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#1

Hello!

I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of this forum and especially those from Anglophone countries for coping with my pityfull English skills. Thank you for decifering my messages out of all that spelling hell!

Of course you get good deal of laugh out of it in return. :wink: Still: “thank you”!

#2

I think that this thread must be for non-native English speakers.

So, I second Egorka. Thanks!

#3

my english skill is not good too, sadly

#4

Iz zis a Topik for ze Germans?

Is this a thread for excusing yourself for bad english knowledge?
I don´t think, that that is necessary, as long as the other can understand what you want to express :wink:

#5

Just remember, a lot of us don’t even speak two languages! So, my hat’s off to you guys.

#6

Same here. I do not speak two languages. Just english, but I am trying to learn how to speak German. Which on a site if I had to talk German right after I knew it. I am pretty sure I would not of done as good of a job as some of you have done with your english skills.

#7

The German language is a very hard language to learn i might say - perhaps as difficult as Spanish (i didn´t tried to learn it, but i heard by some friends).

Many people say (well it was like that when i was in school), that if you learn Latin, you can understand many other languages, but i don´t think so.

E.g. you can understand many french words, when you can speak english - or - you can understand many Norsk or Swedish words, if you can speak German. And Latin? Of what i have heard by friends, who had to take this language it doesn´t serve as what it is told to be :smiley:

I have heard, that the American Army has language courses for many different languages - here, we have only some few - the most common like french e.g. :wink:

#8

Two? Do you want to offend me? :wink:

#9

Splinter, please note that I said “express my gratitude”. There is no way I am appoligising!

hehhehehhheeeee

#10

I’m ashamed that I tried to learn Russian for 9 years (school, high school, university)… None of my teachers could ever say anything positive about my skills.
Their common opinion was that I’m too lazy.
All of them were redheads… A coincidence? :slight_smile:

#11

I speak a few… O.O

I take French in school
I take German as a third language
My friend’s grandparents teach me Russian
My mother speaks to me in Italian. So I understand it, but I don’t speak it

#12

I wonder what the record is for most languages spoken fluently?

#13

I’d have to say the Pope has beaten it…

#14

Mate, we’ve had our disputes, but your English has never been a problem for me.

I’d never laugh at your English. Although I mightn’t be so kind with your opinions, except that I don’t get the opportunity any more as your recent policy has you agreeing with everything I say. :smiley:

Laughing at someone else’s difficulties with a foreign language is usually very poor form. Sometimes there are funny exceptions, such as this one attributed to Mme de Gaulle in various versions, the essence of which is that she was asked publicly at a formal function with many English speakers present what she looked forward to upon Gen de Gaulle’s coming retirement. She replied

“A penis.”

After a shocked silence, Gen de Gaulle leant over to her and said

“My dear, I think the English pronunciation is 'appiness” (happiness).

#15

Not a problem in the world and there is no need to apologize. I think you, Chevan and others who for them English is not their native language are actually improving your skills.

Congratulations.

Regards digger.

#16

It also helps the Americans to learn proper English, which is not their native language. :smiley:

As attributed to Shaw, Wilde, Churchill and others, America and Britain are two nations with just about everything in common except the same language. :smiley:

#17

Come on Rising Sun, comments like that will degenerate this thread into the realms of comedy.:shock:

And we can’t have that can we?:rolleyes: :mrgreen:

Regards digger.

#18

America and Britain: “Two nations seperated by a common language!” :slight_smile:

#19

I should get away with it if I stick to bagging the Yanks, because:

  1. I’ll stick to the Queen’s English, which Yanks can’t speak and don’t understand. (e.g. This pushy Yank came up to me in a nightclub and demanded: “Wot yo doin wit my ho, bro?” I replied “I’m not in the least interested in gardening and I don’t have your hoe. And I can’t imagine why I’d want a hoe while I’m dancing with this stunningly attractive young lady.” Then he punched me.)

  2. Yanks are used to everyone having go at them, so they’re really bored with it by now and just ignore it, as long as explosives aren’t involved.

:smiley:

#20

The military in this country - army, navy & air force - all have language schools. Here in San Antonio, they teach English as a second language to pilots from all over the world. There is also a foreign language school to teach many foreign languages. The State Department has its own language school - the Foreign Service Language Institute. I don’t know who else has them, but I do know the Peace Corps is proficient in teaching all sort of very obscure languages to its volunteers in record time - typically about 3-4 months or less of intensive complete immersion language training. I heard that the army had trouble finding Americans who could speak arabic to serve as translators in Iraq. Either they weren’t looking very hard, or they held the thousands of Americans who went through arabic training in the Peace Corps as being ‘suspicious’ and ‘unreliable’, which I am quite sure they are not. Not being in the army, they may not have wanted to go, however.