[Railroader]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Yeah well, they're Americans last time I checked..

V

So are Brazilians and Peruvians according to you.

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

So are Brazilians and Peruvians according to you.

Reported for derailing.

V

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Reported for derailing.

V

You had already done that.

I am just taking the thread where the original poster took it. That would be you!

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

You had already done that.

I am just taking the thread where the original poster took it. That would be you!

I'm sure the admins feel differently.

V

[Dakar²]

Rollseyes, that'll show 'em!

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by forkies 

i think if the world "has made fun of Americans for not having a passport" that's sad. the usa is a huge frickin country, and much can be seen in different areas/states all the while never leaving the country or necessitating a passport. just the way it is, not a bad thing to be made fun of, ner.

Never having travelled outside your own country is the saddest thing I have ever heard of.
You may see a lot of things in different states but they are all frickin American!

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey 

Never having travelled outside your own country is the saddest thing I have ever heard of.
You may see a lot of things in different states but they are all frickin American!

Never travelling outside your own country is kinda sad, yes.

What's really sad (IMHO), is that nobody is required to learn a foreign language in school. Millions of people in the US only know one language: English (and the English many of them DO know is poor, too).

My father grew up in poverty, yet he learned to speak Greek (his native language), Turkish, English, and German. His sister-in-law speaks those languages as well. Kids in Greek schools these days are required to take at least one foreign language, and many of them get private tutors to learn English as well.

I've noticed that people in Europe have been exposed to at least three languages minimum: their own native language, some other foreign language, and English.

I had the fortune of growing up in a bilingual environment, where both parents considered learning both languages a priority. Knowing Greek made learning German (in high school) and Spanish (in college) much easier.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

I'm sure the admins feel differently.

V

And the verdict is.... [DROM ROLL].... nope.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

I'm sure the admins feel differently.

V

voodoo had you not had a long history of derailing thread with your purposably mis-labeling Americans or people living in the Americas I might have bought that. But you knew the response you'd get when you did so in this thread. Therefore knew in advance that people would correct you.

That is giving you the benefit of the doubt you take part in common sense.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey 

You may see a lot of things in different states but they are all frickin American!

That is like saying France and Germany are the same cause they are both part of Europe.

There are GREAT variences from state to state.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

Never travelling outside your own country is kinda sad, yes.

What's really sad (IMHO), is that nobody is required to learn a foreign language in school. Millions of people in the US only know one language: English (and the English many of them DO know is poor, too).

My father grew up in poverty, yet he learned to speak Greek (his native language), Turkish, English, and German. His sister-in-law speaks those languages as well. Kids in Greek schools these days are required to take at least one foreign language, and many of them get private tutors to learn English as well.

I've noticed that people in Europe have been exposed to at least three languages minimum: their own native language, some other foreign language, and English.

I had the fortune of growing up in a bilingual environment, where both parents considered learning both languages a priority. Knowing Greek made learning German (in high school) and Spanish (in college) much easier.

I don't think simply knowing more than one language does anything but pump up some pretentious notion that someone is somehow smarter r worldly now that they know a bunch of languages.

Esp when you wouldn't use said language most of your life most people spend more time learning something they would actually USE.

We aren't FORCED to learn a second language. But we have the CHOICE to.

I don't think anyone should be FORCED to learn more than one language.

I took Latin and Spanish classes in High School. I can count on 2 fingers how many times since then I have had the need for such a skill.

And one was when I went to Argentina.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

I don't think simply knowing more than one language does anything but pump up some pretentious notion that someone is somehow smarter r worldly now that they know a bunch of languages.

It's more than just that. I have yet to meet one person from Europe who regrets being "forced" to learn a second language.

It's a matter of opinion. Some of it is cultural, too. Perhaps many Americans would feel like they were being forced.

But it does introduce people to different cultures, which helps them to understand different cultures, and can help cut down on the intolerance that many people have for things they don't understand, even if they never use the language they learned.

In fact, let's ask:

Turtle, voodoo, and Oisin: Do any of you resent the fact that you were "forced" to learn a second language in school? Do you feel that it was "forced" on you? If given the choice, would any of you have chosen not to learn a second language?

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

What's really sad (IMHO), is that nobody is required to learn a foreign language in school. Millions of people in the US only know one language: English (and the English many of them DO know is poor, too)..

What backwoods area of the world are you living in?!?! I live in a teeny tiny city in the middle of Michigan and it has been required since the 70's that we took two years of foreign language. You had your choice between French, Spanish, German, or Russian.

Originally Posted by Person Man 

It's more than just that. I have yet to meet one person from Europe who regrets being "forced" to learn a second language.

It's a matter of opinion.

But it does introduce people to different cultures, which helps them to understand different cultures, and can help cut down on the intolerance that many people have for things they don't understand, even if they never use the language they learned.

I don't regret being "forced" to learn French. And When I turn on the subtitles on DVDs I watch I can still read it quite well, even 18 years later. And you know what? that's the only place I use it.

As for learning foreign cultures?!?! How does sitting in a classroom learning another language expose me to foreign cultures? I learn more about foreign cultures going to the supermarket!

[Timo]

Originally Posted by "Kevin" 

I don't think simply knowing more than one language does anything but pump up some pretentious notion that someone is somehow smarter r worldly now that they know a bunch of languages.

Ah, but you are more worldly when you have even a little of another language. By any definition of "worldly."

Look, there are all kinds of skills that use a different part of your brain than English. A foreign language is one of them, so is e.g., an intimate knowledge of a set of tools or piloting. All of these can make you "smarter" in the colliquial definition of the term. But in the specific case of language, knowledge of a foriegn way of characterizing the world automatically injects perspective about the world into your thought, as things in one language are not characterized exactly the same in others.

Knowledge of this characterization spread can be very enlightening. Smarter? Dunno. But definitely wiser.

Or wise-acre, like voodoo.

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

blah

Just FYI Zimphire, if I valued your opinion the slightest, don't you think I'd *ever* reply to you? With any substance?

Your posts are that boring.

V

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

Turtle, voodoo, and Oisin: Do any of you resent the fact that you were "forced" to learn a second language in school? Do you feel that it was "forced" on you? If given the choice, would any of you have chosen not to learn a second language?

I am so happy that I had the chance of learning other languages. Now I can speak five languages fluently, Romanic through Germanic. This has opened up a huge world for me and a much deeper understanding of my own native language as well as the culture and relations with other cultures.

Meeting people from different countries is so much easier and so is travelling and integrating.

Languages are perhaps the of most important practical things one can possibly learn. It can save your life and it will change your life. With each new language a new world is opened.

It is that important.

V

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

Turtle, voodoo, and Oisin: Do any of you resent the fact that you were "forced" to learn a second language in school? Do you feel that it was "forced" on you? If given the choice, would any of you have chosen not to learn a second language?

I am glad I had to learn two additional languages in school.

I have to admit, I hated it in school, but I'm glad now that I had to. But at no point it felt "forced" upon me.
Back in High School, I was pretty bad at English, and did not enjoy it at all. Only later I really discovered how much I actually liked it

If its up to me, I would make it mandetory for kids to learn English in grade 1 and a second language (like Spanish or French) in grade 3 or 4. Kids have a much easier time to learn languages, the current system does not take full advantage of it.

-t

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Just FYI Zimphire, if I valued your opinion the slightest, don't you think I'd *ever* reply to you? With any substance?

Your posts are that boring.

V

Looks like Kevin touched a nerve there, sport.

[turtle777]

vuudduuuu behaves like a 12 year old. Teh funnay

-t

[iREZ]

edited because of lame censoring...

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by Kevin 

That is like saying France and Germany are the same cause they are both part of Europe.

There are GREAT variences from state to state.

Are you really trying to say there is as much variation between US states as there is between countries in the world?

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

What backwoods area of the world are you living in?!?!

Ohio.

Things may be different now, but when I went to high school in 1989-1993, Ohio did not have a foreign language requirement. That's what I based my original statement on.

Originally Posted by Railroader

I live in a teeny tiny city in the middle of Michigan and it has been required since the 70's that we took two years of foreign language. You had your choice between French, Spanish, German, or Russian.

Good for the state of Michigan. There may be several other states that require a few years of a language, but I'm not aware of any others off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by Railroader

As for learning foreign cultures?!?! How does sitting in a classroom learning another language expose me to foreign cultures? I learn more about foreign cultures going to the supermarket!

Again, when I took German in high school, the textbook taught us more than just the German language. They talked about German customs, holidays, schools, etc. I learned plenty about German culture in German class. Plus I went on the foreign exchange trip to Germany, too.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey 

Are you really trying to say there is as much variation between US states as there is between countries in the world?

Look at Hawaii. Now Indiana. Other than language, you couldn't find two places much different than those two.

[Atomic Rooster]

My 2 centavos...

You're all frickin' prissy!

Especially the usual suspects.

In before lockination.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

With each new language a new world is opened.

That's exactly what my father says.

Now, does he use the Turkish he knows? Not anymore, but it does help.

Here's one of my favorite stories about how knowing different languages helps.

My aunt from Greece only went to school for 2 years before being pulled out to help out at home (again, she grew up very poor). Turkish was commonly spoken in the village where my father's family is from, so she learned it alongside Greek.

6 years ago, my aunt visited us here in the United States. My mother has a friend who is a Turkish Cypriot, and she invited my aunt and mother to her house to watch the 4th of July fireworks. At her house, there was a chinese woman there, who was married to a Turkish man.

My aunt was excited to tell me that she spoke with the Chinese woman in Turkish. Two women from vastly different cultures able to speak to each other because they had a language in common, and a language that was not native to either of them. (My aunt couldn't have spoken English to the woman because she doesn't know English).

[Mastrap]

Speaking languages means having freedom. Freedom to move, freedom to communicate. Freedom to understand another culture. I speak English and German, enough French to get by and would love to speak Spanish. My three years of Latin were a total waste of time.

[vmarks]

Welcome to this total waste of time. It could have been a good thread, but it's been abused and beaten past all recognition.

I'm putting it out of its misery.