Language

[naix]

So, what languages does everyone speak? Are you more inclined to learn your European or Asian language? Which one do you speak best? Which one is easiest to learn? Or do you tend to stick with the common language of English? Discuss!

[YSLove]

I speak several languages (including my European languages), but sadly I don't speak much Korean. I've taken a few lessons and can understand basic things, but I don't speak much at all. I think the key is practice. I don't have anyone to practice with really, so whatever I learn, I eventually forget. I'd like at some point to live in Korea for a while; I think that's the only way I can ever hope to become fluent :l

[davidbleo]

My mother language, which is spanish... then, english, german, mandarin chinese (a lil' bit)... and I can easily read portuguese, french and some italian... I can also understand some dutch...

[toyomansi]

Norwegian, English, Spanish, Filipino, Mandarin Chinese. Most fluent in the first two ones. Can also understand Swedish and Danish, which are similar to Norwegian.

[penguinopolipitese]

I was born in a time when I was cut off from my asian family and there were tangible disadvantages to being asian here. I didn't quite grow up in those times fortunately. Still the bad experiences my dad had shaped what he chose to pass on to his kids. Kind of sad but hey. I can at least swear in vietnamese.

[eanpavel]

I wish I was a bilingual, unfortunately my Vietnamese dad never tried to teach us Vietnamese, thus I’m just Polish native speaker. Apart from English (could be better), I also speak Mandarin Chinese, which is actually my major (I guess I’m quite fluent now). I also took Japanese course during studies but I only managed to grasp some of the basics. Before studying Chinese I also took one year of Serbo-Croatian, which wasn’t actually that challenging for me as a slavic language speaker. I used to be quite good in French too, but since I haven’t been using it after finishing high school I almost forgot it (now I can only read it). Basically I find European languages easier to laern, but personally I’m more keen on learning oriental languages...

BTW, Have u guys noticed how superficial Asian views on language skills r somethimes? I noticed that Chinese would rather hire a non-native white blond blue-eyed European to teach English than for example overseas Chinese, who is English native speaker... As a professional Polish Chinese translator and language tutor I find it really hard to compete with my white colleages – they would rather hire white with worse qualifications than kind of Asian looking guy, as if I wasn’t native speaker, so unfair!

It really piss off when some white laowais who only know one phrase in Mandarin like “Ni hao ma?” get tones of complements and admiration after just pronouncing it with a bad accent and what I’m getting at the same time is just this bashing stare: “How come you don’t speak like a native speaker?!” Most Chinese just assume that I just speak another dialect of Chienese...

[toyomansi]

Jan 17, 2012 9:09:53 GMT -5 @eanpavel said:

BTW, Have u guys noticed how superficial Asian views on language skills r somethimes? I noticed that Chinese would rather hire a non-native white blond blue-eyed European to teach English than for example overseas Chinese, who is English native speaker... As a professional Polish Chinese translator and language tutor I find it really hard to compete with my white colleages – they would rather hire white with worse qualifications than kind of Asian looking guy, as if I wasn’t native speaker, so unfair!

It really piss off when some white laowais who only know one phrase in Mandarin like “Ni hao ma?” get tones of complements and admiration after just pronouncing it with a bad accent and what I’m getting at the same time is just this bashing stare: “How come you don’t speak like a native speaker?!” Most Chinese just assume that I just speak another dialect of Chienese...

Yeah, I have participated in a TEFL program where we were placed in schools in different places in China to teach English - And when I was first placed in a school in Shenzhen, the school told me that the students' parents were expecting the more 'foreign' look (like my colleagues), and I was told I should dye my hair blonde to look more 'exotic'.

[eanpavel]

Yeah, I have participated in a TEFL program where we were placed in schools in different places in China to teach English - And when I was first placed in a school in Shenzhen, the school told me that the students' parents were expecting the more 'foreign' look (like my colleagues), and I was told I should dye my hair blonde to look more 'exotic'.

It's so ridiculous, did u dye ur hair eventually? I still remember when my mate with a strong Polish accent was chosen over Afroamerican... At first I thought that it's only Mainland thing, but then I heard abt similar cases in HK. I hope their views r gonna change some day.

[toyomansi]

No, I didn't dye my hair since I would not feel like me, I just asked to get placed in another school instead. My new school had lots of foreign teachers from different countries, even India and Mexico

I think maybe in the future the situation will change, when white laowais are not that exciting and novel anymore.

[eanpavel]

Hope so! Actually to be fair, Europeans aren’t better.

I moved to another city and went to register at the local clinic:

Me (speaking in Polish): Hello, I want to register myself in here.
Nurse (speaking very slowly): O-f c-o-u-r-s-e, a-r-e y-o-u an ex-chan-ge s-t-u-d-e-n-t? Are you in-sur-ed? Do -you – under-stand -me?
Fortunately there was another nurse who saw my Polish ID card and bashed her before I said anything

In a small security check room at the airport before flying Isreali airline (I hate EL-AL btw, so racist!):

Stuff (in Polish, after looking at me): Do you speak Polish?
Me (a bit irritated cause I was talking to another stuff member just few seconds ago in the same room and she was there holding my passport): Of course I do!

[jefe]

I don't think the situation in HK has improved much in the many years I have been here.

I know someone who works in her brother's English language training centre here in HK. Many parents threaten to pull their kids out of the school unless they get non-Asian teachers. In some cases, he was forced to let go some of the English teachers of Asian descent. I guess the parents feel they are paying money for the kids to interact with non-Asian looking people.