Are you British peeps really so demanding?

[Hojyuu-obi]

Oh my.

My point, exactly.

I fail to see what the willingness to learn a language has to do with the EU, or global politics. If anything it's more a cultural thing than a political one, I for one learnt english at a very young age watching BBC, Monthy Python, Young Ones, Spittin Image etc... I doubt seeing Tony Blair on television encourages any young ones to learn English these days.

[Izzy HaveMercy]

I never learned english.
They stuffed it through my throat as if I were a Thanxgiven flippin' TURKEY.

Thanx, mom, dad, Margaret T.


IZ.

[Thrash Harry]

it's more a cultural thing than a political one

My point, exactly.

[James Blast]

... and nation shall speak unto nation


in American engish, of course...

[Thrash Harry]

a Thanxgiven flippin' TURKEY

That's American. Your education was clearly lacking.

[Izzy HaveMercy]

a Thanxgiven flippin' TURKEY

That's American. Your education was clearly lacking.

I forgot... THANX mr. Schwarzkopf!

IZ.

[Thrash Harry]

Herr Burstenfrisur, if you don't mind.

[James Blast]

I was never any good at math...
my frat buddies weren't into my schtic..
gas is, like 29¢ a gallon, OMG!...
prozac? daily...
Marilyn Manson is, like soooo new and kewl!...
let's bomb these people back to the stoneage...
your invading my space...
Europe is soooo, over there, like...

Big Mac, fries to go...

Kilgore


grodey, eww!

[christophe]

Oh my.

My point, exactly.

I fail to see what the willingness to learn a language has to do with the EU, or global politics. If anything it's more a cultural thing than a political one, I for one learnt english at a very young age watching BBC, Monthy Python, Young Ones, Spittin Image etc... I doubt seeing Tony Blair on television encourages any young ones to learn English these days.

I myself have never learned English apart from watching English shows on television. But as we didn’t have BBC when I was a kid there wasn’t much to educate me.
And still even these days I try to remember a movie quote or something when I have to say something.

I don’t think its intended but you have to admit it soot’s someone like Bush if hey can use a well known language to use his propaganda.

[Almiche V]

However, I love complaining - the bigger the company, the better, makes them feel wanted

"Well I don't know......."

[Thrash Harry]

I myself have never learned English apart from watching English shows on television.

Really? I thought everyone in Europe had to learn God's chosen language at school. Your grasp of English is even more impressive in that case. Do you read/ type fluently, or do you have to spend half an hour with a Collins dictionary to decipher/ compose every post? I could never imagine participating in a foreign language based forum. I might end up insulting someone unintentionally.

[Izzy HaveMercy]

I could never imagine participating in a foreign language based forum. I might end up insulting someone unintentionally.

You might try coming off that Island more often.
You won't fall off after the Channel, y'know.
Or did you think that big tunnel blasts you directly to the Galaxy?

Now, on a more serious not. I guess it is quite difficult to comprehend for a native English speaker how much stress is laid upon us (the non-native babblers) to LEARN English.
It is, after all, a world language, understood in most of the civilised world (and Leeds, too), or so one tends to make us believe. That and Spanish can get you EVERYWHERE.
That's why most foreigners can speak/read/write a little, mediocre or rather good english, but not all Englishmen/Americans are adept in a foreign language.
Coz you don't NEED to learn it. They understand you EVERYWHERE (this does NOT include the Manchester/sw London regions).

IZ.

[Hojyuu-obi]

I myself have never learned English apart from watching English shows on television.

Really? I thought everyone in Europe had to learn God's chosen language at school. Your grasp of English is even more impressive in that case. Do you read/ type fluently, or do you have to spend half an hour with a Collins dictionary to decipher/ compose every post? I could never imagine participating in a foreign language based forum. I might end up insulting someone unintentionally.

Yes, we start learning English when we're about 12-13 years old but I myself have been emerged in English since I was six years old I guess, French comes at the age of nine, German at fiftheen if I remember correctly ... must be a Belgian thing ... These days Belgian toddlers start learning the other language (French or Dutch depending what their native tongue is.

The fact they don't "dub" movies here like they do in France and Germany helps too (which would help the French & Germans a long way if they could just watch the Lord Of The Rings instead of Le Seigneur des Anneaux or Der Herr der Ringe. I won't have to tell you a lot of French & Germans cannot be bothered to learn the English language, but that's probably not entirely their fault.)

[Silence is platinum]

I totally agree with Harry on this one, as a general rule 'we' are so quiet & hate to rock the boat in most situations.
I don't think half of the UK even realises they have a voice!

U should try dealing with Greek people every week. THEY complain!!!

What kind of job do you do PL? Youre 100% right about the greeks,
and miserable they are as well, that s why the Cure have so many
fans here in Greece

(i get away with that, i m half german )

[andymackem]

I could never imagine participating in a foreign language based forum. I might end up insulting someone unintentionally.

You might try coming off that Island more often.
You won't fall off after the Channel, y'know.
Or did you think that big tunnel blasts you directly to the Galaxy?

Now, on a more serious not. I guess it is quite difficult to comprehend for a native English speaker how much stress is laid upon us (the non-native babblers) to LEARN English.
It is, after all, a world language, understood in most of the civilised world (and Leeds, too), or so one tends to make us believe. That and Spanish can get you EVERYWHERE.
That's why most foreigners can speak/read/write a little, mediocre or rather good english, but not all Englishmen/Americans are adept in a foreign language.
Coz you don't NEED to learn it. They understand you EVERYWHERE (this does NOT include the Manchester/sw London regions).

IZ.

Basically, IZ, you're spot on. And to make matters worse for the English speaking world there isn't an obvious second language. I did French, which is little use in Germany. My German-speaking friends have the opposite problem. We're all screwed in Greece.

Funny thing is, I speak reasonable French (studied to A level, which is our 18+ public exam, and can just about have a conversation that's more sophisticated than booking a hotel room). In Belgium, I speak French and people reply in French and we get on with it. Eventually we understand one another, and beer often follows.

In France, meanwhile, I speak French and some snotty twerp replies in poor English. If I believed she (and it's more often a she than a he, to be fair) was genuinely trying to help I wouldn't mind, but it's usually accompanied by that disdainful look that implies that a mere foreigner shouldn't be allowed to sully the divine glory of the native French tongue. It also results in two people determinedly struggling in their second language because they're both too proud to back down. Maybe I should go to Switzerland and see what happens there.

On a related linguistic note, having studied Latin to GCSE (our 16+ public exam) I can make sense of Spanish or Italian newspapers, but also discovered I can translate directions in Flemish (to a football stadium in Ostend, which a colleague of mine than located without difficulty) and make vague sense of Dutch and Danish newspapers. Icelandic utterly defeated me and Russian is about to do the same. It's not the alphabet - I can read the words, I just struggle to grasp what the hell they mean.

[Brideoffrankenstein]

i have found that people are too eager to complain where i work, but they don't seem so forthcoming about giving praise

[James Blast]

Try working in a 'blame culture' situ Brideoffrankenstein, it's hell!
When they feck-up and the flan hits, all they do is look for those at the sharp end.

Me

Unfortunately

[Brideoffrankenstein]

Try working in a 'blame culture' situ Brideoffrankenstein, it's hell!
When they feck-up and the flan hits, all they do is look for those at the sharp end.

Me

Unfortunately

*hugs Red Sunsets*

[James Blast]

Fankee BoF

[Thrash Harry]

You might try coming off that Island more often.

To date, Italy's the only place worth the trauma of getting Mrs T on a plane.