Job Discussion Forums

[sheeba]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

i totally agree with what guy wrote on this.

Just to add another angle, I don't think anyone's mentioned that if you don't have a reading knowledge of some languages, then some university programmes would be really, ridiculously hard (like Music History, for example).

Also, for graduate studies, a reading knowledge of at least one foreing langauge is very common (because Music History is so language intensive, it usually requires a reading knowledge of at least two languages- normally one of them has to be German, Italian or Latin- depending on your focus).

So anybody who has any plan to go on to graduate studies would be adviced to learn at least a bit of one other language.

This requirement sort of leads to the notion that in order to be 'educated' you need to be able to understand another language (in order to see things from another cultural point of view- and done in the linguistic code of that culture). Or in the case of Music History, just read the books that are written about a particular work- they often haven't ever been published in English.

[Like a Rolling Stone]

Slagdog makess a good point about language learning in the UK. most of us couldn't be bothered learning French in my school and people said it was useless if all the French can speak English BUT.... i read that it is dangerous to start saying "if all the foreigners speak English then we don't need other languages". President kennedy once called himself a donut because he couldn't spesk German. When Richard Nixon went to China he couldn't find anyone to translate Chinese so the Chinese governemt provided their own and the President of China could make all kinds of jokes to Tricky Dicky and he had no idea what he was saying. "Yo Tricky Dicky, yo mama is a capitalist bleep!" and the translator would say "Welcome to China".

[Like a Rolling Stone]

I couldn't write "Tricky Di cky"!

[gaijinalways]

I like all these ideas, where language stretches your mind, learning is always good for you, and that even a little language can go a long way toward bringing smiles .

[Perpetual Traveller]

My favourite advantage of learning other languages would have to be having an almost unlimited supply of swear words for when things go wrong! Not to mention the option of being able to use some that others around you won't understand.

PT

[rusmeister]

Actually, trying to swear in a foreign language is mostly a bad idea. One of the things people are trying to do in swearing is to express fearsomeness annd create a sense of awe. Nothing undercuts awe like comedy, which is mostly what you get from hearing foreigners swear.
I think it's good to understand foreign cuss words, but in most cases it's not a good idea to use them.

[slaqdog]

A bit of comedy never hurt; anyone the 'shock and awe' aspect of swearing-was that ever true? Maybe
The best reason I read on this 'ere thread thingy was the understanding your students pain and suffering, their yearning for fluency, their frustration with their mistakes. The bill 'i feel your pain' clinton approach to teaching.
I always wanted to be able to speak another language because it was one of though things-plant a tree, have a child, write a book, that I thought was necessary to do before you died to have a full and active life. I no longer care; I don't wanna die!

[gaijinalways]