Higher education, while learning secondary language

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by liero, May 17, 2016.

  1. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    It was, sorry, I was lazy to quote :eek: :Angel:

    Yes, well, Czech isn't exactly much of a universal language :D We can't talk with it to anyone. Ok, except for Slovaks... :) and Polish, Russian etc. people after a few shots of vodka :D
    ...and surprisingly not many people are willing to learn Czech! Can't understand why! :D English makes life much, much easier, so especially the younger people here generally do want to learn it :)
     
  2. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    Look for "Stargate: Atlantis" fans.
    Everyone who likes Zelenka will want to learn it.
    I considered it for cursing alone (we get punished for cursing in one dojo ;) )
     
  3. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    And this is all like the discussions we have about martial arts; Books and videos are a great help, but you need guidance and someone to correct you. And at the end of the day, you need to be pressure tested. In MA that's sparring and live drills, in language acquisition that's conversation and free writing activities.

    But guess that's the same with any skill acquisition.

    yeah, that is weird! :) But if it works...

    What about talking with people (not the mirror)? Do you get to practice that?
     
  4. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Heh, not a series I watch, but I remember you mentioned him before! :D Corsing in a foreigh language... hmm, clever! :D
     
  5. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    I think a lot of it was due to the history. I was there in 2001 (?), and I think older people spoke German and Russian maybe. Correct me if I am wrong, but people didn't learn English during Communism, so people didn't really speak English and the ones that did weren't so strong. But the majority of people were pretty eager to get into the EU and I think they knew that having good English skills would be a big benefit for them when that happened. So young people were pretty motivated to learn to get better jobs, study abroad, travel generally etc etc...so yeah, people were eager.

    Learning Czech was damn hard. I can still swear a bit though! But the pronunciation was a nightmare. After 6 months I still couldn't say the name of the metro station, Jiřího z Poděbrad.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2016
  6. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Yep, my parents' generation learned Russian. Despite not using it since probably his highschool or university days, my dad can still speak and read it. He only came in contact with English at university. And since he as well as I studied Science, knowing English is a must. There are students not very good with it, but it must be incredibly hard to translate all the papers word by word as I heard some do... so, yeah, it is important. For a lot of jobs here we need at least basic English, too, that's right.

    Hehe, yep, Czech has maybe more complicated grammar than English so the transition in that direction is probably harder. And I understand how "easy" it is to learn a more complicated language. I spent three years with Latin - thank goodness I didn't have to speak it! :D
    Good you remember! :D Yep, the tricky "ř" :D On the other hand the rules for pronunciation are 200% easier than English. We simply write what we say ;) :cool:
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2016
  7. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Yeah, but you have these letters that sound very similar to each other except a slight difference in sound that only Czechs and Slovaks seem to be able to hear.

    And then all those little symbols on everything just to confuse matters!! A, Á ,C ,Č, D, Ď.....E, É, Ě. How many 'e's' do you need!? :cry:

    But I am actually convinced that my friends that tried to teach me were actually lying about the sounds...or they can not be produced by a non-Czech.
     
  8. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    Indeed.

    I can't even do that in German :eek:

    But there wouldn't be anyone anyway.
    Despite English being taught at school, most Germans are rather bad with it, unless they really *want* to learn it.

    When I was in England I learned that I have an American accent though :D
    One dude wouldn't even believe me, when I said that I wasn't American but German lol
    Guess Americans must have bad English as well ;)


    Still open for tips :rolleyes:
    Not open in the forum obviously.


    That made me laugh.
    First laugh this day, hopefully that's a good start.
    Thanks :D
     
  9. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    There's a fair few people who speak German in Europe, so I guess learning English to a high level isn't that much of a priority unlike the Czechs (as Nachi mentioned) or the Finns (that I work with). I mean, there's 5 million Finns and 7 million Finnish speakers globally...so, they need to speak English or they're screwed for travelling or business or whatever.

    :) Yeah, their English is terrible. Their American is good though.

    If you really want to improve your spoken skills, you could game online. There is also online communities that get together and chat in English. And there is online teachers you could do a conversation class with.

    If you have the money and time...travel. I mean you're in Germany right? So don't go to Austria. :)

    If you have family or friends that speak English, you could have an "English hour/afternoon" where you get together and...only speak English. Sounds a bit silly, I know, but it's an option. My friend did it with his kids...he said it was the quietest his house has ever been. :)
     
  10. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    Actually in a lot of jobs you are required to have at least decent English skills - whether you will ever need them or not :rolleyes:

    I think the problem is, that people are lazy.
    And learning a language to a level, where you can actually use it, needs dedication (for most people anyway).

    Plus: I think our school system needs some overhaul.
    Classes with 30-35 kids... no surprise, that the gaps between the students are rather high, which mirrors itself in the skills (no matter what subject).

    I'm not much of an online player.
    Not much of a people person at all actually.
    Need to learn that as well.
    Apparently I'm lacking tons of skills you have usually learned around 13... :rolleyes: :eek:

    I used to play a lot of Uncharted 3 with a group of people though, but didn't dare to talk much.
    But when I did they at least understood what I was saying lol

    Money, nope; time, yes.
    Was in England three times though. Once near Manchester and twice London (well, one was only a day trip...).

    Hope to do that again.
    England, not necessarily London. Or Scotland, Ireland, ...

    I don't.

    And I'm actually the one with the best English in my surroundings, because most of the others don't care much.
    I managed with one, that we watch his movies in English though :D
     
  11. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Hindi, 0 experience with it whatsoever.
     
  12. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Whaaat? :D No way, those are totally different sounds! Objectively different! To many more nations, no doubt! :D

    Hehe, but otherwise, of course, it is all a conspiration to confuse foreigners and prevent them from infiltrating, what else could it possibly be? :D :whistle:

    No, really, we say several different "e's", so we write several different "e's", too! You English people only have one, but pronounce it however you see fit, hmph! :bang: :cool:
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2016
  13. liero

    liero Valued Member

    I think I took this as the major point from the thread. Thanks everyone!

    It's obviously great to communicate in many languages. I was thinking that learning French would help with one student who is quite limited in her English. In retrospect I think that the TKD class is one of the few informal settings for her to practice.

    I might revisit French when I have more time after I finish studying in October. Might be more useful to "master" Spanish first though.

    That's a whole other topic though!
     

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