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Why do people lie about being fluent?

  Tags: Fake Reviews | Fluency
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion Post Reply
88 messages over 11 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 7 ... 10 11 Next >>
Naomi Chambers
Newbie
United States
thepolyglotexperienc
Joined 5072 days ago

23 posts - 30 votes
Speaks: Spanish
Studies: FrenchC1, Swedish

 
 Message 49 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:27pm | IP Logged 
SamD wrote:
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.



I know this person is lying. She has a low self-esteem and is doing it for attention.
1 person has voted this message useful



Ari
Heptaglot
Senior Member
Norway
Joined 6583 days ago

2314 posts - 5695 votes 
Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
Studies: Czech, Latin, German

 
 Message 50 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:31pm | IP Logged 
Regarding intelligence: non-intelligent people are born that way, even moreso than, say, overweight people.
We could even call it a handicap. Some say that less intelligent people (such as this woman of whom we
have a very one-sided view) will often claim to be intelligent. Seeing as this is a result of the way they are
born, does this mean they deserve our ridicule?

Topic two: people may use a word differently than you use it. It does not mean they are wrong, unless it's a
technical term with a precise definition, which the word "fluent" certainly is not. There is no "slippery slope"
that will lead to a state where nobody is able to communicate with anybody else. Languages don't work that
way.

Topic three, this on a more personal note. Confidence is a good thing and in my experience people suffer
more from low self esteem than from high. If this is the case, trying to take people down a peg when they
are feeling good about themselves is not a good thing. If you think the person in question may get in trouble
from her overestimation of her abilities, you'll do her a favor by correcting her in a friendly manner. If it does
no harm to you or anyone else, give her a "good for you!" and be happy for her, as she's found some
confidence, some belief in herself, which is not always easy to find in this world. She's most likely better at
Spanish than someone who has never studied it. Let her be happy about that! Or if the boasting is a result
of low self esteem rather than high, taking the person down a notch is not helping anyone and is in fact kind
of a dick move.

Edited by Ari on 28 April 2011 at 9:34pm

8 persons have voted this message useful



Bao
Diglot
Senior Member
Germany
tinyurl.com/pe4kqe5
Joined 5767 days ago

2256 posts - 4046 votes 
Speaks: German*, English
Studies: French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin

 
 Message 51 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:33pm | IP Logged 
And why do you concern yourself over her? I mean, I can understand that it might be a bit annoying to see somebody bragging about non-existant skills when you work hard to learn exactly those skills, but isn't is a bit fruitless to be annoyed over it? In German, we say sich ärgern, which nicely depicts that it's an activity one does to oneself. It just isn't worth the time of the day unless you want to grow an ulcer.

By the way, people may change when they suddenly have the motivation to work hard for something. I was pretty ashamed recently when I noticed that one of the girls I expected to leave school early is in university now, whereas I am the high school dropout.

Edited by Bao on 28 April 2011 at 9:35pm

2 persons have voted this message useful



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 52 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:33pm | IP Logged 
Naomi Chambers wrote:
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.

What exactly is covered in a 101 class varies immensely and it usually involves a lot of vocabulary and some conjugation.
1 person has 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 53 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:39pm | IP Logged 
What is this discussion about? Someone claims that someone else is lying about their level of fluency in Spanish. Nobody else has heard the Spanish of the accuser or the accused. And the accused is not here to defend herself. And we are supposed to explain why some people lie about their language skills. Enough is enough. I can't take this pointless argument anymore. I give up.
7 persons have voted this message useful



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 54 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:50pm | IP Logged 
s_allard wrote:
What is this discussion about? Someone claims that someone else is lying about their level of fluency in Spanish. Nobody else has heard the Spanish of the accuser or the accused. And the accused is not here to defend herself. And we are supposed to explain why some people lie about their language skills. Enough is enough. I can't take this pointless argument anymore. I give up.

HAHAH!

I think my point in all of this is that the person may or may not have lied -- who knows! -- but it has nothing to do with the fact that she took only 3 classes for which she didn't get an A, because that does NOT exclude fluency.

Edited by Arekkusu on 28 April 2011 at 9:58pm

2 persons have voted this message useful



Bao
Diglot
Senior Member
Germany
tinyurl.com/pe4kqe5
Joined 5767 days ago

2256 posts - 4046 votes 
Speaks: German*, English
Studies: French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin

 
 Message 55 of 88
28 April 2011 at 9:51pm | IP Logged 
Ahaha hands up, you're arrested! :D
1 person has voted this message useful



seldnar
Senior Member
United States
Joined 7133 days ago

189 posts - 287 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Mandarin, French, Greek

 
 Message 56 of 88
28 April 2011 at 10:17pm | IP Logged 
I give up too. The OP seems obsessed with this, yet has not provided any proof of the accused's ability (or lack
thereof) in Spanish, nor proof that she is lying. I would suggest that she forget this person who irritates her so
much and apply that energy to her own studies.


2 persons have voted this message useful



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