Something I don't like about Germans

[K9karen]

Off the subject for a minute..I have to ask...

Kirsten, and Barbara and other Europeans, I have to say..your
English is wonderful! Did you learn it in school? I mean, you use our idioms and everything. I'm dreadfully ashamed to say, that my 4 years of high school Spanish is a disaster. I know a bit (like baby talk), but now that our Hispanic community is growing, I'm thinking of heading to night school for a refresher.

I really admire multi-lingual people!!!

[DJFyrewolf36]

I can honestly say that this is the only forum that I haven't gotten into a major flame war on (I say major because I did step on a few toes when I was new lol). Usually I get into some sort of arguement within days of joining a forum. The anonimity (sp?) of the internet makes people a lot more bold with words than they would be speaking to your face...

I think its a phenomenon that crosses all countries and cultures with access to the internet lol.

[blue]

On some forums grammer and spelling nazis are part of the fun of the forums, but that is the lighter side of those forums as it gets much worse from there.

Of course every forum will have members who enjoy talking down to others, thankfully on PT its just a few.

[Barbara]

Kirsten, and Barbara and other Europeans, I have to say..your
English is wonderful! Did you learn it in school?

Thank you very much Karen I only learnt English in school for 3 years- and that was in the 60s. But I had (and have) to use it quite a bit at work and that improved it very much. The last finish however, especially in idioms, came with Pet Talk But I'm still afraid I mix British and American as it comes.

[Kirsten]

Kirsten, and Barbara and other Europeans, I have to say..your
English is wonderful! Did you learn it in school? I mean, you use our idioms and everything.

Thank you, Karen! Yes, I learnt it at school, I think it must have been 8 years in total, but like Barbara has said, I too didn't start using idioms before I got some practice on the internet. We learnt the British English at school, so it's been somewhat different.

But even before there was the internet, I tried not to get completely out of touch with the English language, 'cause I didn't want to forget what I have learnt in all those years. Couldn't tell you much these days about any grammar rules and the correct use of tenses though... LOL

Kirsten

[kokopup]

Kirsten , Barbara

Your English skill background is given away by your use of one word.
Learnt is the English version for the American word Learned.

All of our European PT friends do amazingly well with their post. If i had to post in German, French, Flemish, Spanish or Swedish I would be lost. I refer to various language dictionaries from time to time and am able to construct maybe a simple phrase if it doesn't contain more than 2 or 3 words.

I envy people that are Multlingual. When I lived in the Netherlands about 70% of the population spoke English. I went to Dutch lessons for a while but every time I spoke to someone in Dutch, when they heard my accent, they switched to listening in English. If I told them I am going to try to speak Dutch they would undestand me then. The only time I found an audience was when i spoke Dutch to someone that didn't speak English. I finally gave up because everyone I had dealings with spoke excellent English. Most of them thought they spoke Queens English but because they watched so many American movies it had taken on more of an American flavor.

[Kirsten]

Learnt is the English version for the American word Learned.

See, this must be one of the remnants of what we have learned in school. I will try to keep that in mind! LOL

The Dutch, as far as I know, speak an excellent English, like the Danes, or people from the other Scandinavian countries. Much better than the Germans do, btw. I guess it's because they - unlike the Germans - see American or English movies or tv shows in undubbed versions.

Kirsten

[Randi]

It's annoying that on some boards people are very arrogant, but then, if you want help with something, you have to put up with it. Luckily, I'm not particularly interested in posting anywhere, but PT.

Speaking of learning other languages, I had English in school from I was 11 years old, and when I left, I took an evening class during two winters. I really wanted to learn English so I could read the pop magazines I bought (Fabulous and Rave I think they were called). I also wanted to understand the text in the songs I liked - so that was an incentive too.

I met John in 79, but he already spoke Danish fluently, so we kept speaking Danish. He told me he started to go a Bar where lots of foreigners came (Pilegården), just to keep his English fluent - of course, there were other reasons for going there too. LOL! It was a fun place, run by a Canadian ice hockey player, a Japanese guy and a crazy Czecholovakian (yes, I had to look that up!) Even some funny Americans were part of the crowd!

[K9karen]

Thank you, Karen! Yes, I learnt it at school, I think it must have been 8 years in total, but like Barbara has said, I too didn't start using idioms before I got some practice on the internet. We learnt the British English at school, so it's been somewhat different.

But even before there was the internet, I tried not to get completely out of touch with the English language, 'cause I didn't want to forget what I have learnt in all those years. Couldn't tell you much these days about any grammar rules and the correct use of tenses though... LOL

Kirsten

Guess I'll have to start watching Telemundo more often.
I had a young landscaper from Nicaragua who learned his PERFECT English by watching American TV!

All I have to say is you all are amazing! I think some people have an "ear" for other languages. There was a girl at my high school reunion, who lived in Europe for over 40 years, travelling from country to country for work and she speak 5 languages fluently!! Picks it up like "that" (*snaps fingers*) One of my bosses took Russian during her summer vacation from college and spoke it fluently. Once a cabdriver tried to get one over on her (he was on the phone speaking Russian) and BOY! did she surprise him when she left the cab! We rolled over laughing!

[kokopup]

I think with any language the younger you are the better. When i went to the Netherlands to work there were 5 other families there with children. We had engineers there from 4 different countries other than the USA. None of these kids spoke English as a native language. When we had been there about 6 months we had a party and all the families brought their kids. It was amazing because they were all running around talking a blue streak in Dutch. Dutch had become their common language in just 6 months.

[Barbara]

I had a young landscaper from Nicaragua who learned his PERFECT English by watching American TV!

I learned most of my Italian by reading Topolino- that's Italian Mickey Mouse And I do well when I'm on vacation.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Off the subject for a minute..I have to ask...

Kirsten, and Barbara and other Europeans, I have to say..your
English is wonderful! Did you learn it in school? I mean, you use our idioms and everything. I'm dreadfully ashamed to say, that my 4 years of high school Spanish is a disaster. I know a bit (like baby talk), but now that our Hispanic community is growing, I'm thinking of heading to night school for a refresher.

I really admire multi-lingual people!!!

Thank you Karen!!
I started learning English when I was 13. I had English all the way through high school, at a rate of 4 hours per week. I also went to England on a "language exchange", where I stayed with a very friendly family. I went 3 times; this made my English better enourmously!
Then after I got married, we lived in London for 4 months in 1981, and we lived in the USA (St.Louis, MO) for nearly 2 years!
I just LOVE English!! I also speak French & German, but not very well though (Sonia know )

[Kirsten]

I really wanted to learn English so I could read the pop magazines I bought (Fabulous and Rave I think they were called). I also wanted to understand the text in the songs I liked - so that was an incentive too.

OMG, I was EXACTLY the same! I always wanted to know what my favorite songs were about, this has been a huge motivation for me and a great way to stay in touch with the language!

The most amazing is that most French who can't speak English, or don't want to, all learned it at school!

Sonia, many Germans are like that, too. Many of them speak a horrible English, to say the least, even though they had it at school for years! But I shouldn't judge, I had French for 5 years, but unfortunately I have to say I had absolutely no talent for it.

Kirsten

[Sonia59]

I also speak French & German, but not very well though (Sonia know )

Your French and German are probably as good as my Dutch, Lut!

I had French for 5 years, but unfortunately I have to say I had absolutely no talent for it

Exactly the same for me with German! And it's even worse after having spent some time in the Netherlands: when I try to remember about a few words in German, only the Dutch ones comes back

[phesina]

I think this is fabulous, all you folks who have people with different languages and cultures almost right next door. You pick up your neighbors' languages just from familiarity, and you're interested in learning about others' languages and customs.

It would be like, say I decide to go 50 miles south to Ohio to visit Phred and Mary, and they speak a whole different language and have different customs from me so we have to figure out how to communicate. (Well, I've met Phred and found that he speaks about the same as I do, but I don't know about Mary.)

Actually, I can go about 50 miles east to a whole different foreign country, and THEY don't even talk much differently from us!