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 Blog Challenge And Other Tidbits |
| An opinion or two...or three or four... |
| PROMPT March 10th How many languages do you speak? If you could instantly learn any language and be able to speak it fluently, what language would you pick? How would you use it and where would you go? Je ne parle que deux langues. I only speak two languages. English. The American variety with a dialect specific to California. And French. Old formal Parisian French. Conversational when I am actually in France. Although I am fluent in two languages, which I've always felt was quite an accomplishment, I also realize that most people around the world speak SEVERAL different languages...fluently. That made me think about people all over the world and the push for one common language. As I've learned in France and Germany, people there feel it's important to speak English. Whether it's the Queens English or American English they all feel the necessity to communicate in English. In fact, I've learned that most people around the world feel it's necessary to speak English as well as their native tongue. This is amazing and fantastic. But on the flip side it's also harbored laziness and arrogance in most Americans. I've seen it in action first-hand. I remember sitting in a bistro in Paris waiting on some lunch, or, dejeuner (this of course requires accent aigu, but having a QWERTY keyboard there is no such thing) Anyway, my husband and I were waiting for lunch and noticed a small group of women from Texas. They were loud and raucous and arrogant and totally unpleasant. They made no effort towards etiquette. They were disrespectful of everything around. They actually told the waiter they spoke no French at all and insisted he send someone who "could parler anglais". Then they ordered of all things, a hamburger! At a bistro! For lunch! And it wasn't even on the menu! How rude! No wonder the French are suspicious of Americans. Those women were horrible ambassadors for our United States. But that episode taught me something. The rude and the crude will always show their true colors...les grossiers et le brut montreront toujours leurs vraies couleurs. And that will never be me. I will make sure of that. Now, having ranted about rude Americans in Paris, it's important to get back to the question. What language would I learn instantly? Russian! For some reason that language intrigues me. And where I live there is a very large population of people from Russia and Ukraine. And I'd love to sit down and have a good conversation with them. Languages are important. They keep us connected. How many should we know? One? Two? Three? Well....I say as many as we can master! Here's to les langues du monde. |
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