|
 |
Languages that you feel obligated... | ||
Tags: Reasons for study | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Kronos Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5262 days ago 186 posts - 452 votes  Speaks: German*, English | Message 9 of 58 27 January 2013 at 2:58pm | IP Logged |
|
French. In my place and my generation, it was always no. 2 in significance next to English. In school at age 12 I had to choose between Latin and French, and I would have taken both, but since this was not possible I took Latin. Fifteen years later, in college, I took a French course, but the communicative approach already in vogue then requiring me to speak right from the first day in group settings was not my kind of tea so I dropped it. Another five years later I attempted to learn it privately together with a girl I had just got to know, but for pure learning purposes that turned out to be not a good idea either.
By now I have grown into a firm believer in self-study, and now that there is Internet it also has become easy to choose and acquire excellent resources. I love books, especially old ones, and my beginner course of choice is the old French without Toil. As a kid I couldn't stand French culture. This has changed, but I am still not a great lover of the language, especially its pronunciation to which I continue to be semi-allergic, but I have realized that I have more focus in study when I don't spend too much time with audio files anyway. So I am learning the language now in small doses and text-based, and make use of the audio more as a control after having finished a lesson. This works well, and I enjoy it. Apart from its large cultural and political impact French is very useful for language study itself, since some of the best Assimil courses, and also other language courses, are only available in French as base language. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| sillygoose1 Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 4637 days ago 566 posts - 814 votes Speaks: English*, Italian, Spanish, French Studies: German, Latin | Message 10 of 58 27 January 2013 at 4:20pm | IP Logged |
|
German -
I took it in middle school and failed it. Then I took it again in uni when I discovered how much I like to learn languages, but I dropped it to pursue French. I've been trying to get back into it but the grammar is too tough for me to do it as a side language. I've been doing a lesson in Assimil every week or so, but I think I'm going to go for it today or tomorrow and at least learn to a reading fluency. Italian - Family speaks it, and I've always felt guilty for taking the time to learn other languages, but not the one closest to me. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Fuenf_Katzen Diglot Senior Member United States notjustajd.wordpress Joined 4370 days ago 337 posts - 476 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Polish, Ukrainian, Afrikaans | Message 11 of 58 28 January 2013 at 1:38am | IP Logged |
|
"Obligated" is probably too strong of a word, but sometimes I feel this way with Spanish, and become annoyed with myself that I just don't have the "connection" to it that I have with other languages. It would be an incredibly useful language not only living in the US, but traveling as well. I guess that I could say I want to "know" it, but don't want to "learn" it.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| zerrubabbel Senior Member United States Joined 4601 days ago 232 posts - 287 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Japanese, Mandarin | Message 12 of 58 28 January 2013 at 2:07am | IP Logged |
|
I also feel that way with Spanish, which is probably why im struggling with it... its really my only motivation... oh
well, I guess Ill just take it slow for now, maybe some doors will open in the future to make it more interesting. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| outcast Bilingual Heptaglot Senior Member China Joined 4950 days ago 869 posts - 1364 votes Speaks: Spanish*, English*, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Mandarin Studies: Korean | Message 13 of 58 28 January 2013 at 2:24am | IP Logged |
|
Interesting thread, I have had the same thoughts but from a slightly different perspective.
I felt "obligated" to learn German and French because I am a native bilingual of English and Spanish. As a result, I naturally have a significant discount for those two languages vs someone who just knows Spanish trying to learn German or English, or someone who just knows English trying to learn Spanish or French. So the way I saw it, I almost was obligated to learn them because not doing so would be embarrassing and a waste given the advantage I have. Without sounding nonchalant, I almost felt they were NOT foreign languages, but just alternates of what I already spoke (yes, I know this is complete bunkum, and I don't think like that rationally, just fugaciously in an emotional level). I would say "Chinese" will be my first real FOREIGN language. In a way, sometimes I still feel that way. All that said, I learned these languages (and still do), gladly and enthusiastically first and foremost, not because of an obligation. Same with Portuguese. And even with the advantage I had, it is a HUGE undertaking trying to reach advanced fluency and writing skills in three languages in 2-3 years like I'm trying, alone, and not in a true inmersion setting. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| tanya b Senior Member United States Joined 4779 days ago 159 posts - 518 votes Speaks: Russian | Message 14 of 58 28 January 2013 at 2:37am | IP Logged |
|
French and Spanish get my vote.
French because knowing French gives you credibility as a linguist in the US, even though practically no one here speaks it fluently, including most French teachers in US public schools. Spanish because there are so many millions of Spanish monolinguals here in the US the opportunities are almost limitless. I actually understand quite a bit of Spanish TV, thanks to Mexican novelas dubbed into Armenian. I feel so helpless sometimes that I can't speak Spanish. And I'm sure I will never be in a crowd of people where someone desperately cries out "Does anyone here speak Armenian? It's an emergency!!!" Edited by tanya b on 28 January 2013 at 2:42am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| The Riddler Triglot Newbie United States Joined 4338 days ago 12 posts - 16 votes Speaks: English*, Hindi, Telugu Studies: French, German | Message 15 of 58 28 January 2013 at 5:24am | IP Logged |
|
French. I took it in high school, got my A's, but I never really "learned" anything.
Obligated is a strong word, but I do feel something pushing me towards acquiring at least some modicum of fluency in it. I disagree with the post above mine about how conversing with Spanish monolinguals could give you limitless opportunities. Without overgeneralizing, the major opportunities you could get are in the medical treatment field (lot of Spanish-only patients) or certain blue-collar jobs. You usually don't see Americans speaking Spanish in a business-like setting, as it's not perceived as a "sophisticated" language, rather it is treated as the language of certain people in the lower middle class or even lower. A lot of American see a Mexican in particular or a Hispanic in general as an "unsuccessful potential (il)legal immigrant". Having the ability to speak Spanish isn't a skill that too many people look highly upon, not like knowing German or Chinese, where there is true and heavy economic influence because of those speakers. Not to say that there aren't Hispanics who've haven't made it to the top, but they are few and far in between, certainly not enough to use Spanish in a real money-making environment and enjoy better opportunities in a career. Please note I am not trying to be a racist, I just believe the above is true from observation, I am not the kind of person who thinks that knowing Spanish is only good for working in Texas as border control. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Sizen Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 4340 days ago 165 posts - 347 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Catalan, Spanish, Japanese, Ukrainian, German | Message 16 of 58 28 January 2013 at 8:38am | IP Logged |
|
French for me, but it doesn't feel like an obligation. It's more like, I would be
missing out on a large part of my life without it. My father is French Canadian and ever since I took up French again, I've connected a lot more with him and my grandparents. I've always been able to talk to them in English and have a good time while I was at it, but there's just something different now that I speak French with them. Learning French is allowing me to explore so much more of Canada in all of its forms as well. Every day I speak French, I feel more and more Canadian. The more I learn about Quebec and other French speaking communities of Canada, the more I feel like I'm looking deeper into myself. Yet at the same time, the contrast that French brings into my life makes me more and more aware of what being an anglophone means as well. It's a truly unique sensation for me: as if French was the missing piece that I needed before I could call myself a Canadian, or an adult for that matter. Without all of these things, I think that I would be less complete as a human being, and for that reason, I feel that I need to continue, or that I am obligated, to learn French. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
