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learning a new language (pg. 2)
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| Aquarian |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
people that study languages will tell you that english is one of the harder languages to learn. when you think about all of the nuances to the language it is very complicated... |
I know quite a few people who study languages, and they all tell me it's by far one of the most simple, and as someone who speaks a latin tongue as his first language, I would confirm it. I used to not speak a word of english, and then it took me barely two weeks to learn it. The verb tenses are very basic, and the words have very direct meanings. Most of the vocabulary is borrowed from french (and disorted) so it doesn't follow alot of rules as to how words are formed and such.
That's the whole reason why english is officially or unofficially the language of everything. It's simplicity and direct approach make it ideal for commerce, communications, technology, science... I can't imagine how much longer my psych notes would be if I had to write them in french. It would be needlessly long and very hard to understand. |
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| Floorfiller |
| quote: | Originally posted by Aquarian
I know quite a few people who study languages, and they all tell me it's by far one of the most simple, and as someone who speaks a latin tongue as his first language, I would confirm it. I used to not speak a word of english, and then it took me barely two weeks to learn it. The verb tenses are very basic, and the words have very direct meanings. Most of the vocabulary is borrowed from french (and disorted) so it doesn't follow alot of rules as to how words are formed and such.
That's the whole reason why english is officially or unofficially the language of everything. It's simplicity and direct approach make it ideal for commerce, communications, technology, science... I can't imagine how much longer my psych notes would be if I had to write them in french. It would be needlessly long and very hard to understand. |
well then i'm wrong. i had always heard the opposite...but i'll take your word for it... |
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| D-res |
zutra chu putovati monogomelia bitziclom
serbo croation's where its at |
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| Aquarian |
| Makes me think of the phrase; "English is easy to learn but hard to master". In the sense that you can take any simple element and arrange it in complex pattern. Read a few random pages from James Joyce's Ulysses, you'll see what I mean. ;) |
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| Estella |
Learning a new language gives you two times the amount of ways to use durogatory terms.
I think English is easier than Spanish anyway. I can't speak for anything else. In English you don't have masculine/feminine, you don't have a subjunctive tense when expressing doubt or emotion. We don't really have a means of conjugation for the future, future subjunctive, imperfect, past participle, etc. We don't have an informal, formal way of speech that directly changes the meaning of a statement. We don't have irregulars in the past, future or present. I'm sure I'm missing things.
I want to learn French too.
I've always heard German and Japanese were most difficult. |
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| trance4life627 |
| dutch is a toughy |
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| D-res |
| quote: | Originally posted by Slylee
of course english is the hardest language |
yeah no .. especially with pronounciation and spelling/grammar.
christ.. we learned that blame, shame, game, dame, tame, et al have the same last letters so they rhyme but for someone who doesntk now english, explaining that pour, floor, whore, and oar all rhyme but have completely different spelling will throw them off. plus the random silent letters and letters changing sounds, xylophone and whore especially :p being good exaples. im glad i grew up learning it instead of having to learn it in school :eyespop: |
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| Estella |
| Jesus, Richie Hawtin is diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirty. :disbelief |
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| Moongoose |
Learning English was newer that hard for me (my spelling is sometimes bad, but i speak it fluently), I learned most of it from Cartoon Network (who says cartoons arent educational!) and just refined my knowledge in school...when i wasnt sleeping during classes of course :D
German however was wery hard to learn for me, i still cant speak it and only understand a few word of it even though i listen to it for 5 years in school (would be 4 years but i got held back a year becouse i really sucked at german :whip: )
I hope to someday learn at least conversational german (im trying to watch as much german cartoons as i can :D ) and add Italian and Japanese to the list of languages i can understand. Im already working on japanese by watching lots of anime :D But seriously i taking some japanse classes this year. |
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| paranoik0 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Aquarian
I know quite a few people who study languages, and they all tell me it's by far one of the most simple, and as someone who speaks a latin tongue as his first language, I would confirm it. |
I confirm it as well. Portuguese is a hell lot more complicated than english, the english grammar rules are more straightforward and the verbs don't have so many little differences. Also portuguese seems to be a hell lot worse for double meanings. |
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| mellow_head |
| quote: | Originally posted by trance4life627
dutch is a toughy |
Dutch 0wns :cool: I understand English, but only a few English-speaking ppl understand me when I talk Dutch :D |
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