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English protects languages | ||
 Language Learning Forum : Esperanto | ( Topic Closed) |  |
| Shusaku Senior Member United States Joined 7104 days ago 145 posts - 157 votes  1 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese | Message 17 of 46 11 August 2005 at 12:47pm | IP Logged | ||
I do hope that the local dialects survive though as it would be a shame to lose such an important part of the culture. Just out of curiosity, if a non-Chinese person visits Hong Kong and strikes up a conversation with you in Mandarin, and that person is fluent in both English and Mandarin, would you speak with them in Mandarin or would you try to switch to English? Edited by Shusaku on 11 August 2005 at 12:48pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Giordano Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 7178 days ago 213 posts - 218 votes 3 sounds Speaks: English*, Italian*, French Studies: Cantonese, Greek | Message 18 of 46 11 August 2005 at 1:28pm | IP Logged | ||
I suppose a machine wrote the poetry and literature? 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| gugers Triglot Newbie United States Joined 7051 days ago 7 posts - 7 votes Speaks: Mandarin, English*, Spanish | Message 19 of 46 11 August 2005 at 4:19pm | IP Logged | ||
I'm not ethnically Cantonese so I can't speak for people from Hong Kong or Southern China. However I will say, being ethnically Chinese, I would still continue to speak in Mandarin to the non-Chinese person because that's simply the language he/she spoke to me first in. Since we're both fluent in both, I see no reason to change the language we are currently having a conversation in. In fact, even if the non-Chinese person is NOT-SO-FLUENT in Mandarin, I'd still continue to speak in Mandarin unless he/she requests for me to switch to English, which of course, I'd willingly do. Interesting conversation going on here, and I believe both of you have a point. But I think we should all recongnize ONE thing. That no matter how uncomfortable a Chinese Citizen feels with Mandarin over his/her native dialect. He/she'd probably feel MUCH MORE uncomfortable with English. Take my parents for example, they're both Taiwanese and speak the "Mi-Nan" dialect at home with each other. However, I think it's ludicrious to say that they feel more comfortable with English than Mandarin, eventhough they're prefectly fluent in both. Think of Chinese Mandarin as their "lingua franca" just as English is to the rest of the world. The Chinese call it "Po-tong-hua" or "Guo-Yui", the former meaning, "Common Speak", the latter, "Our National Language". It is NON-Native to much of China's population, but it IS their common medium for communicating with one another. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| victor Tetraglot Moderator United States Joined 7322 days ago 1098 posts - 1056 votes 6 sounds Speaks: Cantonese*, English, FrenchC1, Mandarin Studies: Spanish Personal Language Map | Message 20 of 46 11 August 2005 at 7:34pm | IP Logged | ||
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German is the language most spoken in Europe, so it makes no sense to favour the United Kingdom and Ireland in the European Union. With the continual expansion of EU to the east, other languages such as Russian may even have equal weight with French, English, and German.
Shusaku, I don't think your theory is completely wrong. Since English is so "cool", many words will seep into the Chinese language, as it has already done so in the Hong Kong brand of Cantonese. But definitely not replace Mandarin, as it is already what more than 1 billion people speak, and it is virtually impossible to find someone unable to speak at least some Mandarin in China, except for very remote areas, particuarly in areas where national minorities live. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Shusaku Senior Member United States Joined 7104 days ago 145 posts - 157 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese | Message 21 of 46 11 August 2005 at 7:54pm | IP Logged | ||
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To Vicenthychow and Gugers: Please keep in mind that I never said that English should replace Mandarin as the common language or that it was taking place now - I was only speculating on what may or may not happen in 30 years or more from now after future generations become more proficient in English. I based this theory purely on what some Chinese friends have told me with regard to Mandarin being a foreign language and English being so much more popular.
It seems I've touched a nerve with this topic - I never intended to evoke such strong reactions and hope that I haven't offended anybody. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| gugers Triglot Newbie United States Joined 7051 days ago 7 posts - 7 votes Speaks: Mandarin, English*, Spanish | Message 22 of 46 11 August 2005 at 8:06pm | IP Logged | ||
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No Offense taken Shusaku, just answering a question, that's all. I guess I just figured I'd be qualified answering it since I'm fluent in both English and Mandarin.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Socrates Groupie United Kingdom Joined 7065 days ago 40 posts - 40 votes | Message 23 of 46 11 August 2005 at 9:51pm | IP Logged | ||
It's possible an auto-translator wrote some of their stuff. I hope this thread doesn't degenerate into the good, the bad and ugly of Esperanto. But I hate to say it a lot of the "literature" in Esperanto seems contrived. Part of the motivation in learning a language is to access its literature and culture and therefore a nations mindset. If you put your effort into learning a real language you get the above for free. If you want a really useful artificial language learn machine code or "C". 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Giordano Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 7178 days ago 213 posts - 218 votes 3 sounds Speaks: English*, Italian*, French Studies: Cantonese, Greek | Message 24 of 46 11 August 2005 at 10:40pm | IP Logged | ||
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I don't feel particularly for or against Esperanto, I was just mentioning that even it was a more likely candidate than English.
1 person has voted this message useful |
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