Thinking of learning another language.

[Hermann]

Is not European Spanish a combination of Italian and Arabic?

Heard this once and a coworker who grew up in Sicily also understood Spanish and spoke some Arabic. I'm guessing the Arabic came across the Straits of Gibraltar from Morroco.

 

[XS650]

Spanish and Italian are both forms of vulgar Latin and there is some commonality. Spanish does have some Arabic words and words derived from Arabic but it's basis is Latin.

Euro Spanish and Americas Spanish aren't all that different when speaking with educated people.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
My son has to take Spanish in school and he is only 8. I don't like it because I think these youngsters need to learn English first until they attempt another language. Maybe in high school but not in 3rd grade.


Learning a language is so much more than learning the linguistics. You also learn the culture, which I think is important. The way I see it is that a majority of people here don't know anything beyond their little world called the US. From this lack of knowledge stems a lot of ethnocentrism.

Learning from an early age helps. I grew up around my family who speaks Cantonese. I've had no formal lessons and I can speak decent (not to toot my own horn). Can't read or write though so I'm illiterate in that sense. And it definitely has helped my pronunciation of Japanese.

And sometimes you can't fully fault people who can't acquire English. My mom for example tries to learn English but even if she has the right words, her grammar gets messy. After a certain age, the human brain just maps language differently (there are scientific studies).

If interested, here are the video clips my neuropsych professor showed us. Human Spark Go to chapter 3.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac


Learning from an early age helps. I grew up around my family who speaks Cantonese. I've had no formal lessons and I can speak decent (not to toot my own horn). Can't read or write though so I'm illiterate in that sense. And it definitely has helped my pronunciation of Japanese.

And sometimes you can't fully fault people who can't acquire English. My mom for example tries to learn English but even if she has the right words, her grammar gets messy. After a certain age, the human brain just maps language differently (there are scientific studies).


I took a semester of Mandarin at UC Berkley extension when I was 53 years old. It was the most work I ever put into a 2 unit course. I managed to get an A but because I didn't get to use it as planned I lost nearly all of it in a couple of years.

Being a university course, reading and writing was part of it. After on semester I was up to reading and writing 200 characters. Had it been a European language, I would have had at least twice the vocabulary with less work.

I can certainly understand your mom having difficulty. They are very different languages.

I had enough problems with Mandarin tonality with 4+ tones, I can't imagine an middle aged Caucasion trying to learn Cantonese with, what, 7 tones?

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

I get what you mean about losing it. My mom told me a little while ago that it's getting harder for her to recall the more complex characters from not using them frequently. Her Mandarin and Vietnamese are starting to get rusty too. Now there's a language that would be a pain to learn.

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
My son has to take Spanish in school and he is only 8. I don't like it because I think these youngsters need to learn English first until they attempt another language. Maybe in high school but not in 3rd grade.


Learning a language is so much more than learning the linguistics. You also learn the culture, which I think is important. The way I see it is that a majority of people here don't know anything beyond their little world called the US. From this lack of knowledge stems a lot of ethnocentrism.

Learning from an early age helps. I grew up around my family who speaks Cantonese. I've had no formal lessons and I can speak decent (not to toot my own horn). Can't read or write though so I'm illiterate in that sense. And it definitely has helped my pronunciation of Japanese.

And sometimes you can't fully fault people who can't acquire English. My mom for example tries to learn English but even if she has the right words, her grammar gets messy. After a certain age, the human brain just maps language differently (there are scientific studies).

If interested, here are the video clips my neuropsych professor showed us. Human Spark Go to chapter 3.


Ehhh.. no offense. Usually, older Asian people "try" to learn English but fail to. Instead, they pick up words and try to make them out of something. Younger Asian people usually can speak fluent English by 2-4 years because they get more schooling. You can blame the older Asians-Americans for the American stereotypes towards Asians.

I get sick of it when you try to say something to them that is totally non-offensive and somehow they take offense to it.

 

[97tbird]

I also have seen many Indians have a lack of English knowledge even after living 15-20 yrs in the US, and one area that totally lacks is the humor - they hardly get any of my jokes...(I am from Sri Lanka originally) - i guess they always talk among themselves...

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
I also have seen many Indians have a lack of English knowledge even after living 15-20 yrs in the US, and one area that totally lacks is the humor - they hardly get any of my jokes...(I am from Sri Lanka originally) - i guess they always talk among themselves...


Maybe it's your jokes?

JK

Not to stereotype, but I haven't know many Indians with a well developed sense of humor.

 

[LordAbbett]

I took a year of french when I was in college. If I was around much I could pick it up again but how often am I around someone that speaks French....never.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: LordAbbett
I took a year of french when I was in college. If I was around much I could pick it up again but how often am I around someone that speaks French....never.

You could always go somewhere where French is spoken. Montréal, France and most of the Caribbean are all easily accessible!

I found even after a day or two in France all my highschool french coming back and by the end of the week I was able to get around and communicate without much problem. Immersion is truly the way to get better at any language.

 

[Pesca]

Originally Posted By: scurvy
Immersion is truly the way to get better at any language.


+1. I believe that is the only eficient way to learn a new language.