Knowing other languages is good for your brain. I read about a study that showed that the ability to speak in a second or third language correlated with higher IQ and increased ability in various cognitive tasks. There is also the famous Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that posits that language shapes the way people perceive and understand the world. Therefore, it's good to learn a second language because it allows you to see the world from a different perspective. Even if it isn't directly "useful" to anything you do on a daily basis, there's value in knowledge itself. That said, I can't fluently speak any language other than English. I studied Spanish from a very young age, but I didn't get into the more complicated stuff until late in high school. I can read Spanish okay, but I have a hard time following rapid conversation. I also know a minimal amount of Japanese, which I've studied on my own. I can read and write kana, and I know some common vocabulary and phrases, but my basic understanding of the language is very rudimentary. It's a tough language.
Yeah I suppose it's true for every place. Just like there is Arse holes and good people as well. Haha don't get me started about the Americans... I being Canadian am too proud to say anything against my people... No... I'm joking. I kind've want to get away from this continent, and run off somewhere one day. Germany has taken an interest to me. And about the hitler reich, I'm not German so I can't say like "the past has passed". I truly wouldn't know how to feel about all that even though it was so long ago already. It's there to teach us not to repeat mistakes like that again, a lesson. Anyways I look forward to going there one day . I've an aunt on vacation here who lived and married there for 10 years. Seems like such a 'geil' place. Thanks to everyone who posted E: I see your location says you're in Vancouver, bc. Well I'm on the Island, if you know if it. The city of Courtenay to be precise.
I think it's all been covered here, really. Yes, those who can afford to travel to North America to live and work are going to be professionals and need to speak the language for obvious reasons. Likewise, those who travel there need to have money and probably enough English to get by. The important factor that seems to have come up is that, unlike Americans, you'll find that Europeans aren't so arrogant that they believe that there SHOULD be someone wherever they go who will speak their language. In England, we tend to get taught basic French from an early age - maybe 10, but perhaps even earlier. Just simple stuff. Then we go to what you'd call high school and HAVE to learn a foreign language - it's in the curriculum. In fact, I started off with French and then by the second or third year, we had to take the other language, too. As has been said here, there's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't hurt you to learn other languages. In fact, young children are great at learning languages, so it's best to get them learning from an early age. If you can do business with foreigners in English, consider yourself lucky. I would never assume that someone would speak my language - in fact, I'll write in French, German or whatever language to an eBay seller when trying to buy something - it's just polite. I can't understand why it is that we are taught to learn and embrace other languages here in the UK, but a lot of Americans have the attitude that people should speak their language. Newsflash: it's OUR language, that's why it's called English, not American! And yet the majority of educated Brits won't assume people speak English when abroad. If schools aren't teaching other languages in America, that's a real shame. We get regular practice in the classroom - I guess two or three lessons a week, during which we learn from the teacher, watching videos of native speakers and roleplay with each other. I remember that every German lesson started with the teacher asking someone what the weather is today, then probably asking someone else what they're planning to do at the weekend. IN GERMAN! I seem to recall a film (I think American) where someone walked into a French class and the teacher insisted that every word spoken in her classroom was French. Maybe that's a bit over the top, but at least it's immersive! I do understand that some people don't have the need to speak German or French or whatever language daily, but it is nice to at least be able to... and getting practice in is good, too. I often have to employ French or German in my everyday life, from using German service manuals to reading French research material. It can be challenging, but it's a great way to stop yourself going rusty!
^ That's nice, teaching a third language in school. In Uruguay they teach very basic english in public schools on high school (public education is completely free btw). And in private schools they teach english from a very young age (pre-school usually). Then, most private schools have a third language, in my case it was Portuguese. They also provided optional courses of italian, french, irish, and chinese, for people who were in pre-business/law. As I was in pre-engineering I did not have that option. Other private schools there focus on german, french, or italian as a third language.
I thought high school language lessons sucked. My school had crappy teachers and only taught the generic french and spanish (year 7 only, was always french other wise). I'd have liked to have learnt another language like dutch (which is a fairly easy language because words arent all over the place).
The problem two-fold really. The first which has been discussed is that it isn't a priority at all. The second though at least when I was in school was that they start far too late. Studies show that it is much easier to grasp a second language the younger you are exposed to it with a cut off point at around age 12 that makes it much harder. When I was in school they didn't offer any language classes until you high school. Hooray for public education.
You don't have to learn German language if you just wanna buy a Volkswagen or chat with a Poltergeist about Sauerkraut. PS: Ätz mich nicht an weil ich kein Englisch kann
I think it does depend on your type of school. I went to a grammar school rather than what Americans would call a high school. To get into grammar, you have to pass a test aged 11, so it's for the more intellectual kids... and they are (or were) single sex schools. If you go to a decent primary school (up to 11), you will hopefully get a bit of French.. or maybe we did because France is on our doorstep! I don't think any schools are going to teach less common languages like Dutch here, unless it had a large proportion of Dutch families. You would, however, find a night course. Either a local college or (at least in the past) Adult Education Centre would have night classes in several languages.
I'm further up north and we did French in Primary School (Year 5 only though), but only because a teacher came to the school who spoke French. Either way it was really basic stuff like describing your day (tres bien, terrible etc) and language lessons at an under performing inner city school with a supply teacher who couldn't speak a lick of French or Spanish for all but the last six weeks of year 7 wasn't exactly helpful! Then we did French up until the end of year 9, and I built my French speaking skills a little more (but can't remember any of it!). I thought French and Spanish as languages sucked, cause when we translated them it seemed like words were all over the place and generally difficult to comprehend. Other ones aren't like that as much.
French is a beautiful language, but I disliked French classes a lot. It stuck to my head though, and I like French culture enough to consider it as a future place to live. Needless to say I'm grateful for all the years of tedious high school French classes now! I feel that (conversational) English is really simplified and almost a bit frustrating to use because I'm often in a lack of words. I used to blame it on my own lack of proficiency, but when I looked up certain words that would fit my need precisely, I would only come up with combinations of words for translations or no matching translation at all. You can use different addressing for different social statuses for jokes or to better make your point - this doesn't work in English. Genders for nouns is also a very good thing and I don't understand why English does not have it. Whenever somebody tells me about their *friend*, it takes 2-3 sentences until it becomes clear if that *friend* is male or female. Very annoying if you are on a date and the girl tells you about that *best friend she always watches those scary movies with* and you don't even know if you're supposed to be jealous or not! Take German, French or Spanish: The information would be out there as soon as she uses the word "friend". Quick and clear. I also find that English smalltalk is horrible, it's entirely overstated and meaningless! If you go to a shop, the clerk will ask you "How is your day today?", but if I tell him how it actually is, he will look back at me in a puzzled awkward fashion and just reply "Uh-huh". Then why do you even ask me, asshole? In my home culture, people wouldn't ask you those superficially friendly questions because they're honest about not giving a fuck and the customers know it. I guess it's a matter of preference, but I do enjoy a simple commercial relationship without any fake friendly bullshit "I want that, how much?" "That much. .... Thanks." "Thanks, goodbye" Glorious! ;D
to get back to austrians, they are germans too, but they always have their non germans might not get it we always make fun about the austrians, but we bavarians are the ones who are being made fun of in germany. austria is much like bavaria in germany just not in germany. in bavaria there are people who want bavaria to be independet and always compare it to austria. i think it would be better because of our accents in bavaria. in germany the accents are being killed because of hochdeutsch(high german) cant stand it, i love frankonian and bavarian.
I like Bavarian and Swiss German the most. Saxonian is plain entertaining and it can make every attractive and smart girl seem like an ugly annoying granny. My grandmother spoke the Saxonian dialect so I can immitate it perfectly and do so on numerous occasions because I love to make fun of it. No offense Some less prominent dialects that I like are the way people in Hamburg/Northern Germany talk. They have their own melody which makes everything sound quite relaxed and calm. What I can't stand is Frankonian, Koelsch and of course Saxonian. Honestly, if I were to meet a pretty and intelligent girl, my entire interest in her would be killed instantly if she spoke a strong Saxonian dialect. It's a complete boner-antidote. Bavarian would probably have a completely opposite effect ;D
I would also like to add that each state in the U.S.A has their own dialect and accent that make it's English different. I also challenge someone from Europe who speaks English to go to Louisiana and try to carry on a conversation with a Cajun.
