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Language Envy | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| LorenzoGuapo Triglot Groupie United States Joined 6444 days ago 79 posts - 94 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: French | Message 1 of 19 16 June 2010 at 4:22am | IP Logged | ||
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I am sure we have all envied or have been envied for our language skills, I would say that I have admired people more than envied them for example people who grow up bilingual, speaking languages like French and Arabic or English and Spanish, once someone told me they envied me that I knew foreign languages but I just told them that they have other skills I may not be good at so that should even things out, any of you have any stories of people you have envied or times where someone has envied you?
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| justgoogleme Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5332 days ago 26 posts - 27 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, Spanish, Arabic (Egyptian), French | Message 2 of 19 16 June 2010 at 5:42pm | IP Logged | ||
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Man,
I eny anyone who speaks more thanmore language. Hell, I sometimes stare at them in admiration. I'm afraid its twice as bad if you are a an attractive girl. Im a sucker for a girl with multiple languages. Envy?? More admiration 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5838 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 3 of 19 19 June 2010 at 10:40am | IP Logged | ||
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When it comes to languages, I do envy the people of Luxembourg - growing up fully trilingual (or more!) with some really useful languages, without moving anywhere.. not bad!
I also known Brits from Gibraltar and Jersey who speak both English and French/Spanish sounding native in both; that's a nice skill to have. Passing for a native can have some advantages over being fluent, but with an accent. Many people in the Baltic states and in Switzerland have pretty impressive language skills too. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| exscribere Diglot Senior Member IndiaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5279 days ago 104 posts - 126 votes Speaks: English*, Danish Studies: Mandarin, French, Korean, Hindi | Message 4 of 19 19 June 2010 at 3:11pm | IP Logged | ||
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I grew up envying other people a lot, because where I grew up, knowing or being able to learn different languages wasn't a skill anyone understood. Most people stay in the little town, don't go out of it (or work in NYC) but it wasn't "important" or "useful". People started envying me when I got to live overseas for a year (exchange student), then when I did a school job shadow at the UN with the interpreters. Still - I often find myself falling back on the "languages are useless" response, even now that I know better!! It's... odd, but I was socialized that way.
I've definitely envied others their language skills, and try to learn all I can from those who have tips and tricks and things to share. :) It's uncommon that people say they envy _me_, though, for my language skills. Maybe it's just where I am and the perception of the usefulness of foreign languages, but it's something I observed and occasionally roll around in my head as an odd thing. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Declan1991 Tetraglot Senior Member Ireland Joined 6439 days ago 233 posts - 359 votes Speaks: English*, German, Irish, French | Message 5 of 19 19 June 2010 at 3:56pm | IP Logged | ||
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Not envy, but admire too. I enjoy being able to express myself in other languages, and comprehend them, but I would love to have the spare time and determination of Prof. Arguelles among others.
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| ReneeMona Diglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 5335 days ago 864 posts - 1274 votes Speaks: Dutch*, EnglishC2 Studies: French | Message 6 of 19 19 June 2010 at 3:57pm | IP Logged | ||
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I envy anyone who was raised with two or more languages, such as inhabitants of places like Luxembourg or people who have parents with different native languages. When it comes to people who have taught themselves multiple languages, I don't envy them because many of them are older than I am and I know that if I work hard I can achieve the same thing. However I do admire them because I know the time, effort and dedication it takes to learn a language to a respectable level. Edited by ReneeMona on 28 July 2010 at 12:44pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7015 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 19 19 June 2010 at 7:57pm | IP Logged | ||
By British do you mean people who were born in Gibraltar or those who were born in the UK? If it's the latter, then you've found a very rare specimen since most UK-born people who come to live here rarely bother to learn Spanish and I've yet to meet one of those very few that do who can speak it like a native. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5838 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 8 of 19 20 June 2010 at 12:10pm | IP Logged | ||
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I don't know! The people I refer to are people I've come across in the gambling industry... One is a woman who has a British mother and a Gibraltarian father and grew up there. I think she mentioned that she went to a British school. Another is a man who I don't know much about other than that I've heard him speak English that sounds native to me, and Spanish that definitely sounds native too (although in honesty, I am less qualified to judge it..) But at least he currently lives there... (hehe you might even know him, I've heard that it's really just a big village.) Have been approached about two jobs there actually; I might go check it out!
But this confirms your view; Right now I work with one man who lived in Gib for 8 years and can barely speak a word of Spanish. Really it's pretty appalling. He even lived IN Spain and simply commuted to Gibraltar. I can see how that could annoy local people. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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