Languages

[Guest]

I understood that this gem(?) made the circles round the Med a few years ago.

What do you call a sailor that can speak four or more languages ? Multi-lingual.

What do you call a sailor that can speak three languages ? Tri-lingual.

What do you call somebody that can speak two languages ? Bi-lingual.

What do you call a sailor that can speak only one languages ? English.

I wait for the flack BUT remember it is only a little jest however If the cap fits .....

 

[Guest]

It does seem that there\'s more than a grain of truth in that one...

...some people find it really difficult to learn a new language (some people never quite master their own, come to that) and some can't see why they should bother to try. One of the problems is that the English are incredibly good at finding one another in the local bar, or just stopping by to say hello. Soon, they have a social circle that speaks their own language and many find that this is easier then learning a whole language just to meet some new people. Plunge an Englishman into a community that doesn't include anyone English-speaking and it's amazing how quickly he will get to grips with the language!

 

[Guest]

Yes It\'s a shame ALL the nations of the world don\'t speak English, they don\'t know what their missing. (;--ó)) *

IOP88

 

[Guest]

I've found that eg St Martin FWI if you go in and attempt to speak french even by merely uttering Bonjour it results in significantly better service compared to just being "english".

 

[Guest]

The English are the world\'s best linguists

The purpose of language is communication. If I go and learn Vulcan, then I will be able to speak to Vulcans. But if I teach the Vulcans English, then I will be able to speak to Vulcans, and Vulcans will be able to speak to all the others that speak English.

It's much more efficient for everyone to understand one language, than for a few people to speak many languages.

 

[Guest]

Yee BUT more people speak Manderian Chinese. Should we all learn that? nm

nm

 

[Guest]

How many English only-speakers use language phrase books when we travel to non english speaking countries? nm

nnm

 

[Guest]

In the current political climate, with...

all the agricultural havoc for which the blame is being laid, quite possibly correctly, at the British door, I should thing you'd be better received as a Taliban than an Englishman in some quarters (no offense intended to anyone, regardless of however much desire to cause any has had to be repressed) but I have noticed something else along the way too: People who work in shops often jump to the conclusion that anyone who looks like a foreigner will be unintelligable. Thus I have been behind a big blond chap, at the counter, who has asked for whatever he wanted and been met with the whole 'I don't understand you' routine, shrugs, hand waving, wrinkled brows and raised eyebrows. Being dark-ish and of indeterminate origins, I lean forward, repeat what the man just said, taking care to use exactly the same pronunciation as he did (which was usually quite correct, anyway) and lo! No problem! I can be understood because I look as though I can and the reverse is true for the obvious foreigner. Perhaps in Scandinavia I would find the boot on the other foot?

 

[Guest]

Learning Mandarin Chinese

No damn good if you want to fly an aircraft, use the internet, or communicate with the widesst number of people in the widest number of countries.

Someone said the French have never forgiven us for exporting our language more widely than them.

Shame.

 

[Guest]

Re: It does seem that there\'s more than a grain of truth in that one...

I am left handed and I have difficulty learning languages. I was once told that because left handed people have their brain on the other side of their head, languages are difficult, although such things as drawing are easier. Anyone else had such experience?

 

[Guest]

Re: It does seem that there\'s more than a grain of truth in that one...

Englishmen only seem to be good at meeting each other in bars because the only Englishmen one ever meets are the ones who like to meet Englishmen. English expats in foreign capitals fall into two categories: the expat community and the ones who avoid the expat community like the plague.

The latter (people like me) aren't very visible to their countrymen, but we do exist.

By the way, all the stuff about Vulcans learning our language sounds very nice, but in practice it doesn't work like that. If you want to do business in Vulcanland you'll be as completely stuffed as a mono-lingual Chinaman trying to do business in Britain would be. That's true even if all the Vulcans can speak your language when they want to.

 

[Sybarite]

I am left handed and I have difficulty learning languages. I was once told that because left handed people have their brain on the other side of their head, languages are difficult, although such things as drawing are easier. Anyone else had such experience?

My daughter (15) is lefthanded and is perfectly bilingual and gets by in another three languages.

 

[JumbleDuck]

My daughter (15) is lefthanded and is perfectly bilingual and gets by in another three languages.

Can she subtract the 12th April 2001 from the 26th May 2014? I make it thirteen years and a fortnight, which may be a record.

 

[Downsman]

Can she subtract the 12th April 2001 from the 26th May 2014? I make it thirteen years and a fortnight, which may be a record.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

My daughter (15) is lefthanded and is perfectly bilingual and gets by in another three languages.

Was she bilingual when this thread started, or did you wait all this time to share that little gem with us?

 

[Rigger Mortice]

The interesting thing about English is that, whilst it is not the most widely spoken first language, if you take into account peoples second language, it is the most widely spoken language on the globe. By a long way.

 

[lpdsn]

My daughter (15) is lefthanded and is perfectly bilingual and gets by in another three languages.

That's the way to get the last word of a thread. Go away and practice for 13 years then come back and revive it.

I'm not against old threads being revived, but shouldn't this one have been started in the lounge?

 

[AndrewB]

That's the way to get the last word of a thread. Go away and practice for 13 years then come back and revive it.

I'm not against old threads being revived, but shouldn't this one have been started in the lounge?

There wasn't a Lounge back when this one was started!

 

[LadyInBed]

Some say that the old ones are the best!
I am RIGHT handed and I have difficulty learning languages.
I once read that because left handed people have their brain on the other side of their head, languages are difficult, my excuse is that I am just bone idle.

 

[trapezeartist]

I am left handed and I have difficulty learning languages. I was once told that because left handed people have their brain on the other side of their head, languages are difficult, although such things as drawing are easier. Anyone else had such experience?

I am left-handed. I'm no great linguist, but I have a reasonable handle on one foreign language, which is better than most of my countrymen. On the other hand, my drawing is utterly abysmal.