Re: Foreign Languages?

Joan darlin, one third of the world's population is Chinese, therefore, and more particularly given your geographical location in relation to China, it would seen a good idea for you to learn Chinese.

Re: Foreign Languages?

Yeah, I know, but it is sooooooo very hard. And I'm a bit tone deaf, and both Mandarin and Cantonese are tonal languages, and that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!

On the other hand, it would be interesting to see how those pictographs work....

Our former PM Kevin Rudd is a Mandarin speaker: he's now foreign minister so i guess it is a big help to him.

Re: Foreign Languages?

The popular new languages to learn by American school kids are Spanish & Mandarin Chinese. After all, they now dominate the world. Americans/Brittish are in decline.

Re: Foreign Languages?

actually... yes, Chinese (Mandarin) is spoken by most people, but is mainly confined to China.
English and French is still widely used for communication purposes.


Total Speakers
1. Chinese (1.5 billion)
2. English (1+ billion)
3. Spanish (500 million)
4. Hindustani (460 million)
5. Arabic (452 million)
6. Russian (278 million)
7. French (265 million)
8. Portuguese (215 million)
9. Bengali (211 million)
10. German (150 million)
11. Japanese (130 million)

Languages spoken in the most countries
1. English
2. French
3. Arabic
4. Spanish
5. Russian
6. German
7. Portuguese
8. Chinese

Re: Foreign Languages?

Yes, I think Spanish would be my first choice of foreign language if I lived in the USA. I firmly believe ALL children should learn at last one foreign language because it increases their understanding of their own language, and if taught properly in the context of the culture too, it increases inter-cultural understanding.

I think learning a Chinese language would be a fantastic intellectual exercise. European languages, most of them anyway, belong to the same language tree as English, but Mandarin and Cantonese - phew - there is just no relation at all. We can guess loads of Spanish words - especially if we grew up watching cowboy films, but apart from imported foreign words there is no help with Chinese!!

Re: Foreign Languages?

I worked with a man from Belgium years ago who told me that in his country it was a requirement in schools that kids learn a minimum of two languages. Spanish has been taught in schools since I was a child. I took four years of French in high school. The Spanish population has become huge in the United States so lots of Anglo-Americans learn Spanish to interact with Latins in the workplace.

Re: Foreign Languages?

I think that's great, Bob.

Re: Foreign Languages?

I had a brief unsuccessful try at beginners Mandarin when I was in my 40s ...I was good at IndoEuropean languages but tonal is something else .... too difficult for me .......

Re: Foreign Languages?

I speak a foreign language, Lancashire lol Well, my husband thinks so but he comes from down the South - so it may be him that speaks a foreign language, we certainly have to explain things sometimes!!

June x

Re: Foreign Languages?

Yes, it's the tonal bit that puts me off. Indo-European languages are fun, because you see all the links between the languages, and as you see them, you are catching some of the history of the people who speak them.

In a way, the English we speak, especially when we use a dialect, is like the bit above the ground in an archaeological dig, and underneath, hidden from view unless you know where to look, lie layers of regional regional history.