tanijrou
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Laughs in American
Sep 2, 2021 6:29 AM
tanijrou
105050
2160
108
WTFprotocolNr7
Que?
astrid28
I can cuss in 6 languages, and ask for the bathroom in 3. Also, please and thank you.
ILikedTheirOldStuffBetter
American being offended at the notion that we should learn Spanish
pleaseconsiderthatImightbejoking
You don't master the English language. You just do a little better each time.
TheMagicalUpvoteFearie
Most Europeans speak 3 languages too or at least get taught. Native, English and usually German and or French for example in the Netherlands
TheMagicalUpvoteFearie
And then you can opt in for anything ranging from mandarin and Japanese to Spanish and Russian
whywait
Most schools offer a 2nd language but it just depends. My school offered Spanish, German & French. I took two of those & also in college.
Akorr
I've never heard of a school not offering those core 3, even in the most rural areas. I live in Wyoming. I've heard of more populous states-
Akorr
having Polish, Russian and Chinese and the Middle and High School Level as well. Only seen Russian at the college here though
Akorr
*IIRC Mandarin Chinese, probably an important detail to leave out, call it a hunch :P
BishlamekGurpgork
I learned Latin, German, and Spanish, with varying degrees of success. The problem is, I don't ever need it here, while in Europe another
BishlamekGurpgork
Language or three is often half an hour down the road.
TimeFoDat
Okay but really can anyone master the English language? The English aren't even good at it; it's a dumpster fire of a language overall.
masterPenguin62
You ca not be the master of the English language, you must let it be the master of you.
BaronSpaghetti
As an American who speaks several languages I understand and agree but am personally insulted at the same time.
ReallyFastSloth
Europe here, learned english from movies, games etc. Russian from my parents. Main language in school.
DancingShark
"alot"
PerryLovewhistle
Why do I need to know English? I'm not going to visit England.
notactuallyabrownman
The only person alive who hasn't seen that episode of the Simpsons the obviously saw this before me.
grimnorseman
Instead of enjoying a foreign film with subtitles, they wait until Hollywood makes a direct-2-dvd edition. Taxi, is a good example.
grimnorseman
Jimmy Fallon deserves a good beating for that wreck of a movie...
Zottel89
I'd argue a lot of europeans speak 3 languages. I'm a 32yo guy from Germany and I learned both english and french in school.
Enigmastick
As a Finn you have to learn Swedish too. Later you can pick up extras in some schools. So I should know 4, but I can't speak Swedish anymore
CAustinC0x
Memes made by American high schoolers that have never been to Europe or Asia, lol.
LadyTaylor
One thing I've always disliked about being an American is the discouragement to learning non-English languages. It was embarrassing to try
somethingstupidandclever
Basically no one in a foreign language class in US schools learned anything, but id argue we all speak many dialects of english
WhyDidISignUpForThis
Weird. I was encouraged by community and required by school to take a foreign language. *Shrug*
clintwestwud
Fuck em and do it anyway! I’m up to 5!! Learning Russian currently.
clintwestwud
I guess 6 if you include asl. Not spoken but still a blast to have learned it.
curmudgeon91
Удачи :) I'm at 4.
GnomeDeGuerre
USA is uniquely isolated between oceans and with 2 land borders and not a lot of cultural import via the spanish speaking part.
IllyonGonzales
I was taught 3 languages in school, here in the US, in both public and private school.
IllyonGonzales
I’m from a blue state.
CarlottaVonSprockett
Every middle school and high school I attended had multiple language classes, as did the two colleges I attended. What schools were you /1
CarlottaVonSprockett
in that you were “discouraged” from learning other languages? 2/2
preparationh67
If you don't think America in general discourages this then you are very sheltered. My high school had languages too. They were also mostly
preparationh67
Elective. This country does not enough multilingualism
HoodsBallsOnASkillet
And now, as an adult, I have no skill for picking up a language. I only instinctually know English Grammer, so can't learn others
sutree451
You were discouraged?
preparationh67
Lol, yeah it's still not an uncommon attitude although it's gotten better
OneWingedWolf
Your high school seriously didn't have any language classes? Because it's usually a requirement. Even though a lot of areas won't need it.
FeverandAgue
Discouraged? We were required to learn a new language.
drainbamage1011
Maybe not discouraged but even when required in school it's only for a couple of years, and if you don't live in an ethnically diverse...
drainbamage1011
...area, you get very little opportunity to apply it.
SpaceSphere
One or two classes in highschool hardly count as learning a language, especially if there were just 1 or 2 options
FeverandAgue
1 or 2 classes? I took 7 years of German. Is it a 2nd language? Yes. Is it useful? No. Do I have a lifelong fondness for the German ppl? Yes
sutree451
But you’d agree that’s different than “discouraged”
gontrollez
Well here we only have English as a foreign language. And no one considers that discouraging
ILikedTheirOldStuffBetter
I've actually seen political campaign ads in the past with the bigoted candidate saying, "This is America, we speak English."
justTed
Oh so you've met my family.
philipp5772
ask them why they use arabic numbers then?
Raspun
I live in Quebec, similar attitude about French here
FeverandAgue
Good fishing over there in quay-bec.
Solkanarmy
scenario: you're on holiday in Paris, you see a cute French girl... you can't talk to her
ZachariasWolfe
Okay so serious question. If you have no reason to use a language for years at a time, do you even actually stay passably fluent?
Solkanarmy
you forget a lot, but it comes back really quickly (I noticed a significant improvement during the course of a phone call, that quickly)
flavivsaetivs
Yeah it really sucks because I'm only now learning German at 25 & it feels like I'm not learning at all. Latin and Greek are easy tho.
Syn333
As a German who learned Latin and ancient Greek past age 25, you're probably right. I'd rather learn those two all over again than German 1/
Syn333
from scratch. /2
worldwarzero
I'm 30 and still would love to learn German. Never too late to learn a new skill friend!
SarcasticComment
We either need to take it seriously, or quit. Doing intro to Spanish in high school results in adults who can't speak Spanish.
SarcasticComment
Start young and continue forward by molding other subjects into "language class". This is how other nations learn languages in education
SarcasticComment
Taking Spanish for half a year, for 4 years, to not learn Spanish is time that could he spent on Math/Science/History.
SarcasticComment
I say this as a bilingual person. The USA doesn't go deep enough to make foreign languages stick.
SarcasticComment
My cousins in Argentina, by comparison, are well versed in English because their educational system puts forth the effort.
bellowdeepinahorpse
Did intro to spanish in high school, it's now more comfortable to me than the french I'd spent learning years prior
mrdconner916
My sons started learning a second language in kindergarten. Public school in the US
SarcasticComment
Really depends on your local district. This isn't the standard for most public schools at this time
SarcasticComment
But good on your local schools. Which state if you don't mind me asking?
mrdconner916
Illinois, a decent factor in relocating was the schools out here. Decent schools at my last state, just not where we lived.
flavivsaetivs
^^this
TinyLiehon
How are US schools not starting with Spanish when kids are 7-8 at the latest?
justTed
American Exceptionalism, we don't need to learn your language, you need to learn ours. /s
6313326
$$ (and political will). tbf, the county I'm in has some excellent elementary school immersion programs, but they're limited & by lottery.
cow042
5 years of muddle/high school spanish and 1 year college spanish and I have forgotten all of it
Sumdumguy42
Practice keeps it alive. I used to be fluent in Russian, now I can barely tell if someone speaks Russian (and not, say, Bulgarian)
SarcasticComment
This is the story I hear most often than not from friends. Comes across as wasted classroom time if the end result isn't comprehension.
cow042
Yep. I didnt have the actual desire to learn it but it was required courses so I did bare minimum. Wasted time.
SarcasticComment
I'd rather people be given an option of "passion directions" in education whith additional focus on foreign lang, history, science, or lit
TheFunionKnight
Don't forget the English unable to master the English language
Lassannn
I taught college English for four years and my best student was a 50 year old man from South Korea. English was his 5th language.
xyrax
"Maderna".
JustAddMud
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
Colopty
You are like little baby. Watch this:
Phlynch
This is what happens when you refuse to have a proper alphabet.
Colopty
Proper as defined by whom?
Phlynch
Proper as defined by anyone who wants to communicate a new idea, and therefore needs to be able to make a new word.
Colopty
They do make new words in chinese all the time, so that's not really a problem.
urbanfire
Refugees knowing 5+ languages
flavivsaetivs
That's actually a pretty decent tondo executed from what's technically Coda lunga e distesa
flavivsaetivs
(like it's a right side Guardia di Gombito but there technically is no right side Guardia di Gombito)
thelaud
Most fencers speak a bit of french, we have to referee in it internationally
Midgarmerc
Me living in Japan seeing this claim that Asians know more than 1 language:
Akorr
I was going to say! Unless they leave their native countries not many Asians seem to bother. I can't fault them either!
CrashMars
Yeah, it makes no sense. I'd say latin americans are mostly bilingual and europeans know 3 or more.
just4thelolz
I wish I still spoke French, my third language at one point. But since I never used it after I finished school, it's mostly gone now. Shame.
ziss9
That's what I was thinking lol. Unless you're talking about dialects and not complete languages.
clintwestwud
This is the stereotype that drove me to learn more. I’m an American but I’m up to 5 languages. 6 if you count ASL. It’s so fun!
UseTheSource
Nice! Which ones?
clintwestwud
French, Spanish, Cajun French (a little different than tradition French) Swedish, some Ukrainian and currently studying Russian!
UseTheSource
Fett! And quite an eclectic mix as well. Yo no sabia todo de Cajun French :) Bonne chance avec la langue russe! (I hope I got that right)
TheRevErser4
cool
thevortexmaster
We got Flench in Canada eh, but I'm not aboot to touch that smegle
kevinallover
Quebecoise is confusing. Not sure why we learned Parisian french in US high school. Went to Montreal and couldn't understand a word.
thevortexmaster
As soon as I could opt out of learning french I did. I think grade 8? Haha I suck with other languages. I tend to make my own up
n0gal
It's like french, except you replace the punctuation with swearing, and all the swear words are religious.
kevinallover
TABARNAC!
n0gal
Je suis nogal, sacre d'tabarnak.
illadelphin006
Took French in school for 4 years and only remember basic words but never how to string a damn sentence together.
thevortexmaster
Same
Akorr
Had French in a charter school as a kid (in Tuscon AZ, pfft). Can't really speak or write it but I can read it pretty okay XD Think of-
Akorr
picking it up again sometimes.
illadelphin006
I keep coming back to duo lingo and trying to learn a language that way, but its so slow going at the start I never get past colors lol
Akorr
I've used Duolingo for Russian. I get a little farther but find myself frustrated that I'm expected to pick up patterns with the cases-
just4thelolz
Unless you're a Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett or similar, you haven't mastered the English language.
DotcoreJetkill
You can't tame a jellyfish
BenderRodriguezz
I really enjoy both of these authors, but they're not who I'd hold up as masters of English. (Mastery of storytelling is another thing.)
BenderRodriguezz
James Joyce and Shakespeare come to mind. Foster-Wallace had great command of English as well, in his snooty way.
debthepleb
Shakespeare was just an edgy teen
adiving
Probably a bit unpopular, but I think Pratchett is leagues ahead of Adams.
QuestionsaboutSanity
*Shakespeare turning in his grave*
TheFunionKnight
Shakespeare wouldn't have managed anything if it wasn't for Pratchett's wizards
Vydrach
PGTipsMonkeh
It ain't cheating if you get away with it
GourmetCrackHead
"Shakespeare is beyond overrated" - My GF
Grimmy32
Your masters are all dead.
just4thelolz
thembitchesbewitches
"Words, words, words." ~Shakespeare
thembitchesbewitches
And Bo Burnham.
XRubico
Divide a whole into thirds, thirds, thirds.
JessicasJonesing
Europeans can drive a couple hours in any direction and be in another country with another language. The language doesn't really change here
thevortexmaster
Heck drive 20 minutes in the UK and you can't understand their dialect
Mualainen
Depending of the state the language changes to Spanish sometimes ;)
debthepleb
In India it's the same. But in five hours you only get 20 km away so the distance equivalent of 5hrs in Europe.
penguinpab
This right here. There isn’t the same need in the US to learn another language as there is in Europe or Asia.
Colopty
Isn't practically every language spoken in New York? No drive needed.
BoomerSooner767
But it's more fun on Imgur to call Americans stupid. Please get with the program.
blumpk1npie
Hablas español?
TUGboatJOB
Granted I did listen to a Bostonian talk to a Louisianian and I swear it was different languages.
xsynosis
True, I can go 10 mins in one way to get proper Welsh and 10 minutes the other and get scouser (which in my mind counts as another language)
8166uy
While true, it isn't always a language that is from a neighbouring country that you learn. It's also promoted for economic leverage.
EuphCat
It may depend on which part of asia, but here in Korea we've got no similar language. Japanese may share a bit similarity but the two are 1/
EuphCat
classified as pretty much independant languages, and chinese has totally different root (though many words came to be shared). That's it.2/2
KleptoKea
Why be ignorant though if you have the choice to learn?
TUGboatJOB
It's not being ignorant. Europeans it's a nessecatiy to learn different languages. In US it isn't.
KleptoKea
I'm not European. I live in New Zealand. My schools taught me four other languages, for free, and most of us learn at least two others.
TUGboatJOB
I learned Spanish in school, lost majority of it because I don't use it. Because it isn't needed.
Mustakraken
Listen, I'm not extolling the US education system, but when you can go thousands of miles without hitting another primary language, it's not
Mustakraken
ignorance to not learn one. It's a luxury to learn one. There are simply more practical uses of limited time. The conclusion that language
JessicasJonesing
Asia can have 100 different versions of the same language within the same country because they've been around for millennia
TheAlviss
Sounds like you're describing the UK, but like. Dialect rather than a different language
JessicasJonesing
America is both large and young. I know a little Spanish but ive forgotten a lot since i dont use it much. Id never use French/ Mandarin
Enigmastick
I'm from EU but when I visit other EU countries I just use English. So I don't know how much that affects anything really.
littleasianninja
Fair point but it'd be much easier to learn Japanese while in Japan than talking to ppl online.
TheMagicalUpvoteFearie
If you ask them to, maybe, but most Japanese people don't speak English (from my experience in Japan) so good luck learning
Enigmastick
Yeah, if you are actually learning a language, immersion is of course really good way to learn.
ScienceIsNotALiberalConspiracy
I mean, yeah, but no. We have large spanish and german speaking communities in the US.
WoopDeFrickenDoo
not quite the same thing, bucko
Canucklesammich
Depends on the locale. You'd apparently be surprised how popular Spanish is here in SoCal
JessicasJonesing
Yes but far more sparse than a country like Spain where everyone speaks it. I live in MS in a low Hispanic area.
mormacil
And in a few hours you can be in french speaking region in Louisiana
JessicasJonesing
Which i could navigate just fine speaking English. Sure i could learn French if i lived there and used it often, but it isn't practical
JessicasJonesing
If i moved to France, I'd learn the language.
ScienceIsNotALiberalConspiracy
That's you. Not everyone lives in the worst-rated-for-everything state. Some live in NY, SF, Amish Country in PA, or southern border states.
10000Bees
I am so fucking jealous of people who get the chance to be taught a foreign language without having to pay extra for it lmao
debthepleb
I've paid 3k over the last 2 years to learn a 5th language (_ _)
bellowdeepinahorpse
It's not perfect, but duolingo is a good start
Jimmah1
We were required to in PA
Ryanator50
I was taught french in middleschool and highschool. didn't remember any of it.
Deonan
Le rouge crayon! It’s all I remember haha.
TheOneThatGotBanned
We get English, then its either German or French, some have Spanish too in the early school years.
TheCrowd
Irish schools are messed up. Some do only one foreign language, my school did french, German and Latin for 3 years, as well as Irish/english
Intrspace
I believe that in the Czech rep. it's mandatory to learn 2 foreign languages. English and usually German or French (student choice)
LyraTheLycan
Meanwhile I, who did get it for free, am jealous of the people who had a choice of Latin & Japanese instead of basic German & French
TheCrowd
Latin sucks, source did it for 6 years.
LyraTheLycan
Maybe Egyptian Arabic would've been better, or any root languages. Wait.. 6 years?!!
TheCrowd
Yup, 6 years, Irish schools run 4-12 (primary school) and 12-18 (secondary school) so did Latin for all of secondary.
KleptoKea
We don't have to pay for it in normal countries like mine with a functioning education system. I learned three languages in school, for free
10000Bees
Did you think you were adding something to the conversation with this comment, or do you just love bragging about stuff you had no hand in?
KleptoKea
My people collectively have a hand in this, myself included, on many matters, because we all actively push our leadership and don't settle1/
KleptoKea
for anything even close to what Americans settle for these days. That's why we have world class healthcare and education for everyone as 1/
KleptoKea
a right, and why we have a functioning democracy with a government that serves its people, and not the other way round. You Americans 2/
10000Bees
You, personally, did not set up your country's education system lmao. You didn't create this. You're bragging about someone else's work.
KleptoKea
I planted other trees for my future generations to benefit from. I was active in movements to protect our land and seabeds, to have 1/
TheActualFBI
https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/
B99Reactions
When you give students the choice to not learn certain things they absolutely take it and later on regret it
10000Bees
What does that have to do with my comment
B99Reactions
People on the US get the chance to learn a foreign language and they choose not to. Might not be your case obviously
10000Bees
Did you read my comment or just glance at keywords?
silentpat
Or in the case of French and English in Canada - two official languages, :) (also, french is my mother tongue...hon hon hon!)
FenrirsDaughter
NY public school, we only had Spanish as a option. White teacher failed the Puerto Rican kids who spoke better Spanish than her.
TheSecondPiewackit
Join the Army for the 35P MOS. Go to sunny Monterey, California and learn a language for ~2 years, accredited, and get paid the whole time.
CarnivorousRabbit
It's part of our standard curriculum here lol
Grimbby
I had language as an option too, but where I live, any fluent speakers of anything but Spanish and Polish are hard to come by.
preparationh67
The 2 most common foreign languages were I live and polish and Spanish. One isn't offered regularly in lower class levels and the other is
preparationh67
Basically not offered at all unless you pay for a private school.
preparationh67
And private school as in a language school.
imgursample
Mandatory here in FL high schools.
GnomeDeGuerre
People learn language from movies and tv and internet, not schools.
CarnivorousRabbit
People LEARN language in school, but PRACTICE it with movies, TV, and Internet.
B99Reactions
People reinforce school knowledge with movies, games, internet, etc.
mop82
It's still free, it's just that now it's on you. You have access to native speakers of every language in the world at your fingertips.
mop82
I learned more in a few months from duolingo + online chatrooms than I did from 2 years of high school french
10000Bees
Hey, that's great for you! I can't do that. Learning disorders n' stuff. I just need a human to help me out.
humanhotplate
I'm in the u.s and my school offered German, Spanish, French, Japanese, and sign language.
B99Reactions
But how many choose to take it. I dont about the rest of the US, but when I went to Seattle , the girl at Starbucks knew perfect spanish
humanhotplate
I went to school about 45 min north of Seattle, our language classes were always full and you could take 3 years in each language with the
humanhotplate
3rd year being completely in the chosen language, so no use of English unless absolutely necessary.
B99Reactions
That makes me hapy
GraveyardWater
Good for your school. More should offer ASL as a language option.
miscellannie
My school had french, german, & spanish(4x as many spanish teachers as the others tho), and that was pretty good for a rural area.
humanhotplate
Yeah we had 2 Spanish teachers and 1 each of the others