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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| zhanglong Senior Member United States Joined 4928 days ago 322 posts - 427 votes  Studies: Mandarin, Cantonese | Message 169 of 169 15 April 2013 at 1:36am | IP Logged |
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Yesterday was an interesting day.
I met a group of multilingual language students from different universities. At the lunch table, each one of the group switched from English to Mandarin, to Cantonese, to Japanese, to Chaozhou language. It was so much fun trying to keep up with them. Then, one of the party said that he lived in Shanghai so, he started speaking Shanghainese. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I wish I had met them two years before! More importantly, it stressed to me the importance of knowing Mandarin well. When we couldn't make ourselves understood, we used Mandarin and English to convey more abstract or universal ideas. The really amazing thing is how slipping in and out of so many languages seemed so natural for them. Unlike some of my country mates who feel that only speaking English is enough, these students actively seek out and try to explore other ways of communicating. I guess it's the same in most of Europe where many are surrounded by people who speak a different language. If you love beef, I guess you can have steak for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it's a much more balanced and interesting diet if you also enjoy chicken or pork. After attending this language buffet, I'm really energized to continue on this path of learning as much as I can about language. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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