I will try to respect the etiquette’s constraints which some people here want everybody to respect. So if I am not understood or if I am misunderstood - because of my terrible English - it’s not my fault.
>>> Vytenis “After all, everyone would agree that a person can express themselves much better in their native language”
In my opinion it’s very important point. Is it worth to communicate the poor things ? Or is it more wise not to communicate at all ? In other words is it better trying to create something of very bad quality in the Universe on not to create at all. There are already a lot of very noisy things in our world which add to a complexity, misunderstanding and hence facilitate the demagogy, intellectual terrorism, manipulations of masses (populaces) etc.
The last sentence in Wittgenstein’s “Logische-Philosophische Abhandlung“ is:
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.
Which gives (translated in English – not by me)
Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.
Which gives (translated in French – not by me)
Sur ce dont on ne peut parler, il faut garder le silence.
So I think that the first thing which can be made by the “linguistic elites” is not to ban the expression of others in the languages of their choice in any given moment. Especially on the forum like that.
>>> Jav “assasination of the French President Chirac by Australian secret agents for leaving the room when a fellow countryman gave a speech in English "
Very fun! If I wanted to respect etiquette imposed in this forum I should say LOL! (n’est ce pas ?)
Just a quotation of Le Figaro (see
http://www.lefigaro.fr/france/20060323.WWW000000425_seilliere_parle_anglais_chirac_part_fache.html) to make it more comprehensive for those of all of us who are very far from the problem of survive of French language in the Ocean of very poor and very bad (in average; included the mine) English.
« …Alors que le président de l'Unice, organisation qui rassemble les confédérations patronales des différents pays de l'UE, commençait son intervention en anglais, le président français l'a interrompu pour s'en étonner…. »
« …’Je vais m'exprimer en anglais parce que c'est la langue des affaires’, a répondu l’ancien président du Medef. Pour marquer sa désapprobation, Jacques Chirac s'est alors levé, emmenant avec lui ses deux ministres Thierry Breton (Economie et Finances) et Philippe Douste-Blazy (Affaires étrangères), à la surprise générale. Le président français est toutefois revenu après l'intervention de M. Seillière… »
And finally :
« …Le français est avec l'anglais et l'allemand l'une des trois langues de travail de l'Union européenne et la tradition dans les sommets veut que chaque participant s'exprime dans sa langue nationale, avec traduction simultanée… »
I guess that everybody is free to do what he or she wants to do. M. Seillière was free to speak his very poor English instead of express his intelligence in his native language, be translated by experienced interpreters (it creates more jobs!) and be perfectly understood by everybody.
Chirac was free to show to Seillière and to everybody that he disagree with him and that it’s not a minor question.
That’s all.