Foreign Languages - Blog Posts
Learning a language and slang at the same time is crazy bc i‘ll use a phrase and be like „is this a slang term and acceptable in casual conversation, a rare but correct phrase, or absolute bullshit that makes me look like an idiot“
Do Europeans (and do Ukrainians) criticize for low foreign language skills?
Today, I found a post of a non-European who complained about how the Spanish criticized foreigners for nor speaking Spanish. It reminds me of posts about how Europeans hate when Americans are not bilingual or are not speaking their mother tongue.
As an Eastern European, specifically, as a Ukrainian, I personally give no sheesh whether you speak Ukrainian or not. However...
First, not all Ukrainians speak English/Spanish/French/German etc.
You cannot simply come here and expect us to speak English fluently. Elder generations speak English badly, my generation (um...actually, I am not gen Z according to our generation theory...I am Y...uummmm...however!) also refuses to speak (but learns), the youngest gen Alpha cannot speak English yet. Why? Because we cannot practice it, we have no extra money to travel all around the world (even before the war, ye know), and as an English language teacher, I have to say the methods of teaching English in Ukraine are...particularly ineffective. Same situations with less spreaded languages.
Second, we want you to speak Ukrainian.
It is a common situation (especially before the war) when a foreigner surely learns French or German but thinks English will be enough in Ukraine. You may say that is because Slavic languages are hard to (at least) speak, but many of you choose russian to learn. Moreover, there are absolutely brainless and somehow pragmatic people (yeah, Chinese, I am speaking about you) thinking it is enough to speak russian in Ukraine, the mother language of Ukrainians does not matter.
We want you to speak Ukrainian. We do not really care how bad you speak. We will surely (try to) understand you and correct if it is necessary. Our language is unique, and we want not only all the Ukrainians to speak it but also foreigners to learn.
btw how did I learn English...? well...I am a philologist of English and Chinese languages, and I have a bachelor degree (yet).
теє-то, кулєги, поширюйте допис, я пітнів і без перекладача писав, як справжній профі!
Sometimes some simple things in my life can feel so bizarre, and it's so funny, like-
Watching videos and reading fics in English is such a norm for me, I don't even recognise it as something special anymore, and then one moment when I'm casually standing and reading something, and my groupmate right next to me does a double-take on my screen and goes: "You can read this?!?" I go like, 'yeah?-'
And then it hits me. I can read it. Holy crap, I can. 🫢 I can understand words in another language. I can talk with people and they understand me! It's so bizarre. 😶
current frenchy read: La chauve suivi de la leçon by Lonesco Cantatrice
it is originally a play however it was $5 at my local bookstore so i couldn’t resist
looking 4 moots!!
my name is kat and i’m 18
about me and DNIs are in pinned post:)
I know bilingualism done fucked me up when i almost tripped walking on the street today and said out loud: "FUCKING HELL" as an automatic response...completely sincerely and unironically I`m Ukrainian you guys....I live in Ukraine...I
How the HECKKKKKK do people stick to just one language? I can’t wrap my head around that. I love learning about different languages and all and I see the value in every one and I just want to learn everything..how do people fight those urges? Like, I know I should focus on my current target language, but I’m so tempted to learn everything, even though I know I can’t and won’t..does anyone else relate and how do you combat this? T-T
tj_beastboy - W1NNER rock cover out now!!!
SoundCloud
Voloco
Yesterday’s prep for tonight’s service, the kitchen smelt absolutely DIVINE! Love being a culinary student, best scholarly choice I made lol.
My partners parents found out I’m learning Bulgarian, and now I feel more pressured to learn more, and learn faster 😮💨
This is my mother fr! For example, if I say the American version of an English word, or if I ‘ma però’, or if I mix up any language/sentence structures of any of the languages she knows, she will IMMEDIATELY correct me and point out why I was wrong 🥲. Like sorry Im dyslexic while you have multiple language degrees lol.
Linguists are like vampires but instead of drinking your blood they harass you about a weird irregularity in your speech that no one else would have noticed.
Had a good day of studying today, mainly focused on Русский (Russian). In college today we made banana bread and date scones which were really nice, I love being a culinary student but I really dislike the fact we have to pay for the things we bake ourselves. Apparently it was also ‘freshers’ week for universities so there was loads of stalls set up in the town centre where you would get massive discounts if you were a student.
To the boy who laughed at my Russian translation today иди нахуй! I’m trying my best here 🥲. Hey at least my bestie got my back though helping me correct it and tell me what I got wrong, forever grateful!
Saw this outside the foreign language department at school today
Nominication for study?
For those unfamiliar with the expression 'nominication,' it is a Japanese portmanteau of the words 'nomu' meaning to drink and 'komyunike-shun' or communication in English. It refers to the phenomenon of enjoying communication over a drink and is a large part of Japanese culture.
Sometimes people I have met have mused over the idea of a lesson held while drinking to enjoy English communication. Overall my instinct has always been that this is an ineffective way to study, as the best way to take away results from an English lesson is through active involvement. This includes speaking and asking questions which we will achieve in a nominication- based lesson, but it also involves writing notes and clarity of mind to put together information and new language usage opportunities. I typically chuckle and say, 'good idea' because I know these spontaneous ideas rarely come to fruition.
That opinion is formed from the core of what I believe and how I plan my language lessons, but the problem is that there actually may be some benefit to such sessions. As a student of Japanese, early on I spent time making word lists, reviewing grammar points and writing out the same kanji (Japanese version of Chinese written characters) but I could barely communicate. Part of that problem was fear, but the other half was a lack of practice. It wasn't until I joined the local festival and a Bon Odori (traditional Japanese dance to honor the recently departed) called Enshu Dainenbutsu that I started to get some practice and grow my speaking skills. On top of this, my son started soccer and I took care of driving him and cheering for him, so I had many chances to interact with other parents. I discovered that after a couple of beers I was able to communicate more and it helped me make bigger steps in my speaking ability. A Time magazine article cites a research done by British and Dutch scientists where they concluded that there is a positive influence on foreign language skills after a few drinks (not too many!)
The reason is simple enough to imagine. When we are under the influence, we worry less and we speak more freely. By eliminating the overthinking factor, I found I could have longer conversations and activate words that I had thought I had forgotten. There is also room to experiment and, if we manage to ensure that we don't drink too much, we can stay aware of people's reactions and grow. I feel a reason why this can help is that language is more than math, more than science, there is an artistic element to it as well. The brain needs to grow on many different plains to increase our aptitude and confidence, which is such an important factor in reaching the next steps in communication.
So does this sway my hardliner opinion? A little. I still think structured lessons and practice are essential, especially in a business context. However students could separately enjoy the occasional session with a private teacher or language group which may help give the students a judgement free environment in which to practice their speaking capabilities. Even some classes I have taught like to have a seasonal party to relax and enjoy English communication, but a class still needs to be centered in a classroom with a pen or pencil in your hand.