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Why do people lie about being fluent? | ||
Tags: Fake Reviews | Fluency | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5382 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes  Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 41 of 88 28 April 2011 at 4:38pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I think you'll find a lot of people on this site to disagree with any claim that you would need an A to be fluent. You can get an A and not be fluent, and you can be fluent and not get an A, it's not very relevant. I don't think many would argue that you couldn't become relatively fluent in, say, a year. How many semesters is that? 2 or 3? 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| s_allard Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5431 days ago 2704 posts - 5425 votes Speaks: French*, English, Spanish Studies: Polish | Message 42 of 88 28 April 2011 at 4:44pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Welcome to HTLAL. We are a feisty bunch. The reason there is so much discussion about being fluent is simply that the concept of fluency as used here is basically meaningless. To say "With her abilities, I would say that she is a least 2 years away from fluency" is in my mind a remarkable statement. I'm still trying to figure out what it means. 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| tracker465 Senior Member United States Joined 5353 days ago 355 posts - 496 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch | Message 43 of 88 28 April 2011 at 6:11pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I know many Hispanics in my local high school and college as well, who are (or have) taken Spanish classes and did not get an A, despite the fact that this was their mother tongue. ;) 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| SamD Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 6660 days ago 823 posts - 987 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French Studies: Portuguese, Norwegian | Message 44 of 88 28 April 2011 at 6:17pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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There is always the possibility that the woman in question is lying.
On the other hand, she may genuinely believe that she is fluent. Even if she's not getting an A, even if most of us in this forum who speak Spanish would hear her speak Spanish and feel quite strongly that she isn't fluent, she may just believe she is fluent. It could mean that she doesn't know what "fluent" means. She might also sit next to two other students who are even further from fluent than she is and so overestimate her ability. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| portunhol Triglot Senior Member United States thelinguistblogger.w Joined 6253 days ago 198 posts - 299 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: German, Arabic (classical) | Message 45 of 88 28 April 2011 at 6:51pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
This is an interesting topic for me and one that I have come across a million times. The first generation that is raised in a new country or culture likes to say that what their parents speak is their native language too but it rarely is. I've met dozens of Hispanic people who can't speak Spanish at all without 30%+ of what they are saying being in English. Once they find out that I speak English, most are relieved to switch out of Spanish because English is easier for them. I don't mean to criticize. All, or almost all, of their education is in English. How could you not end up being stronger in English if, from the age of five, that's what you were compelled to speak for most of your day? I think they say that Spanish is their native tongue because being Mexican, Puerto Rican, Salvadorean, etc. is an essential part of their identity and speaking native Spanish is part of being Mexican, Puerto Rican, Salvadorean, etc. For many of them, admitting that they don't speak Spanish well is like saying that they are not really Hispanic. If they are not Hispanic then what are they? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| hrhenry Octoglot Senior Member United States languagehopper.blogs Joined 5131 days ago 1871 posts - 3642 votes Speaks: English*, SpanishC2, ItalianC2, Norwegian, Catalan, Galician, Turkish, Portuguese Studies: Polish, Indonesian, Ojibwe | Message 46 of 88 28 April 2011 at 8:39pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I'll nitpick a little here. If they're saying that Spanish is their native language it's because that's what was spoken to them and what they spoke with their parents before heading off to school - they're not lying. There's a difference between native and active or dominant language. Ethnic pride doesn't really have anything to do with that. Back to the subject, my experience with Spanish is pretty much Mexican and later, peninsular Spanish. Sit me down with a Chilean to talk about certain foods and I'll be lost in pretty short order. Does that mean I'm not fluent? Hell, speaking of food, befriend someone from Veracruz, MX, then travel with them anywhere west of Mexico City. I can guarantee that person will get funny looks or outright "What the hell are you talking about?" questions, the vocabulary is that different. R. == 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Naomi Chambers Newbie United States thepolyglotexperienc Joined 5072 days ago 23 posts - 30 votes Speaks: Spanish Studies: FrenchC1, Swedish | Message 47 of 88 28 April 2011 at 9:24pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I think that a person should get an A in Spanish 101. For goodness sake, this kind of class involves numbers, the alphabet and basic vocabulary. If a person cannot get that stuff down solid, they cannot progress. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Naomi Chambers Newbie United States thepolyglotexperienc Joined 5072 days ago 23 posts - 30 votes Speaks: Spanish Studies: FrenchC1, Swedish | Message 48 of 88 28 April 2011 at 9:26pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Then they were being lazy and just taking the class for credit. This person is an American, who took Spanish 101 and could not ace it. Now, she is claiming to be fluent. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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