how much do US citizens know about their own language?
Yes ! associating France with Europe and viceversa !
As an inferred meaning :
-act of implying
-something implied
-indirect suggestion
-connotation
-state of being involved in an action or event.
What part you don’t understand?
And keep the “crap” for yourself ! Honestly, Uriel....
Dare I make a simple observation of the glaringly obvious?
There is no requirement to know the slightest thing about your native language in order to use it fluently.
Uh, this thread is getting ridiculous and severely disrailed. One other thing to mention--even if you're a Canadian or American and you speak English as your native language that does not mean you "are the same as Europeans." Due to historic and current patterns of immigration a sizable group of people on this continent have no ethnic background from Europe and no direct cultural ties to it, either. I'm not saying this to be divisive but that's just how it works here. Also, I don't associate Europe with any particular country, as Uriel points out (and I don't think it'd be accurate to generalize and say that others do associate Europe with a particular country). This forum/thread could do with toning down on the hasty generalizations.
<<There is no requirement to know the slightest thing about your native language in order to use it fluently.>>
Exactly. Whether you know about the history of your language (for any language) or just assume that the Stork dropped it off one day will not affect your fluency or competence in the language one bit.
For instance when people think of USA they think of mainly NY. (The most visited state)
Same thing with Europe/Paris
Continental Europe comprises France = France suggests the European continent. This is a direct Correlation ! Or a true statement in psychology !
<There is no requirement to know the slightest thing about your native language in order to use it fluently. >
But your general culture implies the knowledge of that! If you have one...
Well well 'someone' thinks France equals Europe ... go home Louis XVI
*Many other Americans I spoke with, felt very difficult to pronounce Europe/European in a context of American history or American pride.
They almost had the feeling of denying that*
No wonder! It’s like saying, well, we Americans are the best and everything, but the Europeans discovered the land and settled here , along with the English language and culture, then the European colonials fought for independence. Then we became Americans!
Not very flattering at all…lol
By the way mjd ! Do you speak any foreign languages? If so, how many? I bet you struggle with your broken Portuguese!
But anyway, I can really help you learning Spanish, Italian, and some German...
-If you can handle that!
Remember !
Knowing your native language, doesn’t make you a polyglot or a “big deal” at all. So step down a bit and keep learning your Portuguese !
It's quite strange for me when I think about Europe. I would always associate Europe with France while the United Kingdom I wouldn't normally associate with Europe.
<It's quite strange for me when I think about Europe. I would always associate Europe with France while the United Kingdom I wouldn't normally associate with Europe. >
The Brits don’t associated it either ! …Because they are Euro sceptic !
>>Many other Americans I spoke with, felt very difficult to pronounce Europe/European in a context of American history or American pride.
They almost had the feeling of denying that<<
What form of pidgin English it that?
>> then the European colonials fought for independence. Then we became Americans!<<
Then you may as well say that the French are really just Romans or Franks or Gauls or whatever the f*#! and poof! one day they became this thing called "French" and at some other stage, poof! a "European" concoction.
<Then you may as well say that the French are really just Romans or Franks or Gauls or whatever the f*#! and poof! one day they became this thing called "French" and at some other stage, poof! a "European" concoction. >
at least they were from the same continent !
LOL ha ha ha
<at least they were from the same continent ! >
yeah....and nobody discovered France (only the American tourists) LOL
>>at least they were from the same continent !<<
Not geopolitcally.
As you point out, Someone, quite a few Americans ARE descended from Europeans. Therefore we are perfectly aware of the many countries in Europe, if only from our own family trees. France is only one of many. I certainly don't equate it with all of Europe.
As for France being an "enemy" ... hardly. Political adversary on one particular issue perhaps, but even that conflict is what, all of three or four years old? Not exactly what we'd base our entire conception of a whole continent on. Politics come and go.
As for American's familiarity with the history of the English language, I would imagine that varies from person to person. I've read up on it, and I'm just as typically American as the next one.
As far as foreigners equating all of the US with the state of New York ... well, don't forget Florida, California, and Texas. ;) Aren't you always calling us "cowboys", after all?
If you really want to improve your knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and vocabulary but are out of school (and not planning on going back) try reading Charles Dickens or Thomas Hardy or better yet try obtaining some college level textbooks on any subject (history, psychology, sociology, etc...) that might interest you.
Of course, that's assuming that you have the time, the money (there are ways of getting books for free but you usually have to be a teacher or a professor requesting a sample copy for review), the inclination, and that you are also at the reading comprehension level at which one is required to be in order to understand the language used in such books.
Personally, I think that most native English speakers (on both sides of the Atlantic) need to spend more time and effort in the study of at least one or two foreign languages. Not only does it open up a whole new world for one but in the process of studying a foreign language one also gains knowledge of and insight into his/her own native language whether it be English or Japanese.