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Language Bragging | ||
Tags: Show-off | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Liface Triglot Senior Member United States youtube.com/user/Lif Joined 5646 days ago 150 posts - 237 votes  Speaks: English*, German, Spanish Studies: Dutch, French | Message 33 of 58 14 November 2010 at 7:35pm | IP Logged | |||||
Actually, I think that was the comparison he made originally. I screwed it up! I was trying to find the video where he said it but I can't. If anyone knows, post it here. Edited by Liface on 14 November 2010 at 7:36pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| furrykef Senior Member United States furrykef.com/ Joined 6260 days ago 681 posts - 862 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Japanese, Latin, Italian | Message 34 of 58 16 November 2010 at 1:16am | IP Logged | |||||
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There are people who think I'm trying to show off when I mention stuff about languages (like words in two languages that are coincidentally similar in an amusing way, or the etymology of an English word I realized through Latin). I really hate when this happens, because my intention isn't to show off at all. It's just that I have such passion for my discoveries that I have to share them with people, even if they don't necessarily appreciate it...
4 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Aineko Triglot Senior Member New Zealand Joined 5236 days ago 238 posts - 442 votes Speaks: Serbian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: Russian, Arabic (Written), Mandarin | Message 35 of 58 17 November 2010 at 7:24pm | IP Logged | |||||
Arrogance and bragging aside, I do not consider bold as a good enough reason to avoid saying "I speak...". There will always be someone who speaks it better than you. Take my English, for example. Most of the native speaker speak better than me (and many of the non-natives, too), but insisting that I don't actually speak English would make my life situation look a bit funny :). Same for Spanish. There are so many people who speak it way better than me (people who have put more hours into it, who have concentrated on grammar more than I did so far, so they make less grammar mistakes etc.), but if I can spend a week in a Spanish speaking country, heavily interacting with natives, discussing everything from personal situation to history and poetry to SIM card activation, without need to use English and, more importantly, without anyone answering me back in English - than I wouldn't have problem to say that I speak Spanish. I think it is easy to distinguish an arrogant bragging from simple "yeah, I speak (certain language).". It is true, however, that, since I started reading this forum, my criteria for "I speak" have gotten quite messed up :). I would certainly get by on the streets of Moscow, but I can't say yet that I speak Russian, it just doesn't seem right. At the end, I think I have turned to practicality: if I have rich experience of interacting with native speakers (without need to use English and without hindering the conversation), than I have no problem saying "yes, I speak...", if I'm asked. 6 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Siberiano Tetraglot Senior Member Russian Federation one-giant-leap.Registered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6281 days ago 465 posts - 696 votes Speaks: Russian*, English, ItalianC1, Spanish Studies: Portuguese, Serbian | Message 36 of 58 18 November 2010 at 8:40pm | IP Logged | |||||
Bragging to or trying to impress girls is a losing game. Period. If this inspires you, even worse: what if she says she's unimpressed or starts teasing you, like if you made this up, or asks to say a phrase in each language? This is the most sure way to give others the ropes to manipulate you emotionally. Unless you make living from languages and need to advertize, the fact of bragging itself diminishes the value of this your quality. It has been a case for me: next thing you'll do will be translating an article for a girl for free, just to stay near her. Fortunately I figured this out quickly. So now I don't hide this, but unless there's a direct question, I don't put this on the table. I might tell stories that may make others ask if I know that language, but not more. (Though if I try being a freelance teacher, I might behave differently, but not mix it with emotional life.) since I live in a scientific town (near a usual big city), I use languages and geekery topics for flirting. Topics include: 1. living in this place requires knowing 2 foreign languages, or the Academy of Sciences will send SWAT to kick you out. 2. her secret interest towards geeks (and I don't pretend to be one), and advices to her on how to dress up (emo, punk), 3. "let's go to Europe, I'll translate and you'll make those guys buy us free drinks and stuff." Edited by Siberiano on 19 November 2010 at 6:53pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| noriyuki_nomura Bilingual Octoglot Senior Member Switzerland Joined 5128 days ago 304 posts - 465 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin*, Japanese, FrenchC2, GermanC2, ItalianC1, SpanishB2, DutchB1 Studies: TurkishA1, Korean | Message 37 of 58 21 November 2010 at 2:42pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I came across quite a few people in real-life who like to boast (and sometimes even in an arrogant manner) about how they almost got full marks for their English TOEFL exams (or how well their results are/how smart their countrymen are), due to the intensive exam-oriented tuition they are receiving in their country/countries, but the moment they open their mouth to speak the language, you have no clue what they are talking about due to their heavy native accent/constant search for vocabulary.
Personally, I find this kinda attitude really rude and irritating, also, I think language certificates are themselves not an end to language learning, but rather language learning is about the effective communication with native speakers and speakers of that language. I think a successful language learning process/outcome is not just about the perfect regurgitation of essays that one learnt by heart in their exam tuition class, nor the memorisation of just new words, but to actively use them in such a way that would/could aid you to communicate with native speakers. Edited by noriyuki_nomura on 21 November 2010 at 2:52pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5122 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 38 of 58 21 November 2010 at 3:22pm | IP Logged | |||||
LOL - I have never tried to impress boys by bragging about my language skill. To the extent where I have mentioned my languages skills at all, my impression is that most boys run a mile if they get the impression that you are more clever than them in a particular field. 4 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Siberiano Tetraglot Senior Member Russian Federation one-giant-leap.Registered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6281 days ago 465 posts - 696 votes Speaks: Russian*, English, ItalianC1, Spanish Studies: Portuguese, Serbian | Message 39 of 58 21 November 2010 at 5:33pm | IP Logged | |||||
Err... how did you tell them about this? o_0 "Listen, boy, you better not mess with me on languages, I'll own you"? I hope not. :) This logic, taken further means that a polyglot girl has no chance of getting married other that to a polyglot guy. :) Hmm, I don't think so. I'm okay with girls being better at my diploma speciality, or being better cyclists than me, or doing other things better. Don't know about your cases, but you're right that this is true in the opposite way: a bragging girl is not nice either. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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