English monolinguals

<<Who cares? Do English speakers consider it an achievement to be able to conjugate a verb in Latin? LOL! It's the first thing you learn when learning another language... The easiest thing, just a LIST! Nothing hard there!>>

My point exactly. I don't know why creative but comon thought he/she had to make a point as to where I go the info. from.

<My point exactly. >

So...you posted it to demonstrate that anyone can cut and paste a Latin conjugation from Wikibooks?

CC:
<<So...you posted it to demonstrate that anyone can cut and paste a Latin conjugation from Wikibooks?>>

No, You need to learn to go back and look at the start of conversations before posting. I was responding to Uriel's comment here:

<<Uriel Fri Jan 29, 2010 3:14 am GMT
It'll be -bo, -bas, -ba, -bamos, -ban. ;P >>

and, in that post, she was responding to this one from me:


<<I have studied two languages in addition to my native English. I think, like most people in the U.S., the fact that I am monolingual is because I have not had sufficient time, opportunity, or incentive to maintain and strengthen my knowledge of those languages. As a result, only a couple years after leaving my University, I can remember little more of Spanish than "gusto helado en mis pantalones" (private joke) and "semper ubi sub ubi" and "senatus populusque romanorum" in Latin. Actually, I remember more than that but not enough to be fluent in either of the two languages. I have been known to practice Latin verb conjugations when drunk (-bo, -bis, -bit, -bimus, -bitis, -bunt). This fall I’ll have an opportunity to brush up on my Spanish, but I doubt this will make me fluent in the language.>>

My purpose in copying it was to show Uriel that -bo, -bis, -bit, -bimus, -bitis, -bunt was correct and that is was not -bo, -bas, -ba, -bamos, -ban.


Now, I'm not going to bother with you anymore. This is distracting from the point of this thread.

<<My purpose in copying it was to show Uriel that -bo, -bis, -bit, -bimus, -bitis, -bunt was correct and that is was not -bo, -bas, -ba, -bamos, -ban. >>

I think you misunderstood me, Wintereis: I wasn't conjugating Latin at all (I don't know any); I was doing the same conjugation in Spanish, since you had mentioned that "This fall I’ll have an opportunity to brush up on my Spanish". I was just kidding around with you! Guess it didn't work....

<<It is funny that the only differential version of the plural you in English from the singular you is “y'all”. This seems to be a bit of a hole, though we do manage to get around it quite well with "all of you".>>

I went to college in southern Missouri, close to the Arkansas border. One of my friends once told me (jokingly) that the singular form of you is "y'all", but the plural form is "all o' y'all".

I thought it was that "ya'll" is plural, but "all o' y'all" is REALLY plural! ;P

St. Louisan, they were foolin' you.

A real Southerner knows that "y'all" is always plural, even when said to just one person. "All 'y'all" refers to a large group of people, or some times by angry mothers to smaller groups.

There might be isolated pockets of singular 'Y'all" usage, but I personally have never been there..

Americans are often criticised for being steadfastly monolingual but I don't have a problem with them speaking only English.

America is an enormous country stretching thousands of miles and I believe that only 10% of Americans actually have a passport. So for the vast majority, English is the only language they will ever need. Even on a trip abroad, English will suffice in the tourist areas.

There may be certain parts of the States where a knowledge of Spanish will be helpful but, even then, hardly essential.

If you already speak the major international language, why should you feel pressured to learn another? Unless of course you have a specific need, eg living or working in a new country. Many Europeans learn English (or perhaps another widely-spoken tongue) because it will benefit them economically or socially but how dedicated are they to learning a language beyond that? Do they ever get criticised for not broadening their linguistic horizons?