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Criticism for Mid-Eastern Languages? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| ellasevia Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2011 Senior Member Germany Joined 6143 days ago 2150 posts - 3229 votes  Speaks: English*, German, Croatian, Greek, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian Studies: Catalan, Persian, Mandarin, Japanese, Romanian, Ukrainian | Message 17 of 43 27 November 2011 at 8:23pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Aside from my brother occasionally calling me a terrorist and my father asking me if I'm a secret Muslim, the most frequent reaction I got when I mentioned to people that I study Persian is asking me why I'm learning a dead language. Sigh.
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| prz_ Tetraglot Senior Member Poland last.fm/user/prz_rul Joined 4860 days ago 890 posts - 1190 votes Speaks: Polish*, English, Bulgarian, Croatian Studies: Slovenian, Macedonian, Persian, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, Armenian, Kurdish | Message 18 of 43 27 November 2011 at 9:30pm | IP Logged | |||||
Since I've been studying Persian at university, I think they would adore me :D 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| squonk Groupie United States Joined 4747 days ago 44 posts - 60 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Irish | Message 19 of 43 27 November 2011 at 11:09pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I have never received any negative remarks about my learning Arabic. In fact, I usually
hear comments of wonder, admiration, or amazement from non-Arabs who don't know me well. Those who do know me already understand that I've always been hopelessly addicted to language-learning, and they figure that Arabic is simply par for the course. I live in the state of Ohio, in an area where Arabs are a significant minority. Arabs here appear flattered and supportive when I attempt to speak with them. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5335 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 20 of 43 27 November 2011 at 11:23pm | IP Logged | |||||
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It is 100 years since I did any Arabic (ok, so only 30 - just feels like 100), but the main reaction I got then was a mild curiosity as to why I would learn such an exotic language. Since my strategy against stupid questions about why I learn a certain language, is always to give them a plausible reason for it, I would just say that I believed it would open up more job opportunities, since so few studied it. We were 8 who studied Arabic at the University of Oslo, the 7 others who continued studying Arabic after I dropped out all converted to Islam. It was really an exotic topic in those days.
I have dabbled in both Hebrew and Arabic and love them both. If I had any extra time I would have learned both languages. Edited by Solfrid Cristin on 27 November 2011 at 11:23pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| TalkativeHoopoe Tetraglot Newbie United States Joined 4748 days ago 11 posts - 13 votes Speaks: Spanish, Persian, Pashto*, English | Message 21 of 43 27 November 2011 at 11:53pm | IP Logged | |||||
Yes, they most likely would. Greetings would consist of several hugs and whatnot. :-)a 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| P0nd3r Bilingual Diglot Newbie United States Joined 5205 days ago 30 posts - 35 votes Speaks: English*, Persian* Studies: Swedish, Japanese | Message 22 of 43 28 November 2011 at 1:17am | IP Logged | |||||
Just came by to say that I'm Persian, and I love it when people speak and study my language because for one, it's easier for me to say my thoughts more clearly so that's a plus. Also Persian is not a dead language, I'm just going to say that right now. Excuse me for my informal language, but learning a middle eastern language is as bad ass as it gets. Seriously, you want to take the time to learn middle eastern language that's amazing. You people should feel bad ass for learning a mid east language, doesn't matter what it is pashto, dari, persian, hebrew, arabic whatever. Plus these language have sort of a rugged undertone to do, don't know if I'm saying that right. I mean, in this world where so many things are happening, these languages will be useful. Of course, every language is useful but I was just using that as motivation. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Humdereel Octoglot Groupie United States Joined 4979 days ago 90 posts - 349 votes Speaks: English, Spanish*, Arabic (Levantine), Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Written), Turkish, Persian, Urdu Studies: Russian | Message 23 of 43 28 November 2011 at 1:49am | IP Logged | |||||
That's a reaction I have encountered once as well. For some reason, people think that because the legendary Persian empire is no more, that the language is also no more. Of course, it's as living as Arabic or Spanish or Mandarin. It's a highly rewarding language to explore. ^I like P0nd3r's comment: If you tackle a Middle Eastern language, you're nothing short of badass. Of course, this goes with any language, but you can see it in the natives' reactions to your studying of their language. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| ellasevia Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2011 Senior Member Germany Joined 6143 days ago 2150 posts - 3229 votes Speaks: English*, German, Croatian, Greek, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian Studies: Catalan, Persian, Mandarin, Japanese, Romanian, Ukrainian | Message 24 of 43 28 November 2011 at 2:32am | IP Logged | |||||
Oh yes, I know that Persian isn't a dead language. It's just that people seem to think it is because "Persia" doesn't exist anymore, as Humdereel also noted. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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