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Beware of "secret" languages ;-) | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| acadien Triglot Newbie Norway Joined 6277 days ago 32 posts - 52 votes  Speaks: French*, English, Norwegian Studies: Spanish, Swedish | Message 1 of 173 21 September 2007 at 10:19am | IP Logged |
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As a French-Canadian who speaks Norwegian and has a Norwegian boyfriend, I find it quite handy to be able to talk Norwegian when I want to discuss private things in crowded areas (like the subway)... Once it becomes a reflex it can be a bit dangerous though...
On our last trip to Norway, (via Charles-de-Gaulles in Paris), we were queuing for our Oslo flight and my bf said something, in Norwegian, about an other passenger - something like "look at those horrible sunglasses" - to which I just looked at him in disbelief! Being in a queue for a flight to Oslo, Norwegian wasn't exactly "secret" anymore... neither were English nor French... I think the guy didn't hear anything... or heard and wisely chose to ignore... 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| justinwilliams Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6691 days ago 321 posts - 327 votes 3 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2 Studies: German, Italian | Message 2 of 173 21 September 2007 at 12:04pm | IP Logged |
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I used to do that all the time in French with my girlfriend when we were in Halifax. It wasn't such a great idea though since French is very similar to English plus quite a few people understand or speak French there! It took a while to get used not to talk so freely when I moved back to Montreal!
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| Aritaurus Tetraglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6576 days ago 197 posts - 204 votes Speaks: Cantonese, English*, Japanese, Mandarin Studies: Spanish | Message 3 of 173 21 September 2007 at 6:09pm | IP Logged |
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I can see Norwegian work really well in Canada. I've never met a Scandinavian person in my entire life here. French ? I think you'd have to accent it real up to be able to talk behind people's backs. I'm in Ontario and I don't know a single person who speaks French but most will understand it if you're not a native speaker and you use very simplistic setences. If you talk really fast, I can see that work too. I remember when I was in Taiwan and Japan, Cantonese was my language of choice when I wanted to talk about people. The chances of people there knowing Cantonese are so slim, I remember talking about someone who was standing right in front of me and my friend and she had no clue what was going on. Edited by Aritaurus on 21 September 2007 at 6:10pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Captain Haddock Diglot Senior Member Japan kanjicabinet.tumblr. Joined 6770 days ago 2282 posts - 2814 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek | Message 4 of 173 21 September 2007 at 10:55pm | IP Logged |
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I had a friend from Montreal who would speak French pig-latin with his mother if he didn't us anglophones to understand what he was saying.
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| justinwilliams Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6691 days ago 321 posts - 327 votes 3 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2 Studies: German, Italian | Message 5 of 173 22 September 2007 at 12:11am | IP Logged |
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Aritaurus, you're right. I used to put lots of slang words in there and try to pronounce as if I'd just gone out of the dentist's cabinet just in case someone would have learned something more than bonjour at school!
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| owshawng Senior Member United States Joined 6888 days ago 202 posts - 217 votes Speaks: English* | Message 6 of 173 27 September 2007 at 3:24pm | IP Logged |
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My in-laws speak Mandarin and Taiwanese mixed together. Most people who can speak both languages don't understand them.
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| William Camden Hexaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6274 days ago 1936 posts - 2333 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, French | Message 7 of 173 04 October 2007 at 11:14am | IP Logged |
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I was attending a trial in Turkey as part of a foreign delegation. Waiting outside the courtroom, I was speaking to a Belgian in English when a Turkish man who I suspected was a plainclothes policeman sidled up to us and started listening. I said in French, "He's listening to us. Let's change languages." We carried on in French and the man walked away.
15 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Captain Haddock Diglot Senior Member Japan kanjicabinet.tumblr. Joined 6770 days ago 2282 posts - 2814 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek | Message 8 of 173 05 October 2007 at 2:53am | IP Logged |
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I heard a story about Montreal-based Power Corporation conducting a business deal in Japan. The day-long negotiations between Power's executives and the executives of the Japanese company were done using English-Japanese interpreters. When break-time came, the Power executives began discussing strategy in English, but switched to French when they realized the Japanese group across the room were listening and might know some English.
Later, the deal was concluded, and a banquet held to commemorate it. When the Japanese CEO stood up to give his speech, everyone expected it to be in Japanese. Instead, he gave it in French. 43 persons have voted this message useful |
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