learning languages...again

[colnerov]

English is worldwide language because of the commonwealth, it's also used in business, finance and the aviation industry because all air traffic control is done in english.

 

[roofman]

English is worldwide language because of the commonwealth, it's also used in business, finance and the aviation industry because all air traffic control is done in english.

yea i know this is true but these days the Commonwealth is a distant memory that makes us smile with pride and not everyone is a pilot

 

[bump]

It's history, we didn't learn another language. We just invaded and instilled British culture. Generally in a non pleasant way.

A sad thing, but you can't wind back time.

 

[bump]

@brokenbiker That's a shame, i'd have hoped for a standard at least. I can have an ask for copies of my friends Welsh language kids TV if you like?

 

[blenkie1]

now, my son has started nursery and the teacher there is a fluent welsh speaker and they ecourage welsh speaking at all times there, which i think is a good thing as welsh is a dying (maybe dead) language and i only know 2 people that are fluent in it, both of which live in spain ironically...

Worked in Wales for a week, Llandovery, and they all spoke Welsh. They were all great lads, offered me a job when they seen what I was doing.

Just had a new starter where I work and he is from Finland speaks perfect English

 

[Parm]

Why don't you try french, you could talk the Megane in its national dialect when it goes wrong or at least swear at it with some passion

 

[Tinbasherdan]

It wasn't when I went for fish and chips in Conwy, all four people started talking it shortly after my accent gave away the fact I was not local, bad mannered and arrogant idiots, sad really considering I am half Welsh bloodline

Luckily it was a one off and the rest of my stay was enjoyed thanks to friendly people.

I keep meaning to have a go at Spanish, which covers most of my holiday locations, just not got around to it because I think the best way would be night classes, I should imagine it improves the chance of learning if you have to actually talk in a group

Had exactly the same in Menai bridge, walked into a busy pub and all chatter was English. As soon as we ordered a drink and an English accent was heard it went dead silent and then every single one of them started waffling in Welsh.

 

[MrFluffy]

English is spoken quite a lot more places than the brits realize. I worked in a telecoms company in france that did air traffic work, and they had to use english exclusively because the language of aviation is english. I went to college in north wales and welsh was still in daily spoken use a lot of the time around me. As a cheshire lad anyway...
Meanwhile, my 11yo is fluent in english and french, and this year is gutted he's having to learn spanish at school as a second language and couldnt take german instead. Funny old world.

if broken took french, they dont teach words to describe the megan, like branleur, connard or salope, or maybe something a bit more classy like "tu sais que j’aime bien chez toi ? Ben… rien du tout". Incidentally I heard the first 3 and worse while under anasthetic while a surgeon enthusiastically sawed at bits of me, until one of the scrub nurses had to remind him I was only under local not general...

 

[blenkie1]

Spanish is not a bad language to learn. Nearly all of South America is Spanish speaking and a lot of firms are moving production there so might be more handy than German?

 

[Gwil]

The English are generally **** poor at even making the effort- I meet people down on the Algarve, been there 20+ years and all they can do is ask for more beer....

I say if you live in someone else's country respect it enough to try. Where we live in the middle of nowhere if we didn't speak Portuguese we'd have no friends! I was nearly 50 when I started, and I get by even with really technical stuff, even though I realise I'll never be be as comfortable with it as french. I learned that in school and then by working and living in France for a year or two when my brain was bigger....

And universally people so appreciate that you've made the effort- you become very quickly not just another tourist.

 

[Wedg1e]

if broken took french, they dont teach words to describe the megan, like branleur, connard or salope, or maybe something a bit more classy like "tu sais que j’aime bien chez toi ? Ben… rien du tout". Incidentally I heard the first 3 and worse while under anasthetic while a surgeon enthusiastically sawed at bits of me, until one of the scrub nurses had to remind him I was only under local not general...

"Pardonnez-moi madamoiselle, est-ce que tu fais la pipe?" got me into a lot of trouble in a country pub outside Stratford; I was telling a story to a group of fellow car nuts and included this phrase... someone tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around the only French woman within 250 miles asked me not to use such language in front of her children

I'd rather have done German than Spanish at school because I also ended up stuck with Latin for 4 years, so three similar languages... whereas German construction is substantially different.
Ironically I've probably spoken more Italian in the last few years as Nursy and I have had a few holidays over there. I like the difference betweeen Italian and Spanish; the latter you can mumble without moving your lips whereas Italian is almost exaggerated in its enunciation
Off to Malta this year but not much chance of learning Maltese... probably a few words of Arabic might help

 

[Wedg1e]

It wasn't when I went for fish and chips in Conwy, all four people started talking it shortly after my accent gave away the fact I was not local, bad mannered and arrogant idiots, sad really considering I am half Welsh bloodline

I had exactly the same thing on the Lleyn peninsula; walked into a shop looking for fags for the then-wife; locals talking English switched into Welsh. So I asked for the fags in Welsh (read it in one of BB's £4.99 phrase books )

 

[atomant48]

BB the BBC website used to have a bunch of "sound bites" in different languages you could listen to over and over to learn. The Rosetta Stone courses are pretty well regarded from people that have done them. You will find once you learn one language, picking up others is pretty straight forward - the "rules" and "patterns" are all similar. I am properly fluent in French but spend a lot of time in Spain and can generally follow what's going on. That said, Spanish/French/Italian etc are all broadly the same thing! Good luck whatever you choose.

 

[dobbslc]

Forgive me mademoiselle , do you make the pipe?
Err.......

 

[Seadog]

Forgive me mademoiselle , do you make the pipe?
Err.......

It's a little cruder than that...

 

[BrokenBiker]

yea i know this is true but these days the Commonwealth is a distant memory that makes us smile with pride and not everyone is a pilot

it wasnt in english when i took a small

BB the BBC website used to have a bunch of "sound bites" in different languages you could listen to over and over to learn. The Rosetta Stone courses are pretty well regarded from people that have done them. You will find once you learn one language, picking up others is pretty straight forward - the "rules" and "patterns" are all similar. I am properly fluent in French but spend a lot of time in Spain and can generally follow what's going on. That said, Spanish/French/Italian etc are all broadly the same thing! Good luck whatever you choose.

i found in school that french and spanish werent that far apart, i just never took an interest in french...possibly becasue the spanish teacher looked like she belonged in the cover of magazins and the french teacher was a 62 year old bloke

 

[BrokenBiker]

well i had a little chat with my sons teacher today who said she would write down a few resources for me to have a look at when i pick him up later.

 

[colnerov]

As for 'international' usefulness - chinese is what you want

Question. 这打破
Answer. 没有钱回来

 

[BrokenBiker]

As for 'international' usefulness - chinese is what you want

is that so you can deal wtih ebay sellers on warranty returns?

 

[colnerov]

Not all the Welshpeople speak Welsh and have to ask for help.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7702913.stm

Colin