Foreigners who know your language
By dex1007
@dex1007 (556)
Malaysia
August 13, 2009 11:42pm CST
Notice how learning new languages these days have become a sort of trend. Many people now know more than 2 language or so. With so many of us migrating or staying in other countries, we try to learn their language. I personally know 4 and a half language, japanese is half, still on it, and i've always been one to shock some locals, by talking in their language, its fun when they just stop and look at you.. 'you know how to speak our language?' but last year when i went to my own country for a visit, this foreigner started talking in my language. its was a first to me, i was impressed but of course kinda irked, he now knows the only language that's really close to me, like a part of me. It was interesting talking to him, his grammer was fine, but his words were curled in a different way.
I know a majority of mylotters english is their first language, it has its cons and pros to have english as your first language.
What do you think? how do see a foreigner who talk in your language?
4 people like this
14 responses
@voldrox (7191)
• India
14 Aug 09
well that would certainly be really great to see a foreigner speak in my language which is Hindi, living in India i know more than 2 languages coz you see India has many languages and one often gets into trouble with the language problem when travelling from one part of the country, it may seem funny but it happens:)... i would really interact a foreigner in my language, it would so fun to do that... i haven't really met many foreigners, there was a guy from Germany and he spoke English very proficiently coz i have heard that Germans are not as good in English but it would be so funny to imagine him talking in Hindi.... just hope one day it happens ...HEHEH... have a nice day
1 person likes this
@mikeyo105 (125)
• Hong Kong
14 Aug 09
I love learning languages! English is my first language.. I'm fluent in english and mandarin and have like 5 years of experience in german. Japanese is also my half language! I learnt it for 2 years but it's a tricky language to master.. i also know a local dialect of Mandarin called cantonese but i don't include that as a language as it's only useful in Hong Kong and canton really.. haha.. but yeah I love it when people speak cantonese/ mandarin.. as I'm half chinese I feel like it's very respectful when people try to learn your language.. meaning that they want to know more about your culture and to learn the differences.. and that they're not rude and think that their language is the only language they need to learn..
@dex1007 (556)
• Malaysia
14 Aug 09
wow.. thats a different way of looking at it. Respect to the language and culture. you're right. Btw, do you speak german language? its called dutch, am i right? those are some good languages, chinese is hands down the hardest language. And japanese is close. I didn't know there were so many of us in mylot trying to learn japanese.
@mikeyo105 (125)
• Hong Kong
14 Aug 09
Deutsch is german in german.. haha if that makes sense. Yeah i know it's weird but whenever i see foreigners try to learn mandarin or cantonese.. no matter how poorly they might speak.. i love the fact that they try and they make the effort to learn your language.. it does show respect in a sense.. and i will always encourage them and show them how to say words properly. but yeah japanese is incredibly hard!.. i forget it so soon i find that i have to constantly keep up!
1 person likes this
@kykidd (6812)
• United States
14 Aug 09
I think it is great if someone can speak our language, English. As a matter of fact, a lot of people get upset if people move to the United States without learning the language.
What they probably don't know is that these people do know a bit of English, and a lot of them can understand every word that you say, they are just shy about speaking the language for fear of messing it up.
I hope to some day learn a foreign language!
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
14 Aug 09
I am very impressed by it. I know many people from other countries learn English as well as their own language and I think that is fantastic. Since I am American and my first language is English I feel badly that I can only speak one language. But it really has never been a requirement to speak any other language for me. I know some Spanish because I worked with some Mexican people at one point. If I were in Mexico I could ask how someone was, and ask where the bathroom was a some other things probably enought to survive, but I wish I knew more. I would like to go to Italy one day where my ancestors are from, so I would like to know the language.
1 person likes this
@dex1007 (556)
• Malaysia
15 Aug 09
Look on the bright side, your language is spoken in every corner of the world. And even if you did go italy, you can just start shouting 'English? English??' and somebody who knows english will be there. There are some countries where english is just as important as their own mother language, like in india, but there are countries where the subject english is taught, some how not as good or priorities as their own language. Like japan.
@ucue2008 (924)
• Malaysia
15 Aug 09
I love to learn new language, but learning language is so hard to me. I learn arabic for more than 5 years, but I can only read and understand a little, and I will not able to talk the language. My friend from China told that my language, malay is very easy, and I find it true, but for five years she in Malaysia she can only converse a basic Malay. I guess that's because she rarely speak Malay, always speak English. Yes,, it kind shocking but at the same time make me proud to see foreigners able to speak my language.
1 person likes this
@dex1007 (556)
• Malaysia
15 Aug 09
she's right, in order to learn a language, the person must use it as often as the can, with a lot of friends and neighbours. Like i said in my earlier post, my family learned how to speak hindi fluently because of our neighbours, who encouraged and helped us. In malaysia, those who live in the cities especially talk moslty in english. I should know, i went to high school in malaysia, i learned malay very fluently but my parents did not. because i talked to my friends in malay, and my parents did not. I think age plays a huge role too, me and my siblings learned malay easily because we just wanted to, while my parents might have given up due to lack of patience. who knows.
@sagnik42 (3592)
• India
14 Aug 09
I have met a Spanish and an American who talked to me in my mother tongue. I was pretty thrilled. Their pronunciation was very awkward. But it was a good sensation that foreigners are really trying to speak to you in your own tongue. I mean they were really trying.
The American guy was trying really hard. Once he said something, but was actually meaning its complete opposite. His tone was affermative but he added a 'not' in the sentence. I understood and it felt good to help someone like that. I feel everybody should try to learn the language of the place they are visiting.On one hand it helps in communication and in another the local person gives much more respect to you if you talk in their native language.
Personally I know Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, English well, French quite a bit and a little Chinese.
1 person likes this
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
14 Aug 09
There are ltos of foreigners in my city who already know how to speak the local dialect. There are those who have opted to settle here with their local spouses. The most common would be the volunteers from other countries especially the Peace corps who stays a minimum of two years and they have a language tutor and they should or required to speak the local dialect. Some have still the accent while some speak like true natives.
And interacting with them in own dialect is a learning experience for both.
1 person likes this
@med889 (5941)
•
14 Aug 09
This is true, I talk English but it has not forbidden me to learn other languages, today I can can French Fluenlty, I can talk Hindi Language as my grandmother is from India and she taught me so I talk it fluently too, I am now learning Chinese which is one of my favorite language, I want to learn it because I want to talk with the chinese friends using their own language,it is wonderful to me.
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
14 Aug 09
When foreigners learn our language we are suprised that they can speak it and they can adapt easily to our country. Now a days many foreigner migrating to our country for retirement I think that's why they are learning our language so they can communicate with the locals. I'm only know two languages Filipino and English. I know also one dialect here and most of the Filipinos are bilingual or multi-lingual. I think if I'm going to migrate with non English country I'm also learn the language.
@spamind (70)
• China
14 Aug 09
learning is a habit,I deadly believe the sentence.It is the culture that carried by a language and the persons who speak the langauge attracted me deeply. Put the economic and politics aside,I hope to possess as many langauges as I can.
Certainly, it is so happy to talk with foreingers who speaks my mother tongue.Why not let others to know more about my county's culture.And I can learn more from the foreigers as well.
But I'm wondered how can you know 4 language at the same time and can use each of the fluently? I'm studing Japaness.And the tone was influenced badly by Enlgish's stress. They are in two language system.
@dex1007 (556)
• Malaysia
14 Aug 09
you right. others learning our culture is a great beginning for peace, isn't it? the first step. Its something that we should encourage more.
Well, my case is different, I learned these 4 languages because i've lived in the country for a long time, learned in their school, talked to friends for years in the language. My own mother tongue might be my weakest link because that's the one i have not used a lot. As for the other languages, i don't know, its like switching gears, its pretty easy since i learned it by experience and by using it on a daily basis. Japanese is harder now, since i'm learning it by myself, and not using it too much. Good luck to us both with learning japanese. Yosh. Gahnbahdimus.
@ChrysanTflower (1607)
• Indonesia
14 Aug 09
I really appreciate those foreigners who can talk in my language,,although their accent is different eventhough their vocabulary quiet good. I know, it always nice and there's some happy feeling, now that he/she has do some effort to understand our language. I believe with try to speak local language, we can get any help faster and many people like it if you can speak in their language, it's like a plus score for you
English is not my first language, and I think they who have English as mother language so lucky. Everybody learn theirs and it's an international language.. I don't see any cons in having English as first language...
English is not my first language, and I think they who have English as mother language so lucky. Everybody learn theirs and it's an international language.. I don't see any cons in having English as first language...1 person likes this
@fayeliu08 (34)
• China
14 Aug 09
I'm Chinese, I have seen so many forigers talk Chinese very well.
They like say "Nihao""Zaijian", not only say Chinese,also they can cook Chinese foods.
1 person likes this
@g_vickie84 (576)
• Belgium
14 Aug 09
I am from Punjab and Punjabi is my first language. When I first came to Europe te taxi driver started the conversation by saying "SatSriAkal" (Punjabi way of saying hello). I was amazed. He told me that he is from Africa but he was in close contact with a Punjabi guy there so he could speak Punjabi. I felt amazing.
But really it is true. With so many of us going to different places and coming in contact with different people we are learning a lot about many other languages and cultures.
@Donna_hit (63)
• China
15 Aug 09
I do admire you that you have mastered so many languages and can communicate with locals without efforts. We learn foreign languages because we want to talk with other people. If there are foreigners who can speak my language, I will be very delighted. We learn foreign languages, so do they.
