Shocking ! (11 Viewers)

[Bjerknes]

This point is entirely true. I would argue that my biggest beef with Americans who are avid fans of the EPL exclusively are such because they are hilariously shit-scared of any language other than English. And it revolts me.

I'm including announcers as well as fans in this assessment.

Meanwhile, it was also hilarious that the MSL's San Jose Earthquakes (OK, the original one) had local employer, Yahoo!, as a major sponsor ... but only Yahoo! en Español.

This stuff basically difuses Andries' arguments against us.

We love Juventus and Serie A, so to truly follow our team we do have to know a bit of Italian.

Wait, what?

What didn't you understand? It's all about geography.

Europe may dislike Americans because we don't speak multiple languages fluently. You know what I say to that "Boo fuckhing hoo". Americans don't normally speak more than one language other than english because, geographically speaking, we don't have to. On the American continent, south and north, two major languages are spoken, English and Spanish with a smattering of French and Portugese. Really in America the odds of coming into contact with someone who didn't speak english, until recently, is really low. And those of us who do speak a foreign language don't do it too well because we don't use it that often. Compared with Europe, which happens to be a hodgepodge of nationalities bundled into a medium expanse of land, the average American really doesn't have a need to speak a second language other than some OK spanish. If Europeans want to hold being born on a culturally non diverse continent against us, that's fine with me.

As for Americans not traveling all the time to countries that mainly speak other languages. I wonder why? Can anyone here tell poor Andries why Americans don't take weekly jonts to Italy to practice their Italian? Anyone? Ok you in the back, how 'bout it?

[Person in the back] Well sir I believe aside from the geographic situation you've already touched upon coupled with the distance between Europe and North America and rising fuel cost plus the average cost of a transcontinental flight...

It's too damn expensive!:flag2:

Well done sir. You've hit the nail on the head. Now back to my point.

As I said before Europe is really diverse and therefore in order to be successful one must learn additional languages and learn them well. In North America, it's really not so much, so language isn't really the important for the everyday life of your Average American.

[Person in back] OH! OH! OH! *Raising hand, jumping in seat.

What is it?!? Spit it out.

[Person in back, probably the American version of Andries] What about the ever widening global community and the proverbial "flattening" of the world which forces everyone to interact with everyone whether they want to or not?

Fuck you man. You had to ask that didn't you! :frown:

Well the truth is as the world becomes more of a village it is inevitable that the US and well as Canada and the dreaded Australia will indeed have to diversify their languages. And this will no doubt happen as the future progresses. The important part is for Europeans to remember this and be patient as the more diversity-impovershed parts of world try to catch up. They ought not hang out on their high horses because if they had the misfortune to be born in another part of the world, it might be them those Europeans were talking about in the hotel.

Hope that answers your question young man.

Thanks big guy.

It is a pleasure to read your posts, Eazy. That was constructed nicely.

 

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[ßöмßäяðîëя]

Europe may dislike Americans because we don't speak multiple languages fluently. You know what I say to that "Boo fuckhing hoo". Americans don't normally speak more than one language other than english because, geographically speaking, we don't have to. On the American continent, south and north, two major languages are spoken, English and Spanish with a smattering of French and Portugese. Really in America the odds of coming into contact with someone who didn't speak english, until recently, is really low. And those of us who do speak a foreign language don't do it too well because we don't use it that often. Compared with Europe, which happens to be a hodgepodge of nationalities bundled into a medium expanse of land, the average American really doesn't have a need to speak a second language other than some OK spanish. If Europeans want to hold being born on a culturally non diverse continent against us, that's fine with me.

As for Americans not traveling all the time to countries that mainly speak other languages. I wonder why? Can anyone here tell poor Andries why Americans don't take weekly jonts to Italy to practice their Italian? Anyone? Ok you in the back, how 'bout it?

[Person in the back] Well sir I believe aside from the geographic situation you've already touched upon coupled with the distance between Europe and North America and rising fuel cost plus the average cost of a transcontinental flight...

It's too damn expensive!:flag2:

Well done sir. You've hit the nail on the head. Now back to my point.

As I said before Europe is really diverse and therefore in order to be successful one must learn additional languages and learn them well. In North America, it's really not so much, so language isn't really the important for the everyday life of your Average American.

[Person in back] OH! OH! OH! *Raising hand, jumping in seat.

What is it?!? Spit it out.

[Person in back, probably the American version of Andries] What about the ever widening global community and the proverbial "flattening" of the world which forces everyone to interact with everyone whether they want to or not?

Fuck you man. You had to ask that didn't you! :frown:

Well the truth is as the world becomes more of a village it is inevitable that the US and well as Canada and the dreaded Australia will indeed have to diversify their languages. And this will no doubt happen as the future progresses. The important part is for Europeans to remember this and be patient as the more diversity-impovershed parts of world try to catch up. They ought not hang out on their high horses because if they had the misfortune to be born in another part of the world, it might be them those Europeans were talking about in the hotel.

Hope that answers your question young man.

Thanks big guy.

DUDE, porn isn't allowed on this forum, please redress Andries.

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

What didn't you understand? It's all about geography.

I understood the words, but your roundabout way of presenting it confused me.

So say what you actually meant, simply.

 

[Bjerknes]

I understood the words, but your roundabout way of presenting it confused me.

SO say what you actually meant, simply.

That Andries needs to know more languages because of where he lives. We do not.

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

Ohh, word, I was hoping that is what you meant.

 

[Bjerknes]

I didn't use the right words to make it clear. My bad.

 

[Alen]

Europe may dislike Americans because we don't speak multiple languages fluently. You know what I say to that "Boo fuckhing hoo". Americans don't normally speak more than one language other than english because, geographically speaking, we don't have to. On the American continent, south and north, two major languages are spoken, English and Spanish with a smattering of French. Really in America the odds of coming into contact with someone who didn't speak english, until recently, is really low. And those of us who do speak a foreign language don't do it too well because we don't use it that often. Compared with Europe, which happens to be a hodgepodge of nationalities bundled into a medium expanse of land, the average American really doesn't have a need to speak a second language other than some OK spanish. If Europeans want to hold being born on a culturally non diverse continent against us, that's fine with me.

Another reason for that is the English language being the lingua franca of our time. Since everyone everywhere understands your language, you don't really have the need to learn another language to help you in your business abroad. It's the language used in international commerce and everytime in history when a language had the lingua franca status, the native speakers of that particular language didn't really bother to learn another language.
The Russians spoke fluent French in the 19th century, but not more than 1 in 100 000 spoke French after the world war II when Russian was also the lingua franca for half of the world.
The French, The Romans......they also didn't bother learning another language at the time when their countries were world's main powers.
Even the Greeks, who were merchants and traveled the Ecumene meeting thousands of different tribes who spoke different languages, didn't put too much efforts in learning Persian, Macedonian or Thracian, because everyone spoke Greek 2300 years ago.

 

[Enron]

That's impossible even if merely for geographical reasons. Grab a map and have a look at Europe. They're all different cultures. We can't afford to be as narrow minded as you are. Not to mention the fact that different languages make you think in different ways. It's hard to understand if you're not fluent in any foreign language, but if you are I'm sure you get what I mean.

As for Africa, I never said America was most to blame. But America's role in Rwanda was most likely bigger than Belgium's and America's role in Africa during the Cold War was an especially dirty one. Furthermore the United States have been the major suppliers of weapons in Africa ever since the late 1970's and have often made sure wars didn't stop too soon, so they could keep on delivering weapons.

Whatever way you look at it, America's foreign policy has been a disaster for well over 40 years and I think the subject wasn't well picked.

I wasn't saying you as in Europeans are narrow minded. I was saying that you, the poster are narrow minded in your view of American culture. You say you were forced to learn American culture and that's bull shit. You learn about a culture by visiting it and experiencing not be reading a book or watching a movie. I would never say I know about European culture even though I've read many books, taken many classes, and seen many movies on the subject. The truth is you only see the United States as you wish to see it, instead of how it is. You've never visited the place, but you say you know it. And for that reason you don't.

As for Africa, no one will disagree that the US policy has been bollocks in the region for the last 50 or so years. The truth is as I said before, we aren't the only ones with our hands in the honey jar. We weren't the first to mess with Africa and we aren't the last. In addition some could argue that our impact was minimal compared with the colonization and slave trade of the European countries and it's following results, but we're not here for a history debate. semantics.

As for weaponry there are far more Russian made weapons in Africa and I guarantee you will find a few Belgian made rifles in the arms of Ugandan child soldiers. But does that mean anything? Not really, its a story of old weapons finding new hands.

 

[Enron]

Another reason for that is the English language being the lingua franca of our time. Since everyone everywhere understands your language, you don't really have the need to learn another language to help you in your business abroad. It's the language used in international commerce and everytime in history when a language had the lingua franca status, the native speakers of that particular language didn't really bother to learn another language.
The Russians spoke fluent French in the 19th century, but not more than 1 in 100 000 spoke French after the world war II when Russian was also the lingua franca for half of the world.
The French, The Romans......they also didn't bother learning another language at the time when their countries were world's main powers.
Even the Greeks, who were merchants and traveled the Ecumene meeting thousands of different tribes who spoke different languages, didn't put too much efforts in learning Persian, Macedonian or Thracian, because everyone spoke Greek 2300 years ago.

I agree.

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

I didn't use the right words to make it clear. My bad.

Nah, it's cool, no worries.

Another reason for that is the English language being the lingua franca of our time. Since everyone everywhere understands your language, you don't really have the need to learn another language to help you in your business abroad. It's the language used in international commerce and everytime in history when a language had the lingua franca status, the native speakers of that particular language didn't really bother to learn another language.
The Russians spoke fluent French in the 19th century, but not more than 1 in 100 000 spoke French after the world war II when Russian was also the lingua franca for half of the world.
The French, The Romans......they also didn't bother learning another language at the time when their countries were world's main powers.
Even the Greeks, who were merchants and traveled the Ecumene meeting thousands of different tribes who spoke different languages, didn't put too much efforts in learning Persian, Macedonian or Thracian, because everyone spoke Greek 2300 years ago.

A perfect example of this is......

THE FORUM!

This is an English forum located in Sweden for an Italian team.

It offers anyone the ability to come on here and talk about the team or whatever, but in English. It's quite obvious that English is the language of the world since most everyone on here is from a non-English speaking nation.

 

[Seven]

So basically you guys are saying it's hard to be educated, as in hard to be able to speak several languages fluently, if you're American?

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

So basically you guys are saying it's hard to be educated, as in hard to be able to speak several languages fluently, if you're American?

No, that is what you are saying.

We are saying you are an idiot.

 

[Bjerknes]

There isn't a country castigated as much as the United States on this forum.

I suppose if there were people who didn't give a shit about football on this forum there would be much more backlash.

Gotta love football. Brings people together.

 

[Bjerknes]

So basically you guys are saying it's hard to be educated, as in hard to be able to speak several languages fluently, if you're American?

You aren't this stupid, Andries. Stop acting like it.

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

So basically you guys are saying it's hard to be educated, as in hard to be able to speak several languages fluently, if you're American?

Well actually, the best universities in the world are in America, and they are all taught in English. So if you want to be educated, you have to learn English.


You must have just misspoke.

 

[Seven]

There isn't a country castigated as much as the United States on this forum.

I suppose if there were people who didn't give a shit about football on this forum there would be much more backlash.

Gotta love football. Brings people together.

That's what an imperial overstretch does to an empire.

You aren't this stupid, Andries. Stop acting like it.

No, it's strange. You are the ones saying it's difficult to learn foreign languages for you guys. So that must mean it's hard for Americans to be educated. Which is what it was all about in the first place .

 

[ßöмßäяðîëя]

That's what an imperial overstretch does to an empire.

Settle down, this isn't RISK.

 

[Seven]

Well actually, the best universities in the world are in America, and they are all taught in English. So if you want to be educated, you have to learn English.


You must have just misspoke.

But a lot of Europeans speak English, so that's entirely besides the point.

 

[Seven]

Settle down, this isn't RISK.

Ask Alen what I mean.

 

[Bjerknes]

No, it's strange. You are the ones saying it's difficult to learn foreign languages for you guys. So that must mean it's hard for Americans to be educated. Which is what it was all about in the first place .

Nice little roundabout argument but I'll put the flames out: At least 20 different languages are spoken in Europe while every single state in the US conducts business in English.

You understand that fact, so don't act oblivious.