Languages and the future

[threaded]

But it does.

No AtW, they're learning English. Not so many school kids doing German now over here.

A friend of mine, her kids have dropped German, they're keeping English and Chinese.

[VectraMan]

On the German course I did half a dozen years ago we spent a much greater percentage of the time talking than in any lesson I recall from my schooldays.

That's my experience too.

I was really suprised in my French evening class that the teacher spends most of her time speaking French to us, complete with gestures to get the point across, and only uses English where necessary. It wasn't like that at school. For one thing, my French teacher was English.

[stek]

Sorry but...... apparatchik Shirley!

Other than using a nonsense word I generaly agriski

Also 'bolshy' is from russian word 'bolshoi/bolshaya/bolshoye' - big. ie Bolshoi Ballet.

Also there was a rumour the the name Gromit off 'Wallace and Gromit' used the Russian verb 'to destroy' though Christ knows why.

Of course that word's stem formed the noun 'pogrom' one of Stalin's favourites...

But in the general context of this thread, I think it's always an advantage to know another language reasonably well, I hesitate to use the word fluent, to me that implies almost native, and not many speak like that - just being able to converse in one language helps you understand the way they think.

JM2C

[threaded]

Learning a foreign language open my eyes to etymology of many words in English.

'Spasser' is a good one. It doesn't derive how you might think.

[gooddayall]

last and current empires speak english - that pretty much sums it up why english is most popular. Eventually people will speak one language - the language of earth. It is likely that for historical reasons other major countries won't just drop their language for the sake of ease of communicating internationally. Google or someone will make everything irrelevant when they release ( and later improve ) one of these devices that translate whatever languages you want , live.

[Ravello]

last and current empires speak english - that pretty much sums it up why english is most popular. Eventually people will speak one language - the language of earth. It is likely that for historical reasons other major countries won't just drop their language for the sake of ease of communicating internationally. Google or someone will make everything irrelevant when they release ( and later improve ) one of these devices that translate whatever languages you want , live.

You dug up a 2 month old thread to post that drivel?

[gooddayall]

You dug up a 2 month old thread to post that drivel?

well I had to satisfy my ego and have the last word !

[SueEllen]

well I had to satisfy my ego and have the last word !

You think?

[HairyArsedBloke]

On Bloomberg TV at the moment is coverage of a press conference.

It is being held in Brussels.

It is about the alliance between Daimlier and Renault-Nissan.

It is in English.

[The Wikir Man]

A Pan Am 727 flight waiting for start clearance in Munich overheard the following:
Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the war."