K.T. we know YOU are the "commentator". You can't fool us. We know all about it.
Why can't the Japanese in general speak good English?
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<<<commentator Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:40 am GMT
<<But I'd rather not post my recording here for reasons you might never know. LOL >>
It's because you are being paid by the Chinese government to promote China on the web. I know all about it.>>>
The least possible and most laughable comment I've ever got at this forum!
LOL
<<But I'd rather not post my recording here for reasons you might never know. LOL >>
It's because you are being paid by the Chinese government to promote China on the web. I know all about it.>>>
The least possible and most laughable comment I've ever got at this forum!
LOL
While speakers of a language that bears no similar to English may have difficulties with learning English, it does not automatically follow that their native language would put them at a huge disadvantage. For instance, some of the posters mentioned about Finnish speakers. Even if the Finnish language is difficult and clearly distinct from all other languages, I would say that Finns have a really good command of English in general. So I would say education plays a major role in how well one learns a foreign language.
Sometimes it's easier to learn a language of another family than one of the same family as your native language. I found it easier to learn Spanish than German as a native speaker of English.
<<Yuz Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:48 pm GMT
Sometimes it's easier to learn a language of another family than one of the same family as your native language. I found it easier to learn Spanish than German as a native speaker of English. >>
WORD!
I found it easier to learn French than German. Dutch is my native language.
Sometimes it's easier to learn a language of another family than one of the same family as your native language. I found it easier to learn Spanish than German as a native speaker of English. >>
WORD!
I found it easier to learn French than German. Dutch is my native language.
>>I fail to understand why people from Japan in general can't speak good English. After all, Japan is a developed country which should afford excellent learning conditions for its people to learn and speak English well. But it seems that is not the case.
What do you think?
But like the Japanese, we Chinese have no practical responsibility of speaking good English. Those who have enough linguistic power shouldn't kowtow like what people do in Hong Kong, do ya know?
I find the Hong Kong language identity particularly embarrassing, since people talk endlessly about language politics, and yet have no power whatsoever to do anything substantial, and are rather helpless in learning a language properly. Something is missing in our education system, unfortunately. After all, it's run by teachers who don't, in many cases, know well enough about all the three "local" languages at all.
What do you think?
But like the Japanese, we Chinese have no practical responsibility of speaking good English. Those who have enough linguistic power shouldn't kowtow like what people do in Hong Kong, do ya know?
I find the Hong Kong language identity particularly embarrassing, since people talk endlessly about language politics, and yet have no power whatsoever to do anything substantial, and are rather helpless in learning a language properly. Something is missing in our education system, unfortunately. After all, it's run by teachers who don't, in many cases, know well enough about all the three "local" languages at all.
This reality is of practical impact on my life. I am dating 2 Chinese women, both educated and professional. The 2 of them are both beautiful and yet sound so remarkably alike in tone, poor intonation, a rambling mis-mash of garbled sounds. It's perplexing to say the least, as one girl speaks English as her primary and main language. She had only her earliest years in Hong Kong, attended High School in California and has been here ever since. When she examines Chinese text, she does not understand everything and prefers English. She comprehends Mandarinese, but does not speak it. I was amazed to hear her tell me that English is her first language. I like to communicate about a variety of subjects. Both girls join in and we can talk for hours. Yet, listening to their oratory is arduous and painful. It is disjointed and I continually have to check in and paraphrase to be sure I am understanding what they are saying. Can this be addressed to them in a polite manner with any results?
You're seeing two girls at the same time and worrying about their conversational skills.
I'm not sure which one I'm having a harder time believing..... "Randy".
I'm not sure which one I'm having a harder time believing..... "Randy".
Maybe he's a polygamist or a Moslem... And yes I agree, I know of many Chinese people who've lived in English speaking countries a long time and yet cannot grasp basic grammar. One has been married to an English speaker for several years and has returned to China only once since 7 years ago and still makes heinously basic errors and has a thick accent.
<<I was amazed to hear her tell me that English is her first language. >>
This too. When a kid comes to a new country with an age around 8-13 or so, they often fail to master both their mother tongue and the new language. They speak their native language with their parents yet don't receive schooling in it so it remains at a low, uneducated level, and they struggle with the new language because they are either unmotivated or unintegrated. In the end they speak two languages at a level below a that of a monolingual native speaker and may consider either of them their native language. It happens all the time....
<<I was amazed to hear her tell me that English is her first language. >>
This too. When a kid comes to a new country with an age around 8-13 or so, they often fail to master both their mother tongue and the new language. They speak their native language with their parents yet don't receive schooling in it so it remains at a low, uneducated level, and they struggle with the new language because they are either unmotivated or unintegrated. In the end they speak two languages at a level below a that of a monolingual native speaker and may consider either of them their native language. It happens all the time....
rechazao Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:53 am GMT
Maybe he's a polygamist or a Moslem... And yes I agree, I know of many Chinese people who've lived in English speaking countries a long time and yet cannot grasp basic grammar. One has been married to an English speaker for several years and has returned to China only once since 7 years ago and still makes heinously basic errors and has a thick accent.
<<I was amazed to hear her tell me that English is her first language. >>
This too. When a kid comes to a new country with an age around 8-13 or so, they often fail to master both their mother tongue and the new language. They speak their native language with their parents yet don't receive schooling in it so it remains at a low, uneducated level, and they struggle with the new language because they are either unmotivated or unintegrated. In the end they speak two languages at a level below a that of a monolingual native speaker and may consider either of them their native language. It happens all the time....
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That sounds quite reasonable to me!
Maybe he's a polygamist or a Moslem... And yes I agree, I know of many Chinese people who've lived in English speaking countries a long time and yet cannot grasp basic grammar. One has been married to an English speaker for several years and has returned to China only once since 7 years ago and still makes heinously basic errors and has a thick accent.
<<I was amazed to hear her tell me that English is her first language. >>
This too. When a kid comes to a new country with an age around 8-13 or so, they often fail to master both their mother tongue and the new language. They speak their native language with their parents yet don't receive schooling in it so it remains at a low, uneducated level, and they struggle with the new language because they are either unmotivated or unintegrated. In the end they speak two languages at a level below a that of a monolingual native speaker and may consider either of them their native language. It happens all the time....
====================================
That sounds quite reasonable to me!
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