Why do we have a second language again?

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Zeke

And what do you call a lot of the world that speaks English as a 2nd language? Knowing the advantage.

You better learn Chinese if you want to hold that advantage.....

[vash]

¿Qué dijiste?

¿Mande?

bums me out. i used to be fluent in spanish and cantonese. now i just know broken sentences. my english is suspect too.

wish i kept it up.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Christien

We have two official languages,

In NZ we hace two official languages and I speak three of them.

[cmccuist]

Originally Posted by IROC

Nailed it. I work with a scientist from Africa who speaks 7 languages. He told me a joke one time:

Q: What do you call a person with an college degree who only speaks one language?

A: An American.

African Scientist is hillarious! I bet he kills them in Cameroon! I can see it now - African Scientist Comedy Jam, African Scientist at the Improv, Two and a Half African Scientists.

But seriously, I just got back from the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Bahrain(and are my arms tired!). It's a week of vendors, scientists, geologists and engineers right in the heart of the Middle East. Very technical presenters from all over the world, experts in drilling, well testing, reservoir management, unconventional gas, fracking etc. The one thing they had in common - every paper, exhibit, presentation, and document were all in English.

I've lived all over the world. In such exotic places as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, St. Croix, American Samoa and New Jersey. Everywhere I go, they speak English or wish they did. Even the guy who sells me donuts on my way to work in Dhahran speaks English. There are 540,000 words in the English language with more being added every day. In the Kingdom, every billboard, menu, street sign, and newspaper has Arabic and English versions. I'm trying to learn Arabic, but all my colleagues speak English! It's the official language of Aramco. All the specs and procedures are in English.

Yea, we're very isolated and colloquial here in the US. But they are still paying Amurikins ungodly amounts of jack to come and work in other countries. They can't get enough of us! It's not just a language thing either. It's cultural.

There are about 7,000 distinct languages being spoken in the world right now. Half of those, and the people who speak them, will not survive this century. You can go ahead and fire up your Rosetta stone and make the effort, but if you speak English, you're way ahead of the game communication wise.

The project I'm running right now - $145 million pipeline - has vendors in Belgium, Italy, the US, Spain, and KSA. Every bit of communication is in English. All my contacts speak English. You can still do business even if you don't know Spanish, French, Italian etc.

Now, my colleagues in SA all appreciate the effort I'm putting in because they are naturally proud of their Arabic - a really beautiful and ancient language with huge cultural and artistic significance (Arabic writing is a form of art as well as communication). But it doesn't keep me from my work. I would encourage Americans to at least put forth the effort. It's pretty fun learning a new language.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

African Scientist is hillarious! I bet he kills them in Cameroon! I can see it now - African Scientist Comedy Jam, African Scientist at the Improv, Two and a Half African Scientists.

But seriously, I just got back from the Middle East Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Bahrain(and are my arms tired!). It's a week of vendors, scientists, geologists and engineers right in the heart of the Middle East. Very technical presenters from all over the world, experts in drilling, well testing, reservoir management, unconventional gas, fracking etc. The one thing they had in common - every paper, exhibit, presentation, and document were all in English.

I've lived all over the world. In such exotic places as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, St. Croix, American Samoa and New Jersey. Everywhere I go, they speak English or wish they did. Even the guy who sells me donuts on my way to work in Dhahran speaks English. There are 540,000 words in the English language with more being added every day. In the Kingdom, every billboard, menu, street sign, and newspaper has Arabic and English versions. I'm trying to learn Arabic, but all my colleagues speak English! It's the official language of Aramco. All the specs and procedures are in English.

Yea, we're very isolated and colloquial here in the US. But they are still paying Amurikins ungodly amounts of jack to come and work in other countries. They can't get enough of us! It's not just a language thing either. It's cultural.

There are about 7,000 distinct languages being spoken in the world right now. Half of those, and the people who speak them, will not survive this century. You can go ahead and fire up your Rosetta stone and make the effort, but if you speak English, you're way ahead of the game communication wise.

The project I'm running right now - $145 million pipeline - has vendors in Belgium, Italy, the US, Spain, and KSA. Every bit of communication is in English. All my contacts speak English. You can still do business even if you don't know Spanish, French, Italian etc.

Now, my colleagues in SA all appreciate the effort I'm putting in because they are naturally proud of their Arabic - a really beautiful and ancient language with huge cultural and artistic significance (Arabic writing is a form of art as well as communication). But it doesn't keep me from my work. I would encourage Americans to at least put forth the effort. It's pretty fun learning a new language.

What's really sad is all my foreign business contacts who speak and write English better than their US counter parts.

[cmccuist]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

What's really sad is all my foreign business contacts who speak and write English better than their US counter parts.

Agreed. I work with Phillipinos, Saudis, Canadians, Brits, Germans, etc. Their English is amazing. They even get the slang. It's sad that we (Americans) don't pay more attention to our communication skills.

[KFC911]

No sé por qué necesitamos incluso inglés, también me habla habla del Sur.

[Hard-Deck]

The United States does not have a legal official language.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

You better learn Chinese if you want to hold that advantage.....

I don't have anything that I want them to have and there's nothing they have that I want that I can't have with English.

Pretty much says it all about anyone I deal with. It's kinda like me having to speak Spanish to get my lawn mowed. That won't happen.

[MattKellett]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

Agreed. I work with Phillipinos, Saudis, Canadians, Brits, Germans, etc. Their English is amazing. They even get the slang. It's sad that we (Americans) don't pay more attention to our communication skills.

I know what you meant, but that's some funny $#!T right there

[dagriff]

I always look forward to reading the instructions translated from Chinese. Just hilarious.
After reading this post, us prefer you go have happy fun time.

[cmccuist]

Originally Posted by MattKellett

I know what you meant, but that's some funny $#!T right there

Yea, I should have said Scots! I can't understand a word they're saying.

[Hugo930]

Yo no creo que tu sabes espanol.

Originally Posted by KC911

No sé por qué necesitamos incluso inglés, también me habla habla del Sur.