People who use God as a reason to show they aren't interested

[exitstageright]

It's embarrassing how little effort Americans put into learning other languages, when you see how much everyone else is putting into English.

By the way,in Junior High School,I got an "A" in Spanish,and a "D" in English. By the time I was in High School,I learned and knew the grammatical rules of English. I later became a very proficient writer.

 

[exitstageright]

That's a reason why she and her family should learn English. It's not a reason for you not to learn her language. If you're in a relationship with someone whose native tongue is another language then making an attempt to learn their home language is a gesture which I would think they would appreciate.

But,my ex and her family do know English.They speak English very well on their jobs. My ex spoke English very well at work. We met at work. I, and my co-workers had no problem understanding her.

 

[exitstageright]

You learn her language and culture because you love her and want to know her. Because that is what people do when they love someone.

My friend married a woman from Honduras. He taught himself Spanish and is now very fluent so he can go with her to visit her family at least yearly and participate...and their daughter is also fluent in both English and Spanish. They live in the Midwest...no need for Spanish here and very few people use it. However, it is part of who she is...and her family is his family.

I already knew her culture. I have heard a lot about her culture, from Native Filipinos, when I was in the US Navy. We got married on February 14,1987. This was before that book on Love languages came out.
Yes, I picked the wedding date, which is Valentine's Day. I picked Valentine's Day, in order for me not to forget the anniversary date. I thought I was being smart by picking February 14th for the wedding date.
But,after my divorce, I did not feel good on Valentine's Day. My friend was right when he told me,
" Well S...., you really have out smarted yourself on this one."
'

 

[usexpat97]

English is the language of the world. It's the closest thing we have to a universal language

Which is audacious when the most-spoken language in the world isn't even English.

I'm sticking with what I said. And I know no shortage of Europeans who agree. When they speak between 3-4 languages, and they laugh at how most Ameeicans can speak only one.

 

[blackribbon]

Which is audacious when the most-spoken language in the world isn't even English.

I'm sticking with what I said. And I know no shortage of Europeans who agree. When they speak between 3-4 languages, and they laugh at how most Ameeicans can speak only one.

In europe, you can drive a few hours and cross a border and be in a country with a different language and be able to use that language.
I ask again what language should we focus on and why that language?

 

[Citanul]

Which is audacious when the most-spoken language in the world isn't even English.

Why is it audacious? English might not have the most first language speakers, but it has more total speakers than either Mandarin or Spanish.

https://www.ethnologue.com/language/eng
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cmn
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa

It also beats them in terms of geographic spread, so is closer to being a universal language than either of them.

I'm sticking with what I said. And I know no shortage of Europeans who agree. When they speak between 3-4 languages, and they laugh at how most Ameeicans can speak only one.

Why single out America? What about the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, which are all countries where the majority of the population are monolingual English speakers? (as well as Canada, where it seems to be a large proportion but not the majority)

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

For those of you who believe English is the universal language, please tell me how you can come up with that when the majority of the world are not native to that language at all. I mean, doesn't China make up most of the earth's population anyway? I think this is capitalistic thinking and people are ingrained to believe this way just like any "big brother" propaganda that's out there. I love America, but come one. It may be the most popular but I do not think it should ever be considered the universal language. That's right in line with pushing our agenda on the entire world. And that doesn't fly. Sorry

 

[Citanul]

For those of you who believe English is the universal language, please tell me how you can come up with that when the majority of the world are not native to that language at all. I mean, doesn't China make up most of the earth's population anyway?

According to this source, the world is 7.63 billion people and China has 1.4 billion. So that's 18%, which certainly isn't most.

I think this is capitalistic thinking and people are ingrained to believe this way just like any "big brother" propaganda that's out there. I love America, but come one. It may be the most popular but I do not think it should ever be considered the universal language. That's right in line with pushing our agenda on the entire world. And that doesn't fly. Sorry

What agenda do you think I'm pushing?

And I didn't say that English was a universal language. I said that it's the closest there is to a universal language due to more people speaking it (not necessarily as a first language) and those speakers being spread across the globe, compared with Mandarin which has the vast majority of its speakers situated in one country.

 

[Niels]

It's embarrassing how little effort Americans put into learning other languages, when you see how much everyone else is putting into English.

For most North Americans, learning other languages is a luxury. English is widely spoken across our continent. The average Californian can speak with the average Floridian, for instance, despite living thousands of miles apart. For most Europeans, however, a working knowledge of multiple languages is required if they wish to speak with other continental Europeans. North Americans learn other languages if they want to, whereas Europeans learn other languages because they need to.

 

[blackribbon]

For those of you who believe English is the universal language, please tell me how you can come up with that when the majority of the world are not native to that language at all. I mean, doesn't China make up most of the earth's population anyway? I think this is capitalistic thinking and people are ingrained to believe this way just like any "big brother" propaganda that's out there. I love America, but come one. It may be the most popular but I do not think it should ever be considered the universal language. That's right in line with pushing our agenda on the entire world. And that doesn't fly. Sorry

I didn't say it was the most used NATIVE language...I said that it was most known and used language. It is the official language of the home countries of my Afrikan friends (Liberia, Ghana, S. Africa, Kenya, & Nigeria). It is the language used in the school in Philippines. Enough that one of the nurses laughed at me when I stated I had a patient from the Philippines who said she didn't speak English. Ironically, we don't have an official language in the US.

And I repeat, to maintain fluency, you have to use a language, especially in the learning stage...more than just in a classroom. I can drive 24 hours north or south or west, (I'd have to stop at an ocean's edge going east), to find any area other than Quebec, Canada where i could use any language other than English on a daily basis. I can speak a little bit of Spanish from when I lived in Texas but that is a useless language where I now live. I'd like to learn a language but can't determine which one would be the most useful because I have no idea of how I would practice it.

 

[blackribbon]

I'd expect that China has the same deal...no reason for most Chinese to learn any other language other than Chinese because there is no need to use other languages and they wouldn't have the opportunity to use it.

So they are probably the largest single language population.

 

[blackribbon]

This is what makes it embarrassing. That Americans THINK it is the language of the world. It is the language of THEIR world. You go to Norway, everyone speaks perfect English. But English is most certainly not the language of Norway. You go to Quebec, the majority speak perfect English. But English is definitely not the language of Quebec, and they'll let you know it.

I was learning my SO's language when I was just dating them (and when I stopping dating them, I stopped learning). Even so, I didn't put in half the effort she did. And if she hadn't learned English first, we never would have dated.

I have visited Quebec and even though I speak no French, no one make me feel out of place because the city is comfortably bilingual.

 

[blackribbon]

But,my ex and her family do know English.They speak English very well on their jobs. My ex spoke English very well at work. We met at work. I, and my co-workers had no problem understanding her.

But you admitted that they used their native language socially and at family functions. You married into this family so adopted them as your family. A good husband would have made a real effort to learn how to participate as a full family member which means...learn their language and their FAMILY culture because there are many cultural things that are significant to them and would likely have been significant to your ex-wife.

 

[usexpat97]

But you admitted that they used their native language socially and at family functions. You married into this family so adopted them as your family. A good husband would have made a real effort to learn how to participate as a full family member which means...learn their language and their FAMILY culture because there are many cultural things that are significant to them and would likely have been significant to your ex-wife.

This.

We need to make an attempt to learn others' language(s), to reach out to them. Because they have been reaching out to us. Besides, we are all missionaries. This is not just for our SO.

Usually just a little bit of work to try and enter their world goes a long way--even if it's just learning bonjour, merci a vous, non je parlons pas frances (although the French can be different). Even so, they spent a LOT more time entering your world than you, becoming fluent in English.

 

[blackribbon]

This.

We need to make an attempt to learn others' language(s), to reach out to them. Because they have been reaching out to us. Besides, we are all missionaries. This is not just for our SO.

Usually just a little bit of work to try and enter their world goes a long way--even if it's just learning bonjour, merci a vous, non je parlons pas frances (although the French can be different). Even so, they spent a LOT more time entering your world than you, becoming fluent in English.

Well to be fair, English is an official language of the Philippines and his wife most likely used it as the primary language at school. I believe he should have learned Filipinos because their cultural language is part of their social life and I'd hope he would have wanted to socialize with that part of her life.

Also, the Philippines is a Christian nation.

I personally think you should know more than a few phrases in your spouses birth language. Also, if you don't..how will know when she is saying not so nice things about you?....

 

[usexpat97]

Yeah...for your spouse. But I was dating ESL girls, and a several basic phrases were all I could manage in that time.

 

[Radagast]

Which is audacious when the most-spoken language in the world isn't even English.

According to Wikipedia, yes it is. But only just.

 

[usexpat97]

I ask again what language should we focus on and why that language?

What people-group has God laid on your heart to reach for Christ? How about that one?

 

[blackribbon]

What people-group has God laid on your heart to reach for Christ? How about that one?

Oh, then English.... I have a heart for people with mental health issues including substance abuse in the US. So I am good.

 

[exitstageright]

Well to be fair, English is an official language of the Philippines and his wife most likely used it as the primary language at school. I believe he should have learned Filipinos because their cultural language is part of their social life and I'd hope he would have wanted to socialize with that part of her life.

Also, the Philippines is a Christian nation.

I personally think you should know more than a few phrases in your spouses birth language. Also, if you don't..how will know when she is saying not so nice things about you?....

If she did said negative things about me in Tagalog and/or Ilocano. Then frankly,I would not have given a Hoover Dam.