Hello all,
The first part is a distortion, the second totally untrue. This is not about being an American anyway. It's about courtesy and respect when being in another country...for anyone.
First, given current necessity. French would not be the first priority language to learn. Spanish, is probably more valuable in the U.S. overall due to the largest growing minority group. Other languages might be more valuable depending on career choices. But French still gets you through many places in the world due to it's previous status as a language of diplomacy, the former colonial reach of French and it's adoption in those countries, and being the second most taught language worldwide after English. http://www.europeword.com/blog/euro...should-it-be-adopted-as-a-universal-language/ Also, any decent college and/or university requires a minimum number of years in a language, though which is usually optional.
Secondly, language teachers in the U.S. are as expert in their profession as anywhere. As in any learning, success reflects the students interest and efforts, as well as teaching ability. In many cases, the language teacher either grew up in a household where the language that person teaches was part of family communication and heritage or the teacher may have come from a place or country where the language is common/native. Many just love the languages they teach. As for techniques, now that the Rosetta Stone second language system has been added to class methodology it's easier to learn the language...IF one puts in the time as it would be for learning any other language...OR...any class subject.
Obviously, I agree if that means one never took a French class.
The basic problem for Americans is they may take a few years of another language as a college/university requirement, but there is little to no continued reinforcement for most after the learning for the reasons you said. But I do add French words to my vocabulary simply by reading it on my own, though there is a significant risk of pronunciation errors.
As for difficulty I disagree. French is less difficult to learn than most other languages due the very close historical connection brought about by the simple fact of geographical closeness and natural word exchange absorption, and the Norman Conquest of England nearly a thousand years ago that increased the absorption by being the language of the government for hundreds of years. The Normans having been in France for 150-200 years at the time (1066) and religiously converted, were thoroughly French and Catholic. I have found that many words in English have a close association with French words, with many having the same exact spelling.
Saying it's "too hard" indicates lack of interest, and so the problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_words_and_phrases_used_by_English_speakers
Also, the greater your vocabulary in English the easier it can be. I have found many French words very close to commonly used English words, or matching English words that are rarely used in daily conversation, words often referred to as..."big words". But knowing these English words has helped me relate more easily to the French forms.
The real problem for English-speaking students of French and French speaking students of English seems to be that some key syntax patterns of expression are different. It's one of the reasons computer translators make errors.
True. There's a disrespectful disinterest or possibly arrogance in allowing this to happen. Imagine an American desiring an encounter with conversation and meeting a French escort in the U.S. who doesn't know any English. The escort goes on in French as if the American should be fluent and becomes annoyed that an American in his own country doesn't know any French. The American would find the presumption ridiculous. Yet too many Americans in Montreal often seeking French ladies expect the reverse.
In the U.S. for many Americans when hearing a person speak to them or around them in another language the common refrain is, "this is America, speak English." Yet that logic doesn't seem to apply for some Americans looking for French escorts. Of course, my own French language skills aren't nearly good enough. But at a minimum why not learn some simple greetings in French beyond "bonjour". I have found that the ladies and the people on the streets really appreciate the effort no matter how badly it's pronounced or worded.
I am practiced enough in common phrases that border guards, escorts, and store attendants are sometimes surprised that my initial efforts in French to address them are not followed by fluency in French. But they appreciate that I can do that much.
Essayer d'apprendre un peu de français comme une courtoisie.
We should all thank the ladies that their language education and graciousness is better than some Americans. Merci mes chers. :thumb:
Cheers,
Merlot
The first part is a distortion, the second totally untrue. This is not about being an American anyway. It's about courtesy and respect when being in another country...for anyone.
First, given current necessity. French would not be the first priority language to learn. Spanish, is probably more valuable in the U.S. overall due to the largest growing minority group. Other languages might be more valuable depending on career choices. But French still gets you through many places in the world due to it's previous status as a language of diplomacy, the former colonial reach of French and it's adoption in those countries, and being the second most taught language worldwide after English. http://www.europeword.com/blog/euro...should-it-be-adopted-as-a-universal-language/ Also, any decent college and/or university requires a minimum number of years in a language, though which is usually optional.
Secondly, language teachers in the U.S. are as expert in their profession as anywhere. As in any learning, success reflects the students interest and efforts, as well as teaching ability. In many cases, the language teacher either grew up in a household where the language that person teaches was part of family communication and heritage or the teacher may have come from a place or country where the language is common/native. Many just love the languages they teach. As for techniques, now that the Rosetta Stone second language system has been added to class methodology it's easier to learn the language...IF one puts in the time as it would be for learning any other language...OR...any class subject.
Obviously, I agree if that means one never took a French class.
The basic problem for Americans is they may take a few years of another language as a college/university requirement, but there is little to no continued reinforcement for most after the learning for the reasons you said. But I do add French words to my vocabulary simply by reading it on my own, though there is a significant risk of pronunciation errors.As for difficulty I disagree. French is less difficult to learn than most other languages due the very close historical connection brought about by the simple fact of geographical closeness and natural word exchange absorption, and the Norman Conquest of England nearly a thousand years ago that increased the absorption by being the language of the government for hundreds of years. The Normans having been in France for 150-200 years at the time (1066) and religiously converted, were thoroughly French and Catholic. I have found that many words in English have a close association with French words, with many having the same exact spelling.
Saying it's "too hard" indicates lack of interest, and so the problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_words_and_phrases_used_by_English_speakers
Also, the greater your vocabulary in English the easier it can be. I have found many French words very close to commonly used English words, or matching English words that are rarely used in daily conversation, words often referred to as..."big words". But knowing these English words has helped me relate more easily to the French forms.
The real problem for English-speaking students of French and French speaking students of English seems to be that some key syntax patterns of expression are different. It's one of the reasons computer translators make errors.
True. There's a disrespectful disinterest or possibly arrogance in allowing this to happen. Imagine an American desiring an encounter with conversation and meeting a French escort in the U.S. who doesn't know any English. The escort goes on in French as if the American should be fluent and becomes annoyed that an American in his own country doesn't know any French. The American would find the presumption ridiculous. Yet too many Americans in Montreal often seeking French ladies expect the reverse.
In the U.S. for many Americans when hearing a person speak to them or around them in another language the common refrain is, "this is America, speak English." Yet that logic doesn't seem to apply for some Americans looking for French escorts. Of course, my own French language skills aren't nearly good enough. But at a minimum why not learn some simple greetings in French beyond "bonjour". I have found that the ladies and the people on the streets really appreciate the effort no matter how badly it's pronounced or worded.
I am practiced enough in common phrases that border guards, escorts, and store attendants are sometimes surprised that my initial efforts in French to address them are not followed by fluency in French. But they appreciate that I can do that much.
Essayer d'apprendre un peu de français comme une courtoisie.
We should all thank the ladies that their language education and graciousness is better than some Americans. Merci mes chers. :thumb:
Cheers,
Merlot
