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Beware of "secret" languages ;-)

  Tags: Turkish | Polish | Japanese
 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages Post Reply
173 messages over 22 pages: << Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 9 ... 21 22 Next >>
doviende
Diglot
Senior Member
Canada
languagefixatio
Joined 5971 days ago

533 posts - 1245 votes 
Speaks: English*, German
Studies: Spanish, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Hindi, Swedish, Portuguese

 
 Message 65 of 173
04 October 2009 at 12:03am | IP Logged 
My girlfriend and i will sometimes speak chinese to each other, since we both went to china on exchange together. It's not actually that useful as a "secret" language here in Vancouver, though, since there are so many chinese speakers everywhere we go.

What i really dream of is someone coming to me and saying "hey, let's learn Lojban together as a secret language." I'd jump at the chance, but so far i haven't been able to convince anyone.
2 persons have voted this message useful



Volte
Tetraglot
Senior Member
Switzerland
Joined 6424 days ago

4474 posts - 6726 votes 
Speaks: English*, Esperanto, German, Italian
Studies: French, Finnish, Mandarin, Japanese

 
 Message 66 of 173
04 October 2009 at 12:26am | IP Logged 
doviende wrote:
My girlfriend and i will sometimes speak chinese to each other, since we both went to china on exchange together. It's not actually that useful as a "secret" language here in Vancouver, though, since there are so many chinese speakers everywhere we go.

What i really dream of is someone coming to me and saying "hey, let's learn Lojban together as a secret language." I'd jump at the chance, but so far i haven't been able to convince anyone.


I'm in.

3 persons have voted this message useful



xtremelingo
Trilingual Triglot
Senior Member
Canada
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398 posts - 515 votes 
Speaks: English*, Hindi*, Punjabi*
Studies: German, French, Arabic (Written)

 
 Message 67 of 173
04 October 2009 at 2:26am | IP Logged 

Why speak about other people in a different language (particularly if it is negative)?

I get annoyed by people who use their language skills for these reasons. It usually does cause trouble and hurt if you are caught and generally ruins the entire impression of people that speak foreign languages.

It can develop a sense of resentment toward the language/culture of those speakers - when it really isn't the fault of the culture, but the idiots who use the language in a cowardly way (talking behind people's back).

I haven't understood what is the point of talking rudely about someone that has done nothing wrong/harm to you? And if they did, why not then have the guts to be able to say what you feel in a language they can understand too? If you don't have the guts, then why say anything at all - at the time?

I mean if you're using language in a positive/complimentary way then fine. If you have nothing good to say - don't say it!

17 persons have voted this message useful



Volte
Tetraglot
Senior Member
Switzerland
Joined 6424 days ago

4474 posts - 6726 votes 
Speaks: English*, Esperanto, German, Italian
Studies: French, Finnish, Mandarin, Japanese

 
 Message 68 of 173
04 October 2009 at 10:45am | IP Logged 
xtremelingo wrote:

Why speak about other people in a different language (particularly if it is negative)?

I get annoyed by people who use their language skills for these reasons. It usually does cause trouble and hurt if you are caught and generally ruins the entire impression of people that speak foreign languages.

It can develop a sense of resentment toward the language/culture of those speakers - when it really isn't the fault of the culture, but the idiots who use the language in a cowardly way (talking behind people's back).

I haven't understood what is the point of talking rudely about someone that has done nothing wrong/harm to you? And if they did, why not then have the guts to be able to say what you feel in a language they can understand too? If you don't have the guts, then why say anything at all - at the time?

I mean if you're using language in a positive/complimentary way then fine. If you have nothing good to say - don't say it!


I basically don't use languages to make negative comments about third parties; I'll admit to occasionally using to say people are cute/etc. The awkward example mentioned on the previous page of this thread was caused by a positive comment.

Rather, they're useful for semi-private conversation - or simply for when I feel like speaking another language and have another shared one with whoever I'm talking to. I don't feel any particular obligation to speak any particular language in front of total strangers on the street or in a train - much less if we probably either have no common language or only English.

2 persons have voted this message useful



acadien
Triglot
Newbie
Norway
Joined 6260 days ago

32 posts - 52 votes 
Speaks: French*, English, Norwegian
Studies: Spanish, Swedish

 
 Message 69 of 173
04 October 2009 at 11:53am | IP Logged 
I agree. It doesn't have to be negative. Sometimes you just don't want people to overhear what you're talking about in the bus.

But either way, it can lead to awkward/funny situations where you're being understood when you thought you weren't, and that was my whole point when I started this thread - not to encourage people to be mean to other people in other languages, obviously.
1 person has voted this message useful



Leopejo
Bilingual Triglot
Senior Member
Italy
Joined 6094 days ago

675 posts - 724 votes 
Speaks: Italian*, Finnish*, English
Studies: French, Russian

 
 Message 70 of 173
04 October 2009 at 12:12pm | IP Logged 
I and a very close friend of mine were thinking that in a few months we will have five languages in common - of which some are quite uncommon.

Then we realized that our only common friend - who is American! (there, some language racism from my part) - would understand us in all five of them.


2 persons have voted this message useful



ellasevia
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2011
Senior Member
Germany
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 Message 71 of 173
04 October 2009 at 3:27pm | IP Logged 
Leopejo wrote:
I and a very close friend of mine were thinking that in a few months we will have five languages in common - of which some are quite uncommon.

Then we realized that our only common friend - who is American! (there, some language racism from my part) - would understand us in all five of them.



Which five? English, Italian, Finnish, Russian, and French? I wouldn't say those are uncommon...
1 person has voted this message useful



Leopejo
Bilingual Triglot
Senior Member
Italy
Joined 6094 days ago

675 posts - 724 votes 
Speaks: Italian*, Finnish*, English
Studies: French, Russian

 
 Message 72 of 173
04 October 2009 at 4:01pm | IP Logged 
ellasevia wrote:
Leopejo wrote:
I and a very close friend of mine were thinking that in a few months we will have five languages in common - of which some are quite uncommon.

Then we realized that our only common friend - who is American! (there, some language racism from my part) - would understand us in all five of them.



Which five? English, Italian, Finnish, Russian, and French? I wouldn't say those are uncommon...

No, not those five.


1 person has voted this message useful



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