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Disliking English | ||
Tags: "Louche" Languages | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| beano Diglot Senior Member United KingdomRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4623 days ago 1049 posts - 2152 votes  Speaks: English*, German Studies: Russian, Serbian, Hungarian | Message 25 of 73 07 November 2013 at 10:44pm | IP Logged | ||
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There are always two sides to the coin. Being a native English speaker makes it possible to find employment
all over the world. If you also happen to be interested in foreign languages, they can be learned while living and working in the country where they are spoken. English can actually provide an entry point into other languages and cultures, it doesn't have to be a case of your native English inhibiting your linguistic development. Now take a typical Hungarian who speaks only a modest amount of English (and possibly German). Do they have the same potential to spread their wings? 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| 1e4e6 Octoglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4291 days ago 1013 posts - 1588 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Italian Studies: German, Danish, Russian, Catalan | Message 26 of 73 07 November 2013 at 10:51pm | IP Logged | ||
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Well the Hungarian, if his or her English is something like A1, when in countries such as
Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Iceland, etc. the people in those countries might possibly be reluctant to switch into English with this person, because it might confuse both of them. If the Hungarian has Dutch and/or Norwegian at B1 or B2, the Dutch or Norwegian will probably have to speak Dutch or Norwegian to them instead of English, so the Hungarian manages to achieve practise. This does not happen as often as with a native Anglophone, who might study many languages but no one wants to speak with the person. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Papashaw Newbie Australia Joined 4104 days ago 28 posts - 32 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 27 of 73 07 November 2013 at 11:28pm | IP Logged | ||
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A problem, as ridiculous as it sounds, that I have with English spreading so widely is that I fear it may water down.
When I look into German I see a language that has so much already, so much English does not. English should have evolved some compensations after losing features, but not nearly enough. In German therein lay: Modal particles, V2., SOV, verb final, impersonal passives, two more -wh words, Genders, conjugations, cases, declensions, multiple ways to form plurals etc. Yes this is a fixation of mine, but it almost seems that any evolution may be stamped down in favor of keeping English simple enough to learn. You natives need to get a hold of this language and expand it to include much more! Else they mock us. Like I said, painting a target around a bullet hole. We no longer even use to-be to form perfect tenses for certain verbs like many other languages that do! Edited by Papashaw on 07 November 2013 at 11:35pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| 1e4e6 Octoglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4291 days ago 1013 posts - 1588 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Italian Studies: German, Danish, Russian, Catalan | Message 28 of 73 07 November 2013 at 11:33pm | IP Logged | ||
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If referring to those structures, I think that English should employ more frequently
pronomial adverbs. They are very useful and would encourage speakers to stop placing prepositions at end of sentences, i.e. "the pen that I write with" could be, in addition to "the pen with which I write", using pronomial adverbs, "the pen wherewith I write". German and Dutch have it, but why English does not use it as often I do not know. "Whither" and "thither" sound archaic now, but their meanings are useful. http://en.wiktio nary.org/wiki/Category:English_pronominal_adverbs All of these look useful in many contexts. After spending time on this concept in Dutch, I keep wondering why people do not speak like these in English. As mentioned above, using "to be" for intransitive verbs like in Dutch and German zijn and sein respectively, I think is better to be consistent with them (therewith); "Have they arrived at the restaurant" could be "Are they arrived at the restaurant?". Likewise, "I had gone to the doctor's surgery today" could be, "I was gone to the doctor's surgery today." The utilisation of the "do-clause" to me seems superfluous and I have no idea why VSO inversion is not used in English. "Where do you go to?" or preferably, "To where do you go", to me sounds better as, "Wheretowards go you?" The do-clause seems like repeating the clause twice just for the sake of it (or "for the sake thereof" as I would prefer). Edited by 1e4e6 on 08 November 2013 at 12:09am 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Papashaw Newbie Australia Joined 4104 days ago 28 posts - 32 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 29 of 73 07 November 2013 at 11:46pm | IP Logged | ||
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To be, honest English language classes as a first language are atrocious nowadays. Many in school are not taught
complex verb, noun, and other word usages but trivial matter. They don't teach how to make the fullest use of verb-aspect combinations. English is not poor in detail as those smug learners say, it's just used by too many uncaring natives. Maybe because it isn't heavily regulated by an academy that people loosen up so much. I'd like to see how long German would last with all of its features when left alone for a couple centuries. Or maybe English natives just suck. (Except for me and y'all) Edited by Papashaw on 07 November 2013 at 11:47pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| beano Diglot Senior Member United KingdomRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4623 days ago 1049 posts - 2152 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Russian, Serbian, Hungarian | Message 30 of 73 07 November 2013 at 11:56pm | IP Logged | ||
I think the whole idea of an English speaker being unable to practise abroad because everyone immediately switches the conversation to English is widely exaggerated. In all my travels around Germany, I always found lots of people more than happy to speak German with me, even employees in airports and large hotels who certainly would have a good level of English. The key is to have reasonable pronunciation and to speak with a degree of confidence. Obviously you need to know some of the language itself but that's why we study in the first place. I would say the vast majority of people are helpful and supportive when you speak their language. And if they happen to have good English then you can also use that to your advantage because they can help you out more. As I said, always two sides to the coin. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4708 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 31 of 73 08 November 2013 at 1:08am | IP Logged | ||
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Yes let's make English sound like it was spoken 300 years ago again!
4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Darklight1216 Diglot Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5101 days ago 411 posts - 639 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: German | Message 32 of 73 08 November 2013 at 1:46am | IP Logged | ||
I like English and I'm thankful that I don't have to go through any pains to learn it.
If any Germans try that on me I'll speak French to them. :P 1 person has voted this message useful |
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