You cant' deny the negative aspects of the country, you must take responsibility for your own sins and not run from the truth.

<<I looked up Costa Rica + NASA to see what came up in the search engines and the most prominent result was one Frankling Chang Diaz -- and guess what? HIS FATHER IS CHINESE. So he doesn't even count as a Hispanic.>>

In that case youre not american cos you probably have european ancestory.

Mr Vlad,
As far as I'm aware Spanish is much more studied in Russian universitys than russian is in hisspanish universitys.

Guest,

<<I looked up Costa Rica + NASA to see what came up in the search engines and the most prominent result was one Frankling Chang Diaz -- and guess what? HIS FATHER IS CHINESE. So he doesn't even count as a Hispanic. >>

"It's odd your "perceptivity" of what is Hispanic and what is not! Then people with African, European or Asian ancestors are not Hispanic ? Since the vast majority of Latin Americans have ancestors from those continents, then they are not Hispanics. That's laughable!!!"

"Curiously" you take the Chinese part so why don't you take the Costa Rican part as well ?

**I do accept it, of course; I am saying that his father is Chinese, so he is not a full-blooded Latino. We all know the Chinese people have had great successes in science. Many Chinese people have emigrated to countries such as Canada and the U.S. to have more opportunity to pursue their dreams in the field of research. Are you going to say this is not true?

<<Mr.Franklin Chang is working with other Costa Ricans scientists in his lab in the Guanacaste province. If you want I could give you their names to see if they are Hispanic for you as well.>>

**Guest, I am not saying that there aren't good Costa Ricans doing good work in science; please don't be silly. I am only saying that the countries from which they come are not very advanced. It's no surprise, then, that Chang became an American citizen -- is it?

<<Why does it bother you so much ? What I can clearly perceive is that you hate anything related to Spanish. Just curious, where are you from ?

**Can't you get clues from my posts where I am from? I will tell you this much, in case you haven't figured it out: my roots are solely in the northern European countries, nothing southern European. That didn't stop me from studying Latin & Greek, though.

By the way, Guest, people wouldn't get so annoyed if all these Spanish-speakers/supporters weren't so attacking of others' RIGHTS to choose other languages as their favorites over Spanish. Why does THAT bother YOU so much? It seems that the facts get on your nerves as well. And we are all STILL WAITING to hear about all of these Hispanic/Latino contributions to world culture! It just gets annoying hearing about how all the Hispanophiles try to prop themselves up on a ladder made of air. What are they so proud of? If they could learn some humility it would be to their benefit. People should be proud of their cultures. Of course they should. But they should at least be able to say what they are so proud of, without trying to knock down others' cultures in the process.

<<French is ONLY THE FIRST LANGUAGE OF 2 COUNTRIES: France and the liliput of Monaco, because in Belgium, Canada and Switzerland is THE SECOND LANGUAGE. >>

Shut up Sam!How many times do you have to be told you that French is not the second language in those countries it's equal with English in Canada; German, Italian, and Romansh in Switzerland; and with Dutch and Belgium. the mother tongue of 30% of the people in Canada along with English, 20% in Switzerland, and 45% of in Belgium.

90% of the people in Paragauy have Guarani as ntive language, 75% in Bolivia speaks either Quechua or Aymara natively as iover 50% in Peru.

You even mentioned that Spanish is spoken in Antarctica, an uninhabited place. I would not be surprised if you post a message here that Spanish is also spoken in Pluto.

<<As far as I'm aware Spanish is much more studied in Russian universitys than russian is in hisspanish universitys. >>

Then why don't you go to Eastern Europe to find out if Spanish is indeed more widely studied in universities than Russian. For your information Spanish is taught only in US universities.

Gibraltar's number of Russian speakers keep on swelling therefore the number of Russian schools are increasing too. There is a great tendency that Spanish speakers there will be outnumbered by them. In Finland too, many prople are fluent in Russian and Spanish speakers it's not 0 but negative number.

I invite this Hispanic fanatics to come to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, or Kazakhstan to show them how beautiful Russian language and culture is so that they may appreciate them and eventually dump their hispanicness from their being and when they return to Hispanic countries they will impose the Russian language and culture to their compatriots.

Chris, are you English? How come that the pulral form of university to you is universitys?

Chris,

If you're talking about foreign language taught on Russian universities that would only be Englsih, French, German, or Italian and NEVER SPANISH. Why should be studied when it is absent in scientific, technological, and medicine circle.

<<All this matter of language vrs prestige and richness is really and honestly an idiotic nonsense.>>

Tito, when a Hispanic fanatic keeps on attacking the culture you are silent and they are not nonsense and idotic to you.

<< However, ya can´t go to Latin America with English, you need a basic Spanish to understand people. Spanish is the most important language of Latin America, a big area, and French or German not. >>

Sam, many Latin Americans are fluent in Englsih with perfect American accent. Americans can go there wihtout bothering to learn Spanish.

<<I can go to Germany or France, or Austria speaking English. English is the most important language in Europe. >>

Wrong, the only people that would talk to you in Englsih in France, Belgium, and Switzerland are those who are involved in tourism. Ordinary people would not.

And why do you keep on insisting that French is not the mother language of large percentage of the people of Canada, Belgium, or Switzerland. I know what's at the back of your mind that they speak Spanish not French.

Be realistic Sam, you're already grown up!

I don't know why the Germanophones and the Francophones have that inferiority feeling that manifests as:
"The Hispanics haven't given any contributions in science, humanities, etc..."

DON'T DISREGARD THE ACHIEVEMENTS, INFLUENCE, IMPORTANCE, BEAUTY, ETC. OF A LANGUAGE JUST TO FAVOR YOURS.

Spanish is the second most spoken language in world, that's a fact.

In the Western Hemisphere, IT'S THE MOST SPOKEN.

It's the third most important language in the EU.

IT WILL CONTINUE TO GAIN POPULARITY.

I speak Spanish and English by the way and I'm planning to learn Arabic (Egyptian) and Chinese (Mandarin).

Forgive me for my bad English.

<< France is saturated with western, (american) culture. The society is not true to intself anymore, while latin america hasnt been corrupted. >>

As many other countries, but i don't think France can be a REALLY good exemple, in France the cinematography is really developped and influential, the French food is recognized all over the world, and also geopolitically, France has a big international weight, one of 5 members permanent employee to the UNO, and also one most military and economic major power.
France also is one of the only countries to have dared to challenge United States, indeed , It decided to go out of the NATO's command in the 60s considering that the American North had the seizure by Europe, more current, France refused to help United States against Iraq (the french-germano-russian union).
Chris, ask French for what represents for him the American culture... Even in the sport we " don't give a damn " of the American football or the baseball... We prefer the football, the rugby, the petanque the famous "Tour de France" and the Olympic Games (would not be French which had the idea to establish the modern Olympic Games?)
There would be only in music in extreme cases where the American and really considerable influence… but still we have our own artists, example French Hip Hop is the second world place of this music…
But French music has several another regional and international musical alternatives...

Dios Nuestro Padre (God): Scholars are still arguing if he was born in Valladolid or Burgos. Most Spanish speaking people descend from him on a direct line.

Adan y Eva García: The first man and woman. They all spoke Spanish until the tower of Babel and, then, some started speaking French for being naughty. It was decided English and the other languages would be created to mortify the French. Spaniards just could'nt care less, the first beig the first.

Abraham Pérez: In the Old Testament the father of the Spanish nation. He crossed the ocean and created Ciudad de México and other lovely Spanish speaking cities and states. One of his nephews founded Manila.

Jesucristo de María y José: The son of God who became a Spaniard when he decided to become a man.

María y José: Mother and step father of Jesusito. Scholars still argue if he was born in Sevilla or Málaga since it has been proven they both spoke with an Andalusian accent.

There are many more and I'm sure I could carry on but I won't bother.