BWX

WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE TO SPEAK ENGLISH?

An officer in the U.S. Naval reserve was attending a conference that included admirals from both the U.S. Navy and the French Navy. At a cocktail reception, he found himself in a small group that included personnel from both navies. The French admiral started complaining that whereas Europeans learned many languages, Americans learned
only English.
He then asked: "Why is it that we have to speak English in these conferences rather than you speak French?"
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied: "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you would not have to speak German."

The group became silent.






--------I thought that was pretty funny.

__________________

BluntmaN

The Dutch speak four languages and smoke marijuana explain that m8

__________________
'Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.'
Donald Rumsfeld (And then they say that the White House knows what it's doing)

Falstaff

now now...not all dutchmen....
I speak greek, japanese and a little spanish...and I do not smoke that nasty crap

__________________

kemet64

lol. Well, the thing is, that rather than languages being a requirement here...they are simply a plus. For example, if you know Spanish and Arabic...you are going to be able to get a job much easier than someone who knows only English, especially in the military. Besides fallang....thats more languages than most americans speak lol.

__________________

Inspiron XPS
Intel 3.4 ghz
1gb Corsair XMS DDR PC3200
60gig 7200 HD
128mb Radeon Mobility 9700
Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 NX
Logitech z680 Speakers

BWX

My aunt speaks 6 or 7 languages- and she was in the military for many years (pretty high up). She knows things that she'd have to kill me if she told me about- I think UFO stuff. We did an IQ test and she scored the same as me- but it took me an hour longer- she did it in ten minutes.

__________________

Vampyromaniac

Hmmm, German or Russian?

__________________

BluntmaN

You speak Greek? How did you learn?

__________________
'Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.'
Donald Rumsfeld (And then they say that the White House knows what it's doing)

Markius

lol

__________________
DriverHeavens Aussie...

"Lifes tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late"

The_Neon_Cowboy

Russians wer on germany side till he desided to attack them too. germans agreed to give them a share of the land to stay out of it so their just as bad.

__________________

bluelight

English is the language of the empire.

Fortunatly there are those that resist the influence from the empire and refuse to adapt.

The French are among those that have enough pride not to be walked as dogs by Usa.

The name of this topic is "Why speak english"

Yeah..why?

Bluelight

digerati

My cousins live in France, they speak English, and all their friends do. They also support the war, so I'm not sure if that's true or not.

bluelight

Yeah sure there are French that spekas english but the main idea in France is to keep their national identity.

That is more than you can say about a lot of other Europeasn nations.


Support the war?I´d have done that had it not been obvious from the start that it was done under false premises and with deliberate manouvering from Usa to keep the UN out of it.

Bluelight

BWX

No, English is considered the "universal language" though, surely you have never heard that before?

__________________

bird chest

Why speak english hmm...? Lets think! Maybe cause the US is the worlds leading economic, cultural, and military power, so anyone who wants to become succesful in the business world speaks english. It is not that the US is imposing language it is that their is a lot more to gain by speaking english then speaking armenian or something.

I also speak a enough spanish to get bye and plan on learning chinese so I guess not all americans don't. My mom speaks spanish and french and she never uses it so what is the point of the average american learning a different language?

Roadee

Well personally I have yet to see an American school that doesn't offer a few languages at least. But seeing as this is America.....we have freedom of choice.....and decide what we want to learn. I didn't feel that learning another language would help me in any way, shape, or form.......so I didn't take any. But while I was stationed in many different countries I picked up the language quite easily. If someone doesn't want to do something.......they wont. It doesn't make someone less of a person or better than someone else if they know other languages or not.

By the way......the story is funny as hell. I would of loved to of seen the look on his face!!

__________________


We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse.

The_Neon_Cowboy

empire? this isn'tt star wars!

Also manouvering around countries that had only their self interests in mind otherwise would have supported the action as instead of opposing it so open pocketedly (not heartedly).

were not debateing the war here lets get back on topic...

__________________

bluelight

That doesnt make it less "The language of the empire".Followingly it is a good thing that each and every nation does what it can to keep its own cultural indentity.

Bluelight

zerodamage

Language of the empire?
Last time I remember, we voted for our leader.

BluntmaN

Hmm the question to all the whys is simple when markets went international the strongest markets came out speaking english(either as a native or non-native speaker). Besides I think it is easier than every other language. Especially as a foreign language it is a bit easier to learn it. French have the -male, female, thing- seperation German sound like shit and have a strict grammar along with them are the Dutch and Swedish. Spanish and Italian are far too funny sounding to carry a serious conversation. Greek, japanese, chinese all too hard for non-native speakers. What else is there? Russian? They were bad people back then.

A reason to speak a few languages other than your own is simply to do business with foreigners and tourists. Now another good reason to learn a foreign language is to be able to understand those f*ckers when they are discusing how they ll rip you off when you do business. Finally if you go to France it is good to know French coz the people there might know English but who told you they are in a mood to speak it.

__________________
'Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.'
Donald Rumsfeld (And then they say that the White House knows what it's doing)

BluntmaN

Btw I believe by Empire he meant Super power. Dont try to get out of an argument on semantics mate lawyers do that.

__________________
'Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.'
Donald Rumsfeld (And then they say that the White House knows what it's doing)

bluelight

Yeah you voted but i dont get to vote do i? and still what you do influences my and everybody else on this planet for good ...for bad.

Thats why...empire.

Bluelight

Judas

..actually... English itself is a very hard language to learn because of the inconsistancies around it..... how letters in words don't even get to be pronounced at all.. or how multiple letters in a specific arrangement can produce the sound of one letter...... also ... when combinations are the same.. they produce very different sounds.... making it even more unforgiving to learn.... English is a bitch according to many non native speaking people i've talked to.... i even find it rather a poor language to speak and right.... the only universal languages that work .. are maths and music.... and maybe some others that i don't know at this time.... (btw.. the examples being tomb-comb-bomb)

__________________

BluntmaN

Good point but the problem is not that hard to overcome and it exists in many other languages like French or Greek even Italian has incosistancies.

__________________
'Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.'
Donald Rumsfeld (And then they say that the White House knows what it's doing)

mainman

Well, the portuguese language was wonse the "universal language" to, that was back in the discovery era when we owned half the world and where the biggest empire in the world. Take brasil for example, its one of the bigest portuguese spoken country in the world and was wonse portuguese territory to. We could have discovered America to, but the spanish beat us to it by acident, they were trying to discover the rote to India and found America....thats why the natives in America are called Indians...and yes...we where that ones that discovered the route to India. Portugal was once a great country...those where the days....but now we are mistaken by Spain..., and most of people never heard of Portugal...thats just sad cuz we have one of the most interesting history in all of european countries...

__________________

CrazyAzorean

you got that right

__________________

Every man is respossible for is own destiny

digerati

I must agree, we got some bass-ackwards things going on here. I thought Spanish was pretty easy to learn, but then again it was my frist language even if I forgot it later lol

BWX

All I know is that in the future I know everyone speaks English - I mean, just watch Star Trek and Starwars- Even the aliens speak English- None of them speak Portuguese, French or Spanish. I guess Wookie, Vulcan and Klingon are also popular though.

__________________

mainman

Well...you got me there bud....

__________________

Judas

lol.....

__________________

merry

Well, English is (was) the language of the Brittish empire, that's why it's so en vogue isn't it?

But I think the most spoken - inadvertently - language in the world is Greek...

Democracy, politics, economy, police, harmony, symphony, sympathy, philosophy, psychology, polemic (from polemos=war), astronaut (would have been "star-sailor" in English) and so on.

Latin makes second - computer, processor, memory, data, republic... etc.

__________________
There is a war between the ones who say there is a war
and the ones who say there isn't.
~~Leonard Cohen