Scottf14

Correct grammar is important if I am writing something out. Otherwise, I do not know many people who use 'proper grammar' in all forms of verbal speech. I think languages should be taught the same way that native languages are. You learn a few words as a time and begin to associate them together. Then, with time, you can understand the connotations better. That would be when grammar should start being taught. You have a good base at that point.

I have mostly studied on my own. I did learn a bit of Spanish in highschool, however. I do prefer learning with others.

I'd love to learn to read and write in the various forms of Japanese. I hate to admit that the reason for my interest is anime and manga, but it is true. I'd love to know what the characters are saying without a dub or a badly constructed sub.

No, I never lost my accent moving to another country. However, my accent shifts abruptly whenever I move or live in a new state. For some reason it didn't change much out of country, but I can move only a few hundred miles away and start sounding different in only a week or two. Then I head back home to North Carolina and rapidly return to my southern drawal.

I find that Spanish has a distinctive quality to it when spoken in slow soft tones. It sounds all manner of romantic. Of course, I think any language that doesn't have a lot of harsh syllables can sound that way. People from farther north or from other countries absolutely adore my southern accent. At least, they do when they can figure out what I'm saying. lol

The United States is made up of a lot of different people, of man ethnic and language backgrounds. Some people are arrogant about the English language, but I've seen that in other countries with other languages. I'm from the Unites States and I can say that the language arrogance for the most part generally only extends to America in a sense that large numbers of people here want everyone that comes here to at least be able to speak English. We're one of the largest countries in terms of land mass in the world. There are three main languages in the nearby area, and English is the most commonly spoken. Next is Spanish, and then comes french. A few asian languages and a smattering of German pop up now and then. We don't have much competition for the English language in the area and so it is the most commonly spoken language. Just as many people in other countries snort when an 'arrogant American tourist' comes to their country and does not know how to speak the local language, some Americans will get annoyed that people from outside the country don't learn basic English. However, we don't have a national language, and we do make an effort to place multiple languages on important things such as signs and instruction manuals.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious I find this word funny because there was a song made up about it and everything. Come on, you know you want to sing about it! Sing people, siiiiiiing!

I still can't get over the latte issue. Oh those poor Germans. They lined up around the block on opening day and all they receive for their trouble was an overpriced coffee drink.

I frequently use Google Translate in order to get a general idea of what someone is saying to me. My mother uses it quite often to help her learn basic Spanish. She is learning from her sister as well, so that helps clear up the parts that come out non-sensical.

Is it strange that I will watch a foreign film with English subtitles and use that to learn the proper spelling of commonly misspelled words? I'm odd I suppose. Oh well, at least I get to use anime as a 'learning' tool despite being a native English speaker.

Considering that the word (yes like it or not irregardless is actually a word) irregardless was commonly used more than a century, and possibly several centuries before I was born, I tend to accept that some people use it. I get annoyed when people create portmanteau words based on the names of couples "Brangelina" for instance. It is found in the dictionary often enough despite being considered to be a colloquialism. It sounds odd, and I do not recall using it, ever. However, I won't dismiss it as a legitimate word since people know what it means, it communicates an actual thought, and it was in use before half of the states in America were even states.