mikedsc
11-15-2003, 11:30 PM
I don't have much to say, though that's mostly because this is a topic I went through a while back (going through the pains of taking Linguistics 101 and attempting to learn Quenya, as well as researching artificial languages... all for my own game), but I agree with everything you said.
It's incredibly true that Americans are unique in their inability to speak a second, third, even fourth language. Like you said, Europeans frequently know a host of languages, and think nothing of it. On my trip there, the tour guide said he knew Belgian, French, English, German, and Italian, if I recall correctly. And that wasn't much, to him. My grandfather knew 60+ dialects of Chinese, claims my mother.
Similarly, people naturally distrust anyone that speaks a different language, or, more accurately, a language they do not understand. (It's a xenophobic effect, similar to "You represent the unknown, and I fear you.")
But I digress, and am mostly reiterating what you've said in shorter form. So I'd just like to say it's good to see another article from you. :)
It's incredibly true that Americans are unique in their inability to speak a second, third, even fourth language. Like you said, Europeans frequently know a host of languages, and think nothing of it. On my trip there, the tour guide said he knew Belgian, French, English, German, and Italian, if I recall correctly. And that wasn't much, to him. My grandfather knew 60+ dialects of Chinese, claims my mother.
Similarly, people naturally distrust anyone that speaks a different language, or, more accurately, a language they do not understand. (It's a xenophobic effect, similar to "You represent the unknown, and I fear you.")
But I digress, and am mostly reiterating what you've said in shorter form. So I'd just like to say it's good to see another article from you. :)