LindaKay

I do think that's unfortunate. I think people should know the language of their ancestors whenever possible. They should obviously still know the national language for the place where they reside, but that doesn't mean that they can't learn both. It seems like kids are able to learn languages more quickly and easily than older kids or adults, so why not go ahead and knock it out and teach them while they're young?

I definitely think it would be difficult to be friends with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you at all. It seems like you would have to at least know a few common words between you. Otherwise, how can you communicate at all?

I think that's pretty cool. I learned my times tables with a cassette tape that my mom bought for me when I was a kid, and it worked. I think music sticks out in our minds more than regular spoken words do sometimes.

I suppose you have a point. Although English is definitely not the real universal language, it's the closest thing we have to one right now. People are learning English all over the world now.

I haven't gone very long without it at all. My BF and I live together, so we're always chatting. Plus, I talk to my mom on the phone constantly.

Different languages obviously sound a bit odd to me, but I have to say that I don't "not like" any of them. Some just sound more interesting than others, in my opinion. I can see why some people wouldn't like some languages though; some of them definitely do sound rather unique!!

I'm not sure about movies. I have to say that one of my favorite foreign things to watch, though, is Korean soap operas. My best friend's mom is from South Korea. She used to watch those soap operas all the time, and I found them to be so interesting.

I am surprised by all of the responses on this thread, honestly. I really would have thought that everyone felt more comfortable writing in their own languages. I can't really imagine writing much in other languages, although speaking it is a different thing altogether.

I'm not sure. In a way, I think it would be very convenient. It would be a great way for everyone to be able to communicate. However, I don't think it would be easy to convince everyone to learn one language, plus it would make a change in a lot of cultures. Although it might be convenient, I think it would be a bit boring.

It does sort of annoy me. A couple of shorthand abbreviations here and there isn't really a big deal, of course. But I know people who use nothing but shorthand. It drives me up the wall.

I would have to say Italian or French. They both sound so beautiful and romantic to me.

I think this forum is a wonderful idea. I hope it's successful, but I'm sure it will be!

I think the best way is by having conversations with people who speak the language fluently. That helped me a lot more with Spanish than classes and software ever did. You learn how to actually speak it in the way that it's meant to be spoken, and you can use your context clues to figure out the words.

I think that's a great option. Anything that makes it a little more fun and interesting is sure to help. The more interested and engaged you are, the more you will learn. That's my experience, anyway.

I think that's a great way to learn.

To me, learning conversation first is easy. Even though you might make mistakes, it will help you get a general grasp of the language. You can learn how to do it more properly a little later. Maybe some people wouldn't agree with me, but that's what I think.

I think it's a great idea. They say kids pick it up a lot faster than adults do. It can really benefit them later in life, so I definitely think it's great to teach kids second languages while they're still young.

I definitely think that the first language that you learn will always be the easiest. I know some people who are pretty fluent in multiple languages and who don't seem to have a problem. Yet, they all say that their first language is definitely the easiest.

This is like a really good idea. I didn't know that there are such services available. I wrote an e-book a few years ago but had nowhere to publish it. After changing computers, my copy of it is lost. Too bad I didn't know about these sites before, I'll be sure to check them out if I ever do another e-book.

That's horrible. I would be heartbroken if I lost an entire ebook like that. From now on, make sure that you use the cloud or something to back it up. Then, if something happens to your computer, you'll still be able to access your ebook!

I catch it a lot, living in a country where English is not the predominant language. At a certain point you begin to become accustomed to it and it doesn't bug you as much; though if you look for it it's everywhere and it will drive you crazy.

I agree. It's tough not to look for it because I'm a writer, so it's my job to pay attention to proper spelling and grammar. Not everyone has that job, though, and some people are still learning. I did work for an Italian man once who had a heavy accent and who was still learning the English language. I have to say that I quit noticing his errors because I was just proud of him for improving as much as he did.

For Filipino (my native language) and English, I usually think in the language I am using at the time. For example, if I were talking to a fellow Filipino, then I think in Filipino, when I am talking in English or writing online, I am thinking in English. For me, English is not a language that needs to be translated in my head, it comes to me naturally. It used to be that way for the French language too, but since I haven't used that language regularly in a long time, whenever I'm asked to speak in French, I find that I need time to translate my thoughts.

That's so cool that you (and others who have responded to this thread) can easily bounce back and forth from thinking in one language to thinking in another. I know it's an odd question, but I was intrigued when a friend asked another friend that. I can't really imagine "thinking" in any language other than English.

I definitely think Spanish is the easiest. Chinese, Japanese and Korean are probably the hardest. I think Arabic is probably very difficult as well.

I think it all has to do with how passionately someone feels about learning another language.

For those who really want to learn a language, being an introvert won't matter. However, the way that introverts learn might be different from extroverts. For example, an extroverted person might learn socially, while an introvert might learn from CDs, computer software, etc.

I speak really quickly myself. I don't do it on purpose; it's just a habit.

I understand the problem with it, though. I can understand Spanish when it's spoken slowly, but I get confused when people talk really fast!

If I was going to be staying somewhere for several months, I would probably want to learn more than the essential phrases. If I was staying for six months or more, I would probably want to be at least somewhat fluent.

I guess it depends on what you are going to be doing while you're there, though. I mean, are you going to be in a touristy area where lots of people speak English/your native language? If so, you might be fine even longer without learning the actual language.

Yes, it is quite a privilege for one to have learned another language but making a fool out of someone by speaking the language  to his face that he cannot even understand is I think not appropriate. What if the tables turned on you and someone did the same thing to you?

I agree. It always bothers me when people do this. You can usually tell they are talking about you, too, because they will usually look at you.

If people don't speak English and speak in another language, I obviously understand it. But I don't understand the need to transition into another language that no one else around can understand unless you are planning on talking about someone.

Overall, I just think it's pretty rude.