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Does language learning make you.. | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| numerodix Trilingual Hexaglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 6608 days ago 856 posts - 1226 votes  Speaks: EnglishC2*, Norwegian*, Polish*, Italian, Dutch, French Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 1 of 37 11 May 2010 at 7:46pm | IP Logged | ||
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...more forgiving or less forgiving of people who struggle with languages?
I don't mean you as an abstract you, I mean you personally. To me learning a language is one of the more difficult things we do in life. I've been studying Italian now for about 9 months, closing in on 1000 hours and I'm really only at the beginning still. I took on this activity last year with high hopes and a lot of people's success stories in my mind, thinking all it would take is being systematic about it. And I have been, but boy it sure is a long road. So it got me thinking about all kinds of people and where they are with their languages, many struggling to take the reins of a new language in an adopted country. And I think I'm inclined to be more understanding of their situation now. What's your view? 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| papytofu Diglot Newbie CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5158 days ago 16 posts - 21 votes Speaks: French*, EnglishC2 Studies: Mandarin, Latin, Spanish | Message 2 of 37 11 May 2010 at 8:20pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think that learning language was for me an opportunity to learn to be open-minded. By stumbling against difficulties and learning about others cultures, I know understand the difficulties someone can go through. Being less forgiving would mean that I didn't learn nothing. Those who are always nitpicking don't understand that behind rules of grammar there is human beings.
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| ManicGenius Senior Member United States Joined 5306 days ago 288 posts - 420 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Esperanto, French, Japanese | Message 3 of 37 11 May 2010 at 8:24pm | IP Logged | ||
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If the person is truly trying to learn a language purely for themselves and for the betterment of themselves or family, then I am sympathetic to their difficulties.
However, if someone is learning purely because of requirement (college/schooling), I'm less sympathetic to virtually not at all unless they are truly interested in it. The same sentiment goes towards those learning a language purely for financial/military gain who care nothing about the people or the culture who use that language. (People and culture go hand in hand with languages to me, I know some here learn and love languages purely for the language itself, but I see language as a gateway to people. I guess thats just the extrovert in me). Edited by ManicGenius on 11 May 2010 at 8:26pm 12 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| brian91 Senior Member Ireland Joined 5269 days ago 335 posts - 437 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 4 of 37 11 May 2010 at 9:57pm | IP Logged | ||
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Personally, it's given me more understanding and also appreciation for those who learn English.
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| nescafe Senior Member Japan Joined 5234 days ago 137 posts - 227 votes | Message 5 of 37 12 May 2010 at 12:48am | IP Logged | ||
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I was educated in Japanese school. What was important there was not to make a mistake, and challenging something new was not encouradged, rather regarded deviation from the norm. I do not know if it is a universal school teascher's atittude or peculiar one to Japanese school. However, when speaking a foreing language, it is inevitable to make mistakes. To speak a language only after mastering it perfectly is utterly unrealistic. Language learning made me not being afraid of mistakes, no matter if it is other's or mine. I feel myself got released from a cultural perfectionist obsession sticking to my country, thanks to language learning.
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| LtM Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5685 days ago 130 posts - 223 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: German | Message 6 of 37 12 May 2010 at 2:25am | IP Logged | ||
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I've been interested in foreign languages for a very long time, so I have always been interested in and appreciative of those who come to the US and and are in the process of learning English. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans don't seem to want to see past the limited English skills of immigrants, to the intelligent and knowledgeable foreign-language speakers within. That bothers me a lot. Through studying languages, I know what it is like to be an intelligent adult and yet sound like a two-year old in a foreign language. And that is what it is like foreign speakers who come here, until they become more skilled in English. Poor ESL skills don't have anything to do with a person's intelligence, decency, or any other personality trait. I wish more people would understand that.
However, things are a bit different when it comes to Americans learning a language other than English. I generally very much appreciate the efforts of those who are learning/have learned to speak a foreign language here. But humility goes a long way. I always mentally roll my eyes when someone volunteers to me that they're “fluent” in X. My observation has been that those who -do- speak one or more foreign languages … 1) don't brag about it 2) don't use the word “fluent”. I've met plenty of advanced or native speakers who, if questioned, will say they “speak” X. However, when I meet someone who volunteers that they are “fluent” in X, it always turns out that their skills are, in my opinion, pretty weak. It's given me a real distaste for that word. 15 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| PaulLambeth Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5198 days ago 244 posts - 315 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Icelandic, Hindi, Irish | Message 7 of 37 12 May 2010 at 3:11am | IP Logged | ||
Precisely this, and what LtM said about people not looking past peoples' occasionally poor EFL skills. At around the time I started to look into foreign languages I realised how irregular English pronunciation is, which fully explained some dodgy pronunciation I'd heard. I'm currently living with foreigners of my age (19) with whom I can have detailed conversation, and I admire them for that. I'm not sure the case would've been quite the same if not for my new interest in languages. 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| psy88 Senior Member United States Joined 5416 days ago 469 posts - 882 votes Studies: Spanish*, Japanese, Latin, French | Message 8 of 37 12 May 2010 at 3:21am | IP Logged | ||
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I certainly have more of an appreciation, and more empathy, for those attempting to learn English.
1 person has voted this message useful |
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