DebraK

It is my sadness that my husband's family hasn't shared Japanese with my son.

k3n

Well I have to say Joanne that the English (read British) are probably as bad! I did study French and German at school and at least one foreign language was obligatory up to age 16, I don't know how it is now. Since coming to live here in France, my French has become pretty fluent. I couldn't live in a country and not be able to communicate - but then I always had a lot to say for myself - you may have noticed! LOL

But it's amazing the number of English ppl here who have been here for years and can hardly manage a 'merci' or 'bonjour'. It makes me feel angry and embarrassed as we all get tarred with the same brush. It's interesting for me to see being an 'immigrant' from the other side. I was guilty of complaining in the UK that tax money was being spent on printing leaflets etc in foreign languages - 'they should learn English, etc etc'. Now, here in France, I see English ppl being given the same kind of treatment. Our local supermarket even has the aisles marked with the English alongside the French. How will ppl learn if they don't have to? Again, I'm embarrassed, what must the locals think? However, this is economic, I appreciate that. This is a poor, rural area and the English and Dutch 'incomers' bring a lot of wealth to local businesses. Sorry, told you I liked to 'communicate'! :mrgreen:

JoanneS

I had 3 years of Spanish in high school, more in college, but I still couldn't SPEAK it, much less understand it when I visited Spain. Speaking German had 'pushed' it out of my hear. I COULD read it. It took 2 weeks of very concertrated listening before I could HEAR it! Now I'm not saying this was the fault of my HS or college -BUT both concentrated on reading and taking written tests, not on speaking. I hope that has changed. My DGD has had MUCH better training it Italian - enough so that when she and DD visited Italy a year or so ago - she wowed DD with her speaking!

QBeth

After a total of 8 yrs of French (grade, high school, and college), I can't speak a word of it. Doesn't make me arrogant, just makes me dumb when it comes to languages. Europe has an advantage in that a lot of countries practically sit on top of each other. They get to practice other languages where we, here in the USA, don't always have that opportunity in our day-to-day lives. I wish I could speak another language... it just doesn't stick in my head.

But, there is a language I can speak. Its called QUILTING! And, it's a very universal language at that!! >>>>

butterflywing

then i think you speak mongolian chinese :lol:
i believe that was the first recorded instance of quilting. see? languages DO stick in your head :mrgreen:

QBeth

Oh, good. Maybe I'm not as dumb as I thought! :thumbup:

trupeach1

TOOOOOOOOOOOO funny but OHHHHHHHHH so true!!!!!!!!!LOL

zz-pd

My father was 85% Indian and he hated his own race for note gone to work and making there own income, I never under stood this, put he taught us to work hard and make our own living. Penny