pojokers

French is a very fun and unique language. The professor spoke French for practically the entire class but it's interesting how gestures, tone and familiarity of words can help you understand someone. I find the words hard to say and spell compared to English and Spanish but I feel the challenge will make me like the language all the more. I'm very excited for my next class.

I am a native English speaker and I agree English is "the window to the world". This is usually considered a good thing since everyone can have a universal "business" language to speak with. The problem though is that native English speakers get insensitive and narrow-minded especially Americans. I feel like Americans (I'm American) are out of touch with the world and the cultures around them. Mostly everyone around the world can name the president on the United States but Americans couldn't name a single figurehead outside of America. Nationalism also happens where Americans insist that everyone learns how to speak English properly in America without realizing how difficult it could be. All in all, I think English is important and has enabled international communication links. I just think native English speakers shouldn't be ignorant of other languages and cultures.

I'm going to have to agree with the F word haha. Besides that though I think "mean" is a good one. 1)mean- the average of a group of numbers 2)mean- unkind or malicious 3)mean-convey definition I'm sure there are better words. I can't think of any without looking them up.

I think it's a mirror as well. I think the statement, "that man's father is my father's son" means that the person is himself. It's possible for him to be looking at a photo too I think. Very tricky.

The saying, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" is a good one. When I was younger I thought it made no sense but apparently it means that if someone gives you something, you shouldn't complain about it, just be thankful. I'm not sure how it came to be but it's very old.

I've always known about these (being a native English speaker) but I didn't realize that's what they were called (unless you're making up a name haha). Also I think the trick is actually the word "take". In, "I want to be clear, I didn't take the cookie", the reality of the situation was that maybe the cookie was given to him but he wasn't supposed to eat it. So technically he didn't "take" the cookie", the cookie was "given" to him. Either way they're very tricky ways to sound honest. A really common one is: Mom: "Why did you write on the wall yesterday?" Son: "I didn't write on the wall yesterday. The reality might have been that he wrote on the wall two days ago not yesterday. Little kids are really good at using "performatives".

Sarcasm is very American. It goes along with our rebellious, independent nature. Some of my favorite sarcastic remarks are: "I'll wait" - it's something every American born student has heard in school. An angry teacher who hears students chatting while a lesson is being taught will say this but it really means "shut up". "Sure you will" - This is usually used in a fight, argument or when somebody says they're going to do something but another person doesn't think they will. Sarcasm is fun but it definitely gets annoying.

These are some of my favorites: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Henry Stallin Haskins “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Alan Kay “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle

I started learning my second language at the start of middle school. In New York everyone was required to take a language class and out of Spanish, French and German I decided on Spanish. It's a fun language and it's what got me in love with the culture. I'm looking forward to learning different languages though.

That's the cool thing about different languages. It's impossible to find ALL the right and appropriate words. It speaks volumes about the intricacies of a culture and the expressive nature of a given language. Many times when reading something I'd find it hard to equate words (emotions specifically). I think it'll always be something that's just going to be unavoidable between two separate tongues. It's an interesting topic though.

That's great, thanks. I looked and didn't see anything which is why I started this. I guess I'll be taking my discussion over there. I'll make a thread in the French section a little later or maybe this can be moved over to it? @BWL Thanks a ton. This is a very clear and concise summary of what's in store. I'm pretty good at Spanish, so I understand how adjectives change as a result of masculinity and femininity. I'm pretty excited now though.

Grammar is very important to me. I feel like you can let it slip when texting with friends or speaking with friends or family but in general, it should always be considered. It's understandable if you're foreign or if English isn't your first language though. I feel like whatever your native language is, you should write and communicate properly. Coherence is key for me.

I think it's pretty useful to do both. The boring stuff tends to map everything out and examples makes sense of it all. People tend to get overwhelmed and quit once language learning gets complicated with terms and specifics . I think that as long as the person takes everything a step at a time and makes sense of it through a organized, coherent example they'll be fine.

There are so many languages in the world. Many of them seem more relevant than others in the global sphere such as English, Mandarin and Spanish but I think any language is worth learning. It enlightens you on the culture and the people, not just on how they speak. I'm getting ready to take a course in French and I've never had any experience with French and can't really say that I know any words. Does anyone know French? Any tips for a new learner?

I was hoping to come here and share a cool story but unfortunately my parents don't remember. After some thought they said that I said, "Mommy" but I have a feeling they are just giving into the cliche. I can share my first Spanish word though. The first Spanish word I can recall hearing is "Cucaracha" or perhaps more accurately "La Cucaracha". I was 6 and was at a birthday party. We were playing musical chairs to the Spanish hit song "La Cucaracha", which translates to "The Cockroach". For the next few weeks "La Cucaracha" was the only thing I'd hum and sing even after hearing what it meant!

I think a lot of languages are vastly different. From continent to continent you hear very unique sentence structure, accents and pronunciation differences. Of course from country to country though, within close proximity the languages are very similar and many of them borrow words, phrases and pronunciations from each other. Learning a new language is hard and difficult at the same time because of this.

Those are all really good but I think I got a good ones. The words "flabbergasted" and "gobbledygook" are dead ties for me. They're very funny to say.

I'm fluent in English and near fluent in Spanish. I joined this site in hopes of learning a thing or two. In a few days I'll be heading back to college and one the classes I'm taking is French. Hopefully I'll be able to get a jump on my studies here.