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#61889 - 04/05/02 07:47 PM why speak english
Anonymous
Unregistered


laugh laugh laugh good friends of mine have recently enjoyed madrid. However they will not go again due to lack of english being spoken.Do people(especially english) expect their language to be spoken everywhere? I think not!
Spanish people will always help you with correct words etc. Yes i do speak from experience.At least trying to learn the local language will get you much further than any phrasebook!

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#61890 - 04/06/02 12:40 AM Re: why speak english
wyndyl Offline
Member

Registered: 03/08/02
Posts: 148
Loc: Dallas, Texas
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Spanish the most spoken language in the world? I know there are differences in the language from Castillian to South American, even from Mexican Spanish, etc....

I know I'd be more comfortable if the country I was visiting had the same language, but that would limit me to English speaking nations...that would be too limiting... frown Where's the fun in that? wink

Embarrassing at times, I'm quite sure, but you'll have stories to tell family and friends later :p

I speak another language other than English...unfortunately frown not too much Spanish..but I'm learning...slowly...

We can't be presumptuous and expect everyone in the world to know English rolleyes

Anyway, that's my two cents worth.
wyndyl

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#61891 - 04/06/02 01:26 AM Re: why speak english
LostInMadrid Offline
Member

Registered: 07/28/01
Posts: 92
Loc: Madrid, Spain
It depends on exactly how you count people and whether you're talking native or not, but usually Spanish is about #3 on the list after Mandarin (Chinese) and English. Hindi is also a contender for the top 3...

Here's a a couple of the varied lists there are out on the internet:
http://www.krysstal.com/spoken.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774735.html

-Russ

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#61892 - 04/06/02 01:43 AM Re: why speak english
wyndyl Offline
Member

Registered: 03/08/02
Posts: 148
Loc: Dallas, Texas
Hey, Russ

Thanks for the info...I guess with China's population, including Taiwan's, I suppose Chinese would be spoken more in the world... wink

I guess what I wanted to point out was that--we all need to keep our minds open about other languages (and cultures, laugh )

Wyndy smile

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#61893 - 04/06/02 04:27 PM Re: why speak english
Anonymous
Unregistered


laugh Wyndyl!
In england(as im sure is the same as everywhere else)we have a lot of chinese restaurants. My dad speaks very good chinese and quite often after we have finished eating and paid the bill etc.He will speak to them in their own language.Many a time as small children my sisters and i would be stiffling laughter as our father would speak to the staff etc. that he agreed that eg.table 4 were rude pigs as they had previously pointed out in cantonese to each other!The look on their faces was one of absolute horror as they tried to recall what they had said about our table.Happy days indeed!

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#61894 - 04/06/02 04:38 PM Re: why speak english
taravb Offline
Executive Member

Registered: 02/22/01
Posts: 736
Loc: Ames, Iowa, USA
Yeah, spike1, it's a good lesson from your experience--one can't ever assume that people don't speak the language! I have occasionally heard English-speaking tourists in Spain say insensitive or rude things in English, assuming they won't be understood. I guess my dad's saying, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" is good counsel in any language!!

smile

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#61895 - 04/06/02 09:49 PM Re: why speak english
Fernando Offline
Executive Member

Registered: 07/05/01
Posts: 1551
Loc: Madrid, Spain
Taravb, how true it is!

I've been insulted twice in english: once in Ireland and once in my own country. Both times making reference to my mother...

The first time a man insulted my group (all spaniards) while we were studying english in Ireland (you don't have to be too smart to guess we would understand...). What we did? A friend of me take the man as if he was his best friend, and with the nicest smile in his lips he said to the man: -"Me cago en tu puta madre" smile

The second time I was insulted by a drunken english in the Costa del Sol. What I did? I smiled, I called him "paleto" and my group of friends turned around and get out of the scene laughing... he was still trying to guess what I had called him...

25% of spaniards understand english to a point, and this percentage rises a lot on youngsters. Don't risk yourself saying something embarrasing wink

By the way, all my school class mates, all my close friends, my parents, my cousins, my brothers and almost all my friends speak english...

Fernando

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#61896 - 04/07/02 09:39 AM Re: why speak english
Lizziee Offline
Member

Registered: 02/03/02
Posts: 58
Loc: Scotland
Sadly, the English are very lazy about speaking other people's languages - all to do with previous empires etc and is an attitude many of us hate.

However, my sister (who speaks a little French) was determined to try Spanish when on holiday recently but couldn't remember how to ask for five beers (no, I'm not sure how many beers she'd had previously), so she asked for dos y dos y uno mas! At least she tried!!

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#61897 - 04/07/02 11:39 AM Re: why speak english
Anonymous
Unregistered


Lizziee thats improvisation took to a completely new level,seriously though,you are right about it being typical of the english(dont know about scots,my dad is scots and he believes that we should make every effort to speak other languages.)Although iam not exactly multi lingual i find it great fun learning and often very funny when trying to find a right word or context.I remember when i was in Pego and had split my only pair of trousers.I was aware of a rather cool (but quite pleasant actually!)draught coming from a strange place.Whilst glancing at a shop doorway from over my shoulder i saw the split and realised what had happened.Damn,wouldnt you know that i was wearing bright red underpants too!(Fate,i swear it!)so iam now looking like an escaped baboon,complete with(pity me)grin.Eventually,i found a shop which looked as though it may stock cotton etc.Shuffled my way in laugh laugh laugh muttered "hola" and proceeded to do an excellent impersonation of Lionel Blair on steroids.It was like a bizarre game of charades,with me pretending to sew an imaginary cloth with an imaginary needle,then pointing to my backside.A small crowd of spaniards had by now gathered,at this point you could have fried an egg on my face.Suddenly the shopkeeper turned away,(thank god,i thought)then back again,smiled knowingly and gave me a small box with ARRETT wrote on the side(very popular tablet to stop diahorrea.)

I learnt spanish Quite soon after!

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#61898 - 04/07/02 04:20 PM Re: why speak english
taravb Offline
Executive Member

Registered: 02/22/01
Posts: 736
Loc: Ames, Iowa, USA
Spike1, your story is SO FUNNY!!! smile

And I have to mention that I have also been insulted "behind my back" by Spanish-speakers in Spain--AND I've been propositioned (I didn't take him up on it, but I made it clear I understood his request!!!). rolleyes

The world's so small now, it seems wherever you are, you can assume SOMEONE's bilingual!

We have two Deaf students in our department at the University, and they have joked that, with how quickly all of us hearing people are learning sign language, they won't be able to talk about us anymore!!

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