Re: Why Americans feel no compulsion ...
At 12:21 AM 3/28/96, Syed Yusuf wrote:
If a person who speaks three languages is tri-lingual If a person who speaks two languages is bi-lingual
What do you call a person who only speaks one language?
---------------------answer follows:
An American.
Or our version: What do you call a person who has to learn English as a second language in order to compete in the world? A foreigner. (Sorry for the insult, but it seems that this thread is bringing out insults from foreigners of all sorts.) --Tim Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 - 1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Timothy C. May wrote:
At 12:21 AM 3/28/96, Syed Yusuf wrote:
If a person who speaks three languages is tri-lingual If a person who speaks two languages is bi-lingual
What do you call a person who only speaks one language?
---------------------answer follows:
An American.
Or our version:
What do you call a person who has to learn English as a second language in order to compete in the world?
A foreigner.
(Sorry for the insult, but it seems that this thread is bringing out insults from foreigners of all sorts.)
--Tim
I suppose this thing could go on and on and on and be argued in many ways, but I have to side with Tim here. I would add that America started out a scant 300 or so years ago, we are what we are because we worked at it. If we speak a language and most of the 200+ million Americans do, and we are a dominant factor in the world today .... why should we learn another language. I learned VietNamese when I went off to war. I learned Russian for the hell of it after taking several courses in Russian history. I have learned some French out of courtesy and survival when I go to Montreal (but a 90 minute drive from here). If I were not going any of these places why would I learn another language, why waste the time? Let me turn it around; If I were in downtown Moscow what moral highground could justify that I demand the locals speak English to me? By what right does anyone demand that the 70-80% of Americans who will never have a need for a second langauge learn one? - -- Brian B. Riley --> http://www.together.com/~brianbr "If this is the first day of the rest of my life, I am in DEEP trouble!" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3a Charset: cp850 Comment: Chance smiles upon the prepared mind Comment: PGP Key IDs: 2047/0x17c2b699 1024/0x662A7641 iQCVAwUBMV9TwjTEZIFmKnZBAQEqKwQAqo9pHdxO4jZAvS+HsoZkiNQIX+zSN3PV bTWt/ro/Xs2BCFSQy8eI/1K0iNNqXkrHyoH4WymCD+zKXKB5ex3CqV3B7Kuqm4te HbupKSPfXw9FbCteqmgMBjytBSDKWqa82gHv7SKrPyKhxr+jvJP1enHDvZRAeNW9 gMc6GxZYrdI= =8Rg9 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Yeah, and some americans speak C, and FORTRAN, and FORTH, and ... ---------------------------------------- Rabid Wombat wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org ----------------------------------------
At 12:21 AM 3/28/96, Syed Yusuf wrote:
If a person who speaks three languages is tri-lingual If a person who speaks two languages is bi-lingual
What do you call a person who only speaks one language?
An American.
participants (3)
-
Brian B. Riley -
Rabid Wombat -
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