"Sorry for my english"
Bart:
Also i think that it`s have to do with the school system of different country`s
For example:
I come from Holland, my mother language is Dutch, at school i get Dutch, German, English, Frensh, Spanish and Italian.
In holland they choose for a school system that they learn you the language to speak with no accent.
Because that takes al lot of time learning it, they don`t have much time left for the grammatical stuff.
The Dutch schools at intermediate level thinks that it is much better that you can speak a different language good, then that you can write it good.
I hope that you can understand me, i am a little chaotic
dths30:
Quote from: Bart Eijkenboom on 12.08.03, 12:50
I come from Holland, my mother language is Dutch, at school i get Dutch, German, English, Frensh, Spanish and Italian.
Only these languages? lol
tigert:
Quote from: Bart Eijkenboom on 12.08.03, 12:50
The Dutch schools at intermediate level thinks that it is much better that you can speak a different language good, then that you can write it good.
I think it's a good idea. In Finland we at least used to focus on the grammar too much. I hope it has improved lately, but we didnt really have much practice in talking and discussion in english, so everyone grew up with good grammar skills, but was afraid to use the language because they mistakes.. :-(
Not good, took a LONG time for me to start talking fluently. I still have a heavy accent, especially when I am tired (and talking english for say, 2 weeks in a row makes you tired in the brain too)
The funniest part is always coming back - and talking to your friends in english by accident.. That happens. It's actually harder to switch back and forth between languages than to speak english all the time. That's why we usually speak english on our own irc channel where we have one non-finnish guy - we naturally type in english when he is around, but we keep on doing it even when he is gone as well. Just easier.
Tuomas
[edit: fixed *grammar* ]
Chone:
Hmm I read your conversation here and I must add my own comment also..
I have now studied english for 9 years, swedish for 5 years and german for 4,5 years, and I think every language you can speak is a great opportunity.
One main reason why finns can't pronounce english well could be this great difference in pronouncination. While finns speak with a same note all day long, in english note changes very much (those intonations or what do they call them, in questions and so on, hope you can understand what I mean )
So it means that a finn should be able to IMITATE english to speak it correctly. I have tried to learn this imitation, mostly with humour, and now when I really try, my english sounds like that Euronews-newsreporter (This is Euronews - the headlines LOL )
But it really feels truly stupid to speak that way, so many finns just speak how they speak finnish also - nothing changes, only words and grammar is different.
And then, in times before light... okay, about 30 years ago when our parents were in school, teaching were a bit different. They really were punished (in the 50's i think?) if they could'nt pronounce well, so they sat quietly there. This habit is still alive, and that's why older finns do not speak english very well. Teaching methods were just so bad.. It's a shame.
I live in eastern Finland and there aren't no-one who speaks swedish as their motherlanguage (ok well maybe a couple, but I don't know any of those), and learning swedish may feel very stupid and boring now, but I still think it might be useful - and as I said, every knowledge is good knowledge...
Whoa.. that was a long post.
potemkin:
Quote from: quixeven on 30.06.03, 18:46
First of all let me say that Kimmo's post is really interesting and also resonable, I fully agree with him.
Then, about the language in question...there are three "English's"
1) The American English, spoken in the US of A.
2) The "European English", that a Spanish would use to speak to a Czech person, or an Italian to a Finn, just like I'm doing now
3) The English English, spoken in the United Kingdom, with all of its regional nuances.
I think you forgot to mention Irish English...often spoken better than in England.
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