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Post by kanshu on Oct 5, 2004 5:22:32 GMT -5
I know I'm late, but still...  German here, Southwest-Germany, though I stem from the north of the country. Languages - German, English, I can understand Dutch and course in French. I'm currently trying to learn Japanese. |
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Post by Me-Nuriko on Oct 5, 2004 5:45:37 GMT -5
Languages? Swedish and English (obviously  ), have taken courses in French and Spanish, but no, I can't seem to remember how to use them.  Of course I understand Norwegian, and Danish (at least written and some of the spoken dialects). They are so like Swedish. Japanese, yeah, I'm trying to learn that, too, but I'm a little lazy, having a personal translator in the house.  |
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Post by kitsuneoni on Oct 5, 2004 5:47:36 GMT -5
My languages people already know (in order of "goodness" English, Italian, French, Spanish).
I *also* want to learn Japanese. If I get into Cambridge I'll do a year of Japanese first & then linguistics.
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Post by Salmastryon on Oct 5, 2004 9:13:42 GMT -5
T.T
The only thing I can speak is English. *feels so inferior*
I took Japanese for three years but it has rusted away to nothing inlast three years.(Life has conspired to prevent me from taking more classes)
I always feel so inadequate next to Europeans and some of my US friends too. My Spanish from High School didn't stick at all, and the only language I can speak or read is English. *sighs*
Oh and to adress the earlier question:
From: Massachusetts, USA
Am: Mutt - Scott-Irish(more than a 1/4), German(at least 1/8 probably more), Dutch(at least an 1/8 probably more), English(dunno how much) (there is also swiss or swedish from my dad's side I'm too lazy to double check right now) the rest is unknown.
The German and the Dutch are the strongest known influence because they go back three generations or so to the boat. The Scott-Irish comes from both sides but it goes back a long ways.
I guess you can say I'm American ^^
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Post by kitsuneoni on Oct 5, 2004 9:47:06 GMT -5
I've noticed that generally learning languages seems to be considered less important in the US... is that so? I guess us Europeans all stuck side by side couldn't really survive knowing our own language and that's it, though honestly many Italians aren't multilingual.
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Post by Me-Nuriko on Oct 5, 2004 9:48:19 GMT -5
Sweden was a very poor country in the 19th century, over one million Swedes emigrated from Sweden to America. Of course that is nothing compared to the immigrants from England and Ireland an so on, but If I remember correctly it was a quarter of the whole Swedish population. So there should be a bunch of Americans with Swedish ancestors.
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Post by cesmith on Oct 5, 2004 16:46:39 GMT -5
In most High Schools in th US you are required to take at least 1 year of language, in the hope you will continue for more. The languages most offered are Spanish and French, the two languages cosidered the most "useful" to learn. Some schools offer German and a very few are starting to offer Japanese. In most colleges you are required to take one year to fulfill a core requirement. Here, there is a much wider assortment of languages. For the most part, languages are not really encouraged.
I speak English and a barely adequate Spanish. Studied it for 9 years, but haven't used it much for 25 years, so it's pretty rusty, to borrow Salma's phrase. Keep meaning to go back to school for refresher courses but time is hard to find.
Also took 4 years of French in High School. I remember a few words and phrases, that's about all.
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Post by kitsuneoni on Oct 6, 2004 2:44:43 GMT -5
Why do you think languages are not really encouraged?
Since I moved to Spain when I was 2, I used to speak fluent Spanish. I recently found a casette of me singing in Spanish at the age of 5! I've lost it, but I can understand. It's just words fail me and I think of Italian ones... I've been planning on reading some books or doing something to get it back.
I've been doing French for 5 years now, and I think that I might loose it when I go off to uni. It'd be a pity, so I guess I'm going to have to read books in French too.
Italian I doubt I'll ever lose. After having read "I Promessi Sposi" as well as "Il Principe"... blah.
For now I'm okay, though, since I'm studying for my end of year exams. I don't know if you guys have heard of the IB (international baccalaureate ) system? Just a random question.
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Post by Me-Nuriko on Oct 6, 2004 5:44:43 GMT -5
I think we have IB in Sweden, too. But it's voluntary if you want to take it.
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Post by cesmith on Oct 6, 2004 5:49:50 GMT -5
I haven't heard of the IB, but I really must confess ignorance of much that is International. I'm learning, thanks to new friends.
Languages aren't discouraged, they are just not really encouraged. I think that part of it is that there is so much stuff to cover in a day in High School that some things have more priority than others. Also, since we don't need the languages the way other countries do, we tend to not think of them as important. Just the way we are I guess. Also, most students have little chance to use the languages outside of class, so all you really have is a book level learning of the subject. You don't retain much unless you practice.
After studying Spanish for 9 years and being pretty good at it (not as good as a native speaker, but enough to fluently communicate) I thought I would always remember it too. The only way to is to keep practicing.
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Post by kitsuneoni on Oct 15, 2004 4:05:01 GMT -5
We're lucky in that way, I guess, because I don't only speak Italian at school but with friends and in daily situations... and France isn't too far away so I speak French too.
My french teacher sometimes tells me of things she has to correct that are sent over from America (for the IB all exams are sent to different to different teachers) and we all laugh, but thinking about it... I'd suck at a language if I had no oppertunity to speak it.
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Post by cesmith on Oct 15, 2004 6:30:03 GMT -5
In the US most people who speak French are from Haiti and most of them actually speak Creole. Some of the mistakes probably are from the differences between the 2 languages and the lack of being able to practice. The same goes for Spanish. I learned very proper Spanish from Madrid. When I spoke with people from other Spanish speaking countries there were pronunciation differences and different words and different slang terms. All very confusing without lots of practice. You are lucky to have so many languages around you.  |
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Post by kitsuneoni on Oct 18, 2004 5:18:41 GMT -5
Hmm.. South American spanish is really annoying for me because of the way they pronounce certain words. *g* I learnt spanish in Spain, so... I'm picky.
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Post by Blood_Debt on Nov 7, 2004 2:42:36 GMT -5
Me? I come from England, but I'm Chinese, and I now reside in Malaysia. I speak English, but am learning French, German and Mandarin. *phew*. Mandarin is the hardest language, with no alphabet, and the hundreds of other dialects. I also speak Cantonese almost fluently (nearly there), but not quite. I just use my family most of the time, my dad also speaks Hokkien, and Japanese, and others I can't remember the name of, my brother does Chinese wayyy better than me, and same with my mom for German and French. I'm illiterate.  |
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Post by elven dreamer on Nov 7, 2004 8:11:45 GMT -5
*blush* only english here. Am learning French, would love to learn Spanish, learnt Japanese for six-and-a-half years in primary school which was three years ago and remember almost none of it. Am also learning bahasa (malay) (as I currently live in M'sia - moving back home in Aus soon!! Yay!!) but totally suck at it and don't like it very much. I think you're right about the whole "language in the USA" thingy. In Europe, you can travel to different countries for the day and everyone speaks God knows how many languages there. But in the wunnerful US of A, it and Canada are practically the whole continent, and both of them do English (Canada=French and English). You know what I mean? I don't explain it very well but.... Same as Australia. Its an island, for heaven's sake! And all of it speaks English - thanks to the brits sending all their convicts to us there!! No offence to you present day Brits. I have nothing against you for your ancestors invasion of my land!!! Though they're probably my ancestors too. Me no aborigine, me. A whitie with a Scottish nana and a German great grandma. Here in Malaysia, I feel really sucky coz even though I'm at an international school (a British one) there are loads of asians and most of my friends are chinese, singaporean... They all speak cantonese, mandarin, the lot, but I only speak english *sigh* and I find it damned irritating when they all speak chinese etc when I'm right there. I know it's their native language (in some cases) and I know that sometimes it's so others can't understand, but I find it really condecsending, and kinda rude. I'm not sure why but its just like that. Anyone else get that? ^_^v |
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), have taken courses in French and Spanish, but no, I can't seem to remember how to use them. 
Of course I understand Norwegian, and Danish (at least written and some of the spoken dialects). They are so like Swedish. Japanese, yeah, I'm trying to learn that, too, but I'm a little lazy, having a personal translator in the house. 
