The Language (and travel) Thread

[Arcadia]

I take it you don't support making English our nation's "official" language, then? :D

[Van Buren Supernova]

I actually feel more confused now!

 

The content of the conversation helps I think. The one I remember (hopefully correctly).

 

1. I don't do nothing.

Police question woman about possible relation to crime.

Means: I didn't do anything.

 

2. I don't do nothing.

Employer/parents accuse employee/child of slacking off.

Mean: I did something.

 

Argh.

[Arcadia]

Except that the first one is grammatically incorrect, according to the grammar police. :d

[Carol the Dabbler]

I take it you don't support making English our nation's "official" language, then? :D

 

I don't see why I'd argue with doing that.  Everyone would assume that "English" means whichever dialect they speak, which is fine with me.

 

The opposition is far more likely to come from people who support a multi-lingual society.  While I think it's wonderful that people preserve their own cultural heritage (and I am frankly jealous of them), I do think it's also important that we all be able to communicate, which is just a WHOLE lot easier with a common language.  Traditionally, many people in this country have spoken their old-country language at home, but have also spoken English, either fluently or at least well enough to deal with society at large -- which may consist of people who speak many different languages at home, but can all communicate in English as their common language.

[Arcadia]

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yeah, I know you meant it as a joke, but I thought it deserved an answer. ;)

[SherlockedCAMPer]

When I was in public school, double negatives were discouraged as grammatically incorrect for English. However, it was a necessity for Spanish or we would be grammatically incorrect.

[Van Buren Supernova]

I don't know about the rest, to me, vocabulary is what I remember more. Grammar doesn't come naturally and I spent sometimes in companies that uses conversational English and it really messed up the structure I had learned at school. Sometimes I write a post and think it sounds alright but when I re-read it myself, Good God! I should be hanged for this. :p

 

So yah, since I remember words more than grammar, things like this double negative (again, I use math style because it's translated literally) and puns can be weird. But I am aware it happens in almost every language.

[Arcadia]

I remember reading somewhere that puns in Japanese are practically an art form. I think my Dad thought they were an art form in English, too. :d

[Carol the Dabbler]

Are you claiming they're not?  :P

[Arcadia]

As my sister used to intone: "A pun is the lowest form of humor." :d Which of course only encouraged Dad to make more of them......

[Carol the Dabbler]

Your sister is a fuddy-duddy.  :P

[Van Buren Supernova]

:D

I admit sometimes puns make me cringe, and when I hear one in my language I see people being amused although some of them are dry and quite :p annoying.

 

Long story short, I understand and sometimes share your frustation with puns, Miss Arcadia. But the thing is, you had been careless to let me know your weakness and as good member of the forum, I strive to make you suffer, eventhough sometimes I suffer along as well. See my sacrifice? Who said I'm not on the side of the angel? :p

[Arcadia]

And you're so good at it, too. Look, I'm suffering right now.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Okay, okay, to make you feel better.

My friend just made a very bad pun and I wanted to bang my head on the table.

 

And to keep it with the topic, there are two things that fascinate me but also drive me a bit nuts sometimes; if clauses and prepositions. It sounds easy enough.. in theory.

I wonder if that comes naturally with native speakers.

[T.o.b.y]

You know, I am not entirely sure what clauses and prepositions even are.

 

I never understood grammar on a theoretical level and I keep getting the terminology mixed up. Language is very much a learning by doing thing for me.

[Carol the Dabbler]

One's native language(s) is/are always a matter of learn by doing.

 

VBS: "If" clauses generally seem straightforward enough to me -- could you give me an example of one that you find confusing?

 

As for prepositions, those are a bear for me too, even in English, and doubly so in Spanish. A lot of people seem to have trouble with them.

[Van Buren Supernova]

If clause sounds very clear in theory, but I always pause when implementing it and very sure I get that wrong most of the time.

 

I guess sometimes, especially when telling a story, it's not really clear to me if a condition is possible to fulfill or too late to fulfill or is it even a condition (I don't remember so can't provide good example) and sometimes I stumbled into other obstacle in good grammar. Like, okay, I have to use past participle, would have + PP, but this word seems like irregular verb. Would have thunk? Why is it sound so weird??? Okay, abort, abort!! Forget that story or risk making glaring mistakes. Okay, mistake then. Their suffering. My excuse that it's not my first or second language. :p

 

Eta: and oooh I'm so glad that preposition could be confusing for English speakers too.

[T.o.b.y]

I don't know if learning by doing only applies to native languages. The other kids in school seemed to have a hell of a time with French for example and they were being taught mostly theoretically, having the rules explained, memorizing words and then trying to apply their knowledge. I didn't find French class difficult at all and I think that was because my dad read French comic books with me all the time. Often, I couldn't explain why a sentence was correct but I just knew it sounded right.

[Carol the Dabbler]

VBS: Next time you encounter a confusing example, you know where to bring it!

Tobe: Astérix?

[Artemis]

I've had all the prepositions memorized since 4th grade.  They taught us a song, lol.  I always hated diagramming sentences in class.

 

I've never had much trouble remembering the rules of other languages, but I have a hard time getting the accent right.  French was especially difficult.  I was okay with Spanish, but I can't roll my 'R's.

 

"Carrrrrrrne."

 

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I never could roll my R's either, despite four years of Spanish classes. Maybe what I needed was Spanish speech therapy.

 

Does your preposition song teach the proper use of each one?

[Artemis]

No, that would have been really long, lol.

 

 

[T.o.b.y]

VBS: Next time you encounter a confusing example, you know where to bring it!

 

Tobe: Astérix?

Among other things, yes.

[Van Buren Supernova]

I loveee Asterix.

I remember whenever there was a second hand book fair, I used to go from one stall to another and flipping their worn piles hoping to get some Asterix for good price.

I think only when I was in my third year of working I managed to get every single book, three quarter of them are second hand from years of collecting. I started reading it when I was around nine (?) but only started buying in uni.

 

 

Another question came into my mind the other day. English language have many synonyms, and terms for basically almost everything.

But I'm not sure (I think not) that there is a direct term for low tide and high tide? Well, those are important and occur daily.

There are even direct terms like port and starboard for left and right side of the boats.

 

In case there is, let me know please.