marionm
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Post by marionm on Mar 9, 2019 18:36:51 GMT -5
The level of languages especially English is pretty high here in Germany. When i went to high school/college most students were very good im English, fluent, had spent some time abroad. Although there were a few cases where they left high school barely understanding a sentence of English (how they managed is beyond me). At university we had a Canadian professor who was just starting to learn German. He held his classes in English. Again i was astonished how good people were in English.
In my circle of friends one friend dated a French girl. When she was here to visit we all spoke English. Also at concerts there is a lot of English ^^
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Post by nightowl on Mar 9, 2019 18:47:29 GMT -5
The level of languages especially English is pretty high here in Germany. When i went to high school/college most students were very good im English, fluent, had spent some time abroad. Although there were a few cases where they left high school barely understanding a sentence of English (how they managed is beyond me). At university we had a Canadian professor who was just starting to learn German. He held his classes in English. Again i was astonished how good people were in English. In my circle of friends one friend dated a French girl. When she was here to visit we all spoke English. Also at concerts there is a lot of English ^^ That’s very true for Germany. A story: Last week I was for the first time in our Hard Rock Cafe here in Berlin (I have been to several in different countries, but why should I visit my local one ? 😉). I met with another Queenbert, that’s why we thought that location was very fitting. Our waitress didn’t speak German though. We had to order in English. I mean, we were able to do so, and she was a really nice student from Italy. But it was still a bit strange... Can you imagine, that the waitress in your country doesn’t speak the local language at all? In Berlin it happens.
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mszue
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Post by mszue on Mar 9, 2019 18:55:34 GMT -5
[ I think "the world speaks English" isn't so much a problem as it is a fact. In America, kids take a foreign language more as a recreation or an "extra" rather than as a necessity to get along in the larger world. Many US kids take a few years of Spanish or French or German or Latin, get the basics and then kind of forget it. In general Americans don't use the second language a whole. I know I'm generalizing but I think it's pretty true. But in other countries, English is more of a necessity than a recreation. English is spoken so commonly around the world, esp. in business. And lots of English language media (TV, movies, etc.) are in English. (I know subtitles can be used.) And English seems to be taught very early in elementary school in other countries. So it's taken more seriously than here in the US. I think it's great to know more than one language. I took my two years of HS French and I loved it. Wish I had taken more. It's helped me with vocabulary and reading and other benefits. Hope Adam learns some Spanish. It's a very sexy language. I keep thinking of Antonio Banderas. What a babe! American is kind of isolated. Canada up north and Mexico down south. But Europe and other areas have countries very close together. I think languages spill over a lot more from country to country. I thought that myself. My experience was to my astonishment especially during the last years different though. When I was in Prague for QAL in 2017, I usually started to speak in English, when I came into contact with locals. About 2/3 of them didn’t speak English. But German. I experienced the same in Poland, Italy, Greece and Spain. In France, people often didn’t speak any foreign language. Or they didn’t want to. 😁 On the whole, I found out, that people often don’t speak English. Maybe that were coincidences and I always meet the wrong people. I’m sure, the young generations usually do learn English by now. But not all. The Scandinavian countries are very different.They start very young, because even TV is often in English there (hence, they got Idol). To exaggerate a bit: Why should Europeans learn English, when only the about 60 Mio. Brits and Irish speak English? Who want to leave the EU. At the same time, more than 130 Mio people in several countries are native German speakers. And many others speak it as second language. That’s important for tourism, so people learn German. But to communicate worldwide and with most countries, English is the chosen language, of course. I think, it’s important to learn that, but as I described: I learnt, that there are countries, where it doesn’t help you. Maybe, Americans should keep that in mind, when visiting Europe. 😉 It is an interesting thought that as the US pulls back from international unions, and Britain pulls out of the EU, English may have less and less influence on the international stage! Sounds like you are seeing signs of that already. Here in Canada the second language is French, of course. Wish I were better at it!
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Post by 4EverAdam on Mar 9, 2019 19:25:31 GMT -5
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Post by girldrummer on Mar 9, 2019 19:48:14 GMT -5
I thought that myself. My experience was to my astonishment especially during the last years different though. When I was in Prague for QAL in 2017, I usually started to speak in English, when I came into contact with locals. About 2/3 of them didn’t speak English. But German. I experienced the same in Poland, Italy, Greece and Spain. In France, people often didn’t speak any foreign language. Or they didn’t want to. 😁 On the whole, I found out, that people often don’t speak English. Maybe that were coincidences and I always meet the wrong people. I’m sure, the young generations usually do learn English by now. But not all. The Scandinavian countries are very different.They start very young, because even TV is often in English there (hence, they got Idol). To exaggerate a bit: Why should Europeans learn English, when only the about 60 Mio. Brits and Irish speak English? Who want to leave the EU. At the same time, more than 130 Mio people in several countries are native German speakers. And many others speak it as second language. That’s important for tourism, so people learn German. But to communicate worldwide and with most countries, English is the chosen language, of course. I think, it’s important to learn that, but as I described: I learnt, that there are countries, where it doesn’t help you. Maybe, Americans should keep that in mind, when visiting Europe. 😉 It is an interesting thought that as the US pulls back from international unions, and Britain pulls out of the EU, English may have less and less influence on the international stage! Sounds like you are seeing signs of that already. Here in Canada the second language is French, of course. Wish I were better at it! I really hope that the "pull-back" does not last long and is reversed. We need the unity, IMO. I am really enjoying this conversation about language. See how being an Adam fan opens our minds and hearts to each other? I have learned a lot today. And I hope we hear Adam speak some Spanish sometime soon. He loves to play around with language. He's pretty clever with it. I'd love to hear his Spanish accent!
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Post by skaschep on Mar 9, 2019 19:52:02 GMT -5
Adam also posted the pic on FB Adam Lambert The SCARLET PIMP
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Post by pi on Mar 9, 2019 19:58:31 GMT -5
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Post by skaschep on Mar 9, 2019 20:00:19 GMT -5
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Post by skaschep on Mar 9, 2019 20:00:55 GMT -5
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