Comments on: MULTILINGUALISM —>BASTARDIZED!!

By: virgomonkey

virgomonkey — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:56:28 +0000

I will have to say unfortunately there are ignorant people everywhere.

A-men! This is what I am hoping the Americanophobes understand one day.

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:36:31 +0000

Have heard some Italians boasting about being “fluent” in English, then have approached them speaking full-speed. Talk about a dumbfounded look on their face. I am fully capable of carrying on a conversation in either language, no problems. Then again, need to, sink or swim. I will have to say unfortunately there are ignorant people everywhere. Yes English is at the moment the “International Language” but not everyone speaks English.

By: JM

JM — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:51:47 +0000

This is true, but it’s not only true of Americanophobes. Most Western Europeans pretend to be fluent in a number of languages that they really only have a passing knowledge of. Most younger people can speak English well – this has to do with the ubiquity of English, the constant immersion of it.

I know from plenty of exposure that Spanish-speaking South Americans almost never speak Portuguese, and Brazilians can only “fake” Spanish (called Portunol). Keep in mind these languages are already very similar to each other.

By: Patrick Sperry

Patrick Sperry — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:21:55 +0000

I used to run into this sentiment so often in Africa that it was almost hilarious. Then, I would just chuckle as the local tribesmen switched with liquid efficiency from Swahili to French, to English, and then to a language that I could not for the life of me even begin to understand (Bantu) and back again.

But, for some reason those same locals just thought that was a natural human talent. Invariably, the usually European visitor that thought themselves so superior needed help communicating with the bushmen. So much for superiority!