ALCATRAZ und das Pergament des Todes

[neiana]

I would totally buy a copy of Alcatraz in Korean.     I started reading Harry Potter in Korean but gave it up in disgust on the train scene when Hermione introduced herself as "Hermy-own" and the bogey-flavored bean was rendered as "a very strange-tasting one."  Alas.

HAHA!  Woooow!  I bet bogeys do taste pretty strange, though   What would you suggest for Hermione, though?  Feel free to write in both Korean and Latin-based Korean phoneticed.

[Pink Bunkadoo]

Let me pull out my book here... Hermione is 헤르미온느, which is "Her-mee-own."  I'd probably go with something like 허마이오니 ("Huh-ma-ee-oh-nee," near as I can Romanzie it.  That looks ugly).  Googling 허마이오니 does bring up a bunch of hits, so perhaps they fixed it later.

[Miyabi]

I loathe English.  I would like to learn Chinese (of some dialect) and Korean and Thai, but alas, my programming classes take up FAR too much time and I'm required to be in those classes when language classes are being taught.

[neiana]

I loathe English.  I would like to learn Chinese (of some dialect) and Korean and Thai, but alas, my programming classes take up FAR too much time and I'm required to be in those classes when language classes are being taught.

http://www.livemocha.com offers free courses. They work similarly to the Rosetta Stone software.

[Miyabi]

  I'll have to check that out.  Thanks.

[SarahG]

I loathe English.

Well then why don't you go find a Brandon Sanderson forum in Mandarin?   

Seriously, though, don't knock a language with far more material published than all other languages put together, and twice the vocabulary of the nearest competitor, and practically all the scientific research.  It's like people who say they hate America and its government, while taking for granted all the freedoms and services their country and government provide them.

[neiana]

I loathe English.

Well then why don't you go find a Brandon Sanderson forum in Mandarin?   

Seriously, though, don't knock a language with far more material published than all other languages put together, and twice the vocabulary of the nearest competitor, and practically all the scientific research.  It's like people who say they hate America and its government, while taking for granted all the freedoms and services their country and government provide them.

Wow.  Back off a step, there?   America doesn't have the most people.  If you want a proper analogy you should say "Don't knock China/India, they have the most people."

English is not a very aesthetic language, nor is it logical.  There are a wealth of words one could use in any situation which makes it difficult to learn and confusing for those with the slightest touch of a learning disorder.  Dear old "America", by the way, has one of the lowest literacy rates of an industrialized nation and we should all be ashamed of that.  Just wanted to point it out.

The reason "English" has that many published works is because "English" people went on and killed a bunch of people in lands other than the UK thus extinguishing one language and making room for expansion of another.  After that, America spent a lot of money making sure it was a superpower.  If you think that's the right way to go, then we should all be learning Latin and.. wait for it.. Mandarin!

[Miyabi]

I loathe English.

Well then why don't you go find a Brandon Sanderson forum in Mandarin?   

Seriously, though, don't knock a language with far more material published than all other languages put together, and twice the vocabulary of the nearest competitor, and practically all the scientific research.  It's like people who say they hate America and its government, while taking for granted all the freedoms and services their country and government provide them.

Because I currently don't speak Mandarin.  I would much prefer to speak a different language on a day to day basis.  What studying I have done and what I know of other languages they are much more efficient.  I won't say English doesn't accomplish what it needs to, but it is very very inefficient and muddled.  'Scientific Research?'  Ninety percent of the people working in these facilities come from a different background and have to later learn English.  And the language spoken has NOTHING to do with the research that is actually accomplished.  Money and initiative have a great deal to do with it.

I'm just not going to talk about the other topic on this thread.  I could write pages and pages on that, but it doesn't belong here.

[SarahG]

OK, so much for an attempt to lighten the discussion - seems I did the opposite.  I apologize for causing offense.

My point was not that English is the best language, any more than the USA is the best country.  I think those who say those things (especially when it's just a slogan without backup) are silly.  My analogy was meant to convey that English is a very useful language to know, and that you are fortunate to be fluent in it, just as an American passport is a useful thing to have and those who have one are (in my opinion) fortunate.  Clearly you find English useful as well, or you would not be using it.  I think that saying "I loathe English" in English is like saying "I loathe automobiles" while driving one.

[GreenMonsta]

Wow, I almost had the fotitude to avoid comenting on this. I say almost because I find it difficult to pass up.

      So if im getting this right than neiana and miyabi have an issue with the english language. Ok I get it your self loathers, I know it happens from time to time and its alwayse sad. But moving on, neiana for some reason seems to have an issue with this country also something I dont understand. I mean in reality were would you be if you grew up an average person in Latin America? Ok I get it, this country has its faults as all others do and I get it again you were only attempting to correct Sarah's analogy but was it all that nessesary to rip a whole in this country. I for one dont think so.

      Great we have a low literacy rate that we should be ashamed of but what are you doing about it??? Oh right I like to comment on things I have nothing to do with too. Great the english language has too many words making it difficult to learn yet the people who spoke it in the past were inteligent enouph to conqure most of the world and make them learn it. Dont start with that "they killed enouph people" crap because every country since the beggining of time has been involved in wars. Like my signature says we are all childeren of war. We dont have to like it but its the truth. Stop crying about it and either do something about it or shut up.

[GreenMonsta]

I know I come off as a jerk and usualy I try not to sound that way and nothing really personal against anyone who posts here but I cant help it sometimes. neiana and miyabi  I like you guys your posts are alwayse intelligent if not thought about like all of us so dont take it personally, I deffend the English laguage yet I butcher it every day so I know were not all perfect.

[VegasDev]

Lot of facts thrown out there. For reference, what other languages do you (anyone who wants to answer) speak fluently? What exactly is the United States' literacy rate?

[GreenMonsta]

I for one dont speak any other languages and I couldnt tell you the literacy rate and I find it amusing. You have to love those of us who like VegasDev just like to prod the situation without becoming overly involved. I realy do like it and I wish I had done so here I just found myself on a tangent.

[Reaves]

it depends on how you define "literacy." A quick search on Google tells me that cia.gov marks the US literacy at 99%  
As for how many languages i speak I can only speak English however I am in year 3 of Spanish at my school.

[SarahG]

For reference, what other languages do you (anyone who wants to answer) speak fluently?

Speak fluently?
French

Speak a little?
Lingala

Have studied extensively (written form only)?
Ancient Hebrew
Koine Greek
Ancient Aramaic

Have studied very briefly (~8 weeks)?
Bahasa Indonesia
Cebuano