Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

All too well, thanks

[artemisia]

I wonder how many English speaking countries make an effort to promote language learning. I can�t imagine it�d be at anything approaching the level that countries go to to invest in English language learning. Of course that�s to our obvious advantage; that we�re native speakers of the international language but the downside of that, IMO, is that we don�t get the same learning opportunities. I read something about state funded or subsidized French courses (I think) in Canada, on a different thread. I don�t know about the States: are Spanish courses are subsidized there?

As for me, apart from whatever was available during my school years, I�ve always had to fully pay for and take time out from work to do (intensive) language courses. Tagging classes onto the end of a long working day has not been that attractive either. In Europe, it�s common to meet people on the continent who speak two or three languages fluently. Proximity is an advantage there but it�s also the value and funding given to acquiring other languages that matters. I�ve sometimes envied ESL students with their government funded scholarships who can go abroad and live in comfort while studying, or have company funded classes in their own countries. It seems such a luxury though I know it's a necessity. Many students are also supported by rich parents but some, of course, work hard and save up to get that opportunity.

The one time I had the opportunity to study another language full-time on a scholarship, I seized it! I was able to spend two months in Berlin. I loved this time, not only because I could be in my favourite city again, but also because it was a chance for me to be the student for once! I think these sorts of study scholarships (travel/ fees/ accommodation) for languages other than English are rare � I�ve not come across them. And this chance didn�t come from an English speaking country � it�s a German one. I liked the classes but it wasn�t just the language studying that was important, there were many chances to do other things like go to lectures and attend tours eg Berlin Wall, Sachsenhausen concentration camp (not a fun trip) &various museum/ galleries. And all talks were given in German.
Some people definitely have more of a facility to pick up a foreign language, as an adult, than others but I think a lot has to do with the importance given in your own country to language learning with accompanying possibilities. (nature/ nurture??) I�ve met people from other lines of work (IT etc.) who travel for their jobs and live abroad. Most haven�t bothered with the local language but learning is not practical thing to do either if you�re frequently changing countries, there's more than one official language in that country and if it just doesn�t interest you. And how do you retain your language level once you leave that country? Sadly with great difficulty.

[riverboat]

[Sudz]

Just heard a comment from someone which both annoyed me, and made me think of this thread.

An acquaintance of mine back home had the nerve to say "wont you feel ashamed if you one day have kids, and have to tell them that you lived in Vietnam for 6 years and learned so little Vietnamese". What balls...and this is also coming from a guy who is monolingual

Many people who haven't traveled or worked overseas seem to be under the impression that it's easy to just 'pick up' the language simply by being exposed to it - like some kind of verbal osmosis.

The fact that the comment even annoyed me made me even contemplate studying the language just to protect my ego from the various ignorant comments I'm bound to encounter during my visits back home