Native English Speakers

[Pogo]

Contrarian AND Doubletalk. So there's two...

 

[longknife]

OK, then what did you mean by "until the vast majority of students who leave our mandatory education agency can speak and write English with proficiency, no other language should be taught...."?

You still didn't answer my question.

How many languages other than English do YOU speak?

I told you that you would need to be more specific. What do you mean by "do you speak"? Do you mean as a first language? Native-like fluency? Functional fluency? High communication skills? Intermediate? Low functional communication skills? Some speaking and listening? Understanding just a few words? Be specific.

You really work at dodging questions, don't you?

Makes me wonder if you even speak English.

 

[Unkotare]

OK, then what did you mean by "until the vast majority of students who leave our mandatory education agency can speak and write English with proficiency, no other language should be taught...."?

You still didn't answer my question.

How many languages other than English do YOU speak?

I told you that you would need to be more specific. What do you mean by "do you speak"? Do you mean as a first language? Native-like fluency? Functional fluency? High communication skills? Intermediate? Low functional communication skills? Some speaking and listening? Understanding just a few words? Be specific.

You really work at dodging questions, don't you?

I'm trying to answer your question.

 

[Pogo]

It really doesn't merit all the angst you're pretending is in there. Watch this.

I'm fluent in English (native) and fairly fluent in French, no alliteration intended. I'm halfway literate in German and Portuguese, but short of fluent.

That took me like twenty seconds.

 

[Unkotare]

Longknife asked the question. It's up to him to clarify, if he ever really wanted an answer.

 

[Pogo]

Longknife asked the question. It's up to him to clarify, if he ever really wanted an answer.

Are you dense? He didn't even direct the question at me and I did in 20 seconds.
Are we some sort of unclear on what is is?

 

[Unkotare]

Longknife asked the question. It's up to him to clarify, if he ever really wanted an answer.

Are you dense? He didn't even direct the question at me ..

Yeah, he directed it at me. Not sure why you are involved at all.

 

[Pogo]

Longknife asked the question. It's up to him to clarify, if he ever really wanted an answer.

Are you dense? He didn't even direct the question at me ..

Yeah, he directed it at me. Not sure why you are involved at all.

People get tired of standing around waiting while trolls play games. That's why.
I just showed you how easy it is to answer, and you're still lost in space, unable to speak.
Guess that IS the answer.

What an exciting thread.
Unsubscribed.

 

[Unkotare]

Longknife asked the question. It's up to him to clarify, if he ever really wanted an answer.

Are you dense? He didn't even direct the question at me ..

Yeah, he directed it at me. Not sure why you are involved at all.

People get tired of standing around waiting ...

So go away. Nobody asked you to hang around.

 

[longknife]

I now figure Why bother? If someone wants to be that obtuse, why waste time with them.

Simple questions should engender simply responses.

 

[hjmick]

Jesus. Most people who grew up speaking English (U.S.) can barely speak it properly and have certainly yet to master its written form and you want them to learn another language? Sorry Unk, the "ugly American" stereotype has more than enough fuel to keep it going without a bunch of illiterate twits butchering the language af another country...

 

[Unkotare]

Jesus. Most people who grew up speaking English (U.S.) can barely speak it properly and have certainly yet to master its written form and you want them to learn another language? Sorry Unk, the "ugly American" stereotype has more than enough fuel to keep it going without a bunch of illiterate twits butchering the language af another country...

What exactly is your point?

 

[Unkotare]

I now figure Why bother? If someone wants to be that obtuse, why waste time with them.

Simple questions should engender simply responses.

If you didn't want an answer in the first place, why did you ask?

 

[hjmick]

Jesus. Most people who grew up speaking English (U.S.) can barely speak it properly and have certainly yet to master its written form and you want them to learn another language? Sorry Unk, the "ugly American" stereotype has more than enough fuel to keep it going without a bunch of illiterate twits butchering the language af another country...

What exactly is your point?

I probably don't have one unless it's this: Most Americans (U.S.) are ignorant when it comes to their own language.

 

[Unkotare]

Jesus. Most people who grew up speaking English (U.S.) can barely speak it properly and have certainly yet to master its written form and you want them to learn another language? Sorry Unk, the "ugly American" stereotype has more than enough fuel to keep it going without a bunch of illiterate twits butchering the language af another country...

What exactly is your point?

I probably don't have one unless it's this: Most Americans (U.S.) are ignorant when it comes to their own language.

And so you don't want them to learn other languages?

 

[hjmick]

Jesus. Most people who grew up speaking English (U.S.) can barely speak it properly and have certainly yet to master its written form and you want them to learn another language? Sorry Unk, the "ugly American" stereotype has more than enough fuel to keep it going without a bunch of illiterate twits butchering the language af another country...

What exactly is your point?

I probably don't have one unless it's this: Most Americans (U.S.) are ignorant when it comes to their own language.

And so you don't want them to learn other languages?

I'd rather they learn their own before attempting to butcher another.

 

[Unkotare]

Jesus. Most people who grew up speaking English (U.S.) can barely speak it properly and have certainly yet to master its written form and you want them to learn another language? Sorry Unk, the "ugly American" stereotype has more than enough fuel to keep it going without a bunch of illiterate twits butchering the language af another country...

What exactly is your point?

I probably don't have one unless it's this: Most Americans (U.S.) are ignorant when it comes to their own language.

And so you don't want them to learn other languages?

I'd rather they learn their own before attempting to butcher another.

Not gonna get anywhere that way.

 

[longknife]

Vocabulary – Today's Word


Orgulous = haughty


Interesting as it's awfully close to Spanish orgulloso for proud.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Your point is clear and well-taken. English is the "necessary" language for those who want to either travel abroad or succeed. A problem for native-English speakers often is a matter of perceived arrogance on the part of others. I think that Spanish should be encouraged in areas where there are significant populations of Hispanics in the US for example, but otherwise it seems gratuitous to spend resources on education on languages that will be of little benefit to the student.

I must say that there are certain aspects of learning a foreign language that can help in understanding broad concepts of others and even of the English language itself, but likely not of enough value to pursue outside of extraordinary circumstances.

On that, I wish years ago I would have continued Spanish as I work in home construction where I have to deal with many Latino's. Only know broken phrases. The local school district here only offers Spanish, French, and German to the current generation.
While Spanish is a good choice the latter two are rarely if never spoke here. Seems like a waste to offer the latter two. Maybe Russian and Chinese(Mandarin?) would be better offerings? As that is the larger population of immigrants, at least in my area.

Portuguese...this area is LOADED with Brazilians.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I took 2 years of Spanish from a teacher that immigrated from Guatemala, I got really good at.

went to Mexico, no one could understand me and I had no idea what they were saying.

Yes. The same goes for natives of southern Mexico trying to understand Mexicans from northern Mexico, in some cases.

My wife is Cuban. A dude I work with was born in Guatemala. Neither can understand the other's dialect of Spanish. Yes, it started as the same language...but it is as different as the French spoken in Paris and Montreal! (Oddly, neither has any trouble understanding the Dominican guy I work with.)