Shocking ! (1 Viewer)

Apr 12, 2004
77,165
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.
And all of those countries still aren't as big as the US in terms of land mass.

Also, what is the official language of the EU, or is there one?
 

Enron

Tickle Me
Moderator
Oct 11, 2005
75,661
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 ;).
It actually depends on how you define educated. I know it has an actual dictionary definition and we are all probably familiar with at least some understanding of it, but let's think outside the box on this one. I'm going to assume education is not relative but universal as you seem to believe. From what I've read in the previous pages. In Europe being educated must mean being able to speak with all your neighbors or at least most of them in order to better yourself and maintain basic needs. Based on your comments we can agree to that standard. Most Americans are able to do that and on occasion go farther than your standard by learning maths, histories, and on occasion sciences or healths or engineerings and other important things. By your definition, an American is just as educated as his European counterpart.;)
 
Apr 12, 2004
77,165
It actually depends on how you define educated. I know it has an actual dictionary definition and we are all probably familiar with at least some understanding of it, but let's think outside the box on this one. I'm going to assume education is not relative but universal as you seem to believe. From what I've read in the previous pages. In Europe being educated must mean being able to speak with all your neighbors or at least most of them in order to better yourself and maintain basic needs. Based on your comments we can agree to that standard. Most Americans are able to do that and on occasion go farther than your standard by learning maths, histories, and on occasion sciences or healths or engineerings and other important things. By your definition, an American is just as educated as his European counterpart.;)
Word, like the reason you gave for editing.

...and the words.....
 

Geof

Senior Member
May 14, 2004
6,740
Also, what is the official language of the EU, or is there one?
български (Bălgarski) - BG - Bulgarian
* Čeština - CS - Czech
* Dansk - DA - Danish
* Deutsch - DE - German
* Eesti - ET - Estonian
* Elinika - EL - Greek
* English - EN
* Español - ES - Spanish
* Français - FR - French
* Gaeilge - GA - Irish
* Italiano - IT - Italian
* Latviesu valoda - LV - Latvian
* Lietuviu kalba - LT - Lithuanian
* Magyar - HU - Hungarian
* Malti - MT - Maltese
* Nederlands - NL - Dutch
* Polski - PL - Polish
* Português - PT - Portuguese
* Română - RO - Romanian
* Slovenčina - SK - Slovak
* Slovenščina - SL - Slovene
* Suomi - FI - Finnish
* Svenska - SV - Swedish
 

X Æ A-12

Senior Member
Contributor
Sep 4, 2006
87,941
That's it. I'm not tolerating this racism towards Belgium anymore. In fact I'm through with English speaking people in general. Have the decency to learn about other cultures FFS. You're all so narrowminded it sickens me. Australians, Americans, Canadians it's all the same. As long as you speak English you're retarded.

@Enron: read a bit on America's role in Rwanda. It was quite clear and far worse than the Belgian one. We always criticised our own government because it took all the Belgian soldiers out of the country, but then again we couldn't fall back on UN support because America was against UN soldiers in Rwanda.
You can't tolerate racism against Belgians and your calling other people narrow-minded? You sir define the word hypocrite, you are incredibly racist and ignorant and you expect us to allow you to diss our country and say anything. Oh You seem to speak English so I guess your retarded too.
 

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,330
It actually depends on how you define educated. I know it has an actual dictionary definition and we are all probably familiar with at least some understanding of it, but let's think outside the box on this one. I'm going to assume education is not relative but universal as you seem to believe. From what I've read in the previous pages. In Europe being educated must mean being able to speak with all your neighbors or at least most of them in order to better yourself and maintain basic needs. Based on your comments we can agree to that standard. Most Americans are able to do that and on occasion go farther than your standard by learning maths, histories, and on occasion sciences or healths or engineerings and other important things. By your definition, an American is just as educated as his European counterpart.;)
E, there are actual tests which try to see at which level the average American, the average Belgian and the average Chinese is. Belgians scored higher for maths, history, foreign languages and geography. Americans did very poorly in these four subjects. I'm not saying that's all there is that's important in relation to education, but it is quite a big chunk.
 

Geof

Senior Member
May 14, 2004
6,740
I know what countries are in the EU, and what their languages are, I just didn't know if there was an official language or anything.

JESUS!
you misunderstood, these are the 23 official languages of the EU.

The European Commission has three working languages, though: English, French and German.
 

Enron

Tickle Me
Moderator
Oct 11, 2005
75,661
E, there are actual tests which try to see at which level the average American, the average Belgian and the average Chinese is. Belgians scored higher for maths, history, foreign languages and geography. Americans did very poorly in these four subjects. I'm not saying that's all there is that's important in relation to education, but it is quite a big chunk.
Truth is that it's probably the same ability for Americans to become educated as there is for their European counterparts. Granted European primary education systems are probably better than American ones. I mean what program isn't better than No Child Left Behind? And those test you speak of are what dumb down our education systems because after about grade three thats all you learn for. Anyway, its no more difficult to become educated in Charleston, WV than it is in Bruges. I consider myself educated and it wasn't very hard for me to end up that way.
 

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,330
Truth is that it's probably the same ability for Americans to become educated as there is for their European counterparts. Granted European primary education systems are probably better than American ones. I mean what program isn't better than No Child Left Behind? And those test you speak of are what dumb down our education systems because after about grade three thats all you learn for. Anyway, its no more difficult to become educated in Charleston, WV than it is in Bruges. I consider myself educated and it wasn't very hard for me to end up that way.
That means the problem would lie elsewhere, seeing how most Americans, even at an adult age, score lower than a lot of Western Europeans. A possibility would then be that Americans tend to be lazier. And that's something I'd prefer not to say.
 

Snoop

Sabet is a nasty virgin
Oct 2, 2001
28,186
български (Bălgarski) - BG - Bulgarian
* Čeština - CS - Czech
* Dansk - DA - Danish
* Deutsch - DE - German
* Eesti - ET - Estonian
* Elinika - EL - Greek
* English - EN
* Español - ES - Spanish
* Français - FR - French
* Gaeilge - GA - Irish
* Italiano - IT - Italian
* Latviesu valoda - LV - Latvian
* Lietuviu kalba - LT - Lithuanian
* Magyar - HU - Hungarian
* Malti - MT - Maltese
* Nederlands - NL - Dutch
* Polski - PL - Polish
* Português - PT - Portuguese
* Română - RO - Romanian
* Slovenčina - SK - Slovak
* Slovenščina - SL - Slovene
* Suomi - FI - Finnish
* Svenska - SV - Swedish
shouldn't that be "SE"?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)