OT- Spelling is out. - Page 6

DavidG · #51 September 17th, 2003, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slynky:
My memory sucks pretty bad sometimes, DavidG, but several years back...was there some talk of Quebec "exiting" Canada? Or something real controversial like that.

Yup. The had a referendum. 51% voted no. The second I think. The issue of Quebec separation has been a pretty big issue in Canada for much of the Last 20 or 30 years. Although currently it's kind of lost it's appeal. The Parti Quebecois party first came to power in 1976 on a pro separation policy. They only just recently got voted out.

narf poit chez BOOM · #52 September 17th, 2003, 04:58 AM

according to some things i've heard, that referendum wasn't counted accuratly either. apparently, some or all of the counter's where told to discount no votes if they went over some very narrow lines.

Slynky · #53 September 17th, 2003, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidG:

quote:
Originally posted by Slynky:
My memory sucks pretty bad sometimes, DavidG, but several years back...was there some talk of Quebec "exiting" Canada? Or something real controversial like that.

Yup. The had a referendum. 51% voted no. The second I think. The issue of Quebec separation has been a pretty big issue in Canada for much of the Last 20 or 30 years. Although currently it's kind of lost it's appeal. The Parti Quebecois party first came to power in 1976 on a pro separation policy. They only just recently got voted out.

WOW! Seems very unusual for something like that to get momentum in an age like this.

Jake Monroe · #54 September 17th, 2003, 05:45 AM

[quote]Originally posted by Slynky:

Quote:

Originally posted by Alneyan:
[qb]We Americans REALLY suck when it comes to speaking a second language.

That reminds me of a joke.

Someone who can speak 3 Languages is trilingual.
Someone who can speak 2 Languages is bilingual.
Someone who can speak 1 language is American.

oleg · #55 September 17th, 2003, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dogscoff:
Oleg, I have to agree with you. I can read that russian text with the exact same level of ease I would read normal russian...

I wonder it is becuse you don't have correct fonts

Go to "view"->"encoding"-> *** "cyrillic Windows". Now you can read it, right ?

dogscoff · #56 September 17th, 2003, 10:30 AM

I heard somewhere that the reason English has achieved such a strong "international language" status is due not so much to the fact that so many rich countries speak it (although that is undeniably a factor) but because it is so good at absorbing words from other Languages. If you think about it, it makes sense. Try squeezing an foreign word into a french sentence (same for italian, probably german)- it will sound wierd, and you won't know what gender it's supposed to be (although I believe foreign words are usually given masculine status), or how the hell to conjugate it if it's a verb or how to make it agree if it's not. English, on the other hand, can assimilate and bastardise just about anything you throw at it.

20 or 30 years ago, French *was* the international language of politics and diplomacy, largely because it is less ambiguous than english. Now it is just the international language of roulette, wine and yank-bashing. (all of them entirely worthwhile pursuits, imho=-)

--
"Verbing wierds language"
-Calvin

Alneyan · #57 September 17th, 2003, 02:01 PM

Quebec is a whole different matter, some of them are blaming the French for discarding this language. So they seem to be much more encline in protecting the French. (Too encline I would say)

Was French the international language until twenty years ago? I know it was the case in past centuries, but I thought these times were long gone.

As for your point with regards to English, it does make sense indeed. Perhaps the basics of English are also easier to grasp than for most Languages? (There is virtually no conjugation in English save for quite a few irregular verbs, and grammar is less annoying) I would believe starting English is easier than starting German or French, but I may be partial and therefore wrong.

(Of course, there are also other difficulties in English, but they come later when you are learning the language.)

Erax · #58 September 17th, 2003, 02:17 PM

According to Arthur C. Clarke, English would become the international language because the worldwide communications satellite network was being set up by English-speaking countries.

This was in an article called "Everybody in Instant Touch" which was published in 1964 (shortly before English did in fact become the international language).

Although I believe that the fact that it's a Germanic/Latin hybrid with very simple grammar certainly helps.

Wardad · #59 September 17th, 2003, 11:04 PM

A Swiss guy, looking for directions, pulls up at a bus stop where two Americans are waiting.
"Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?" he asks.

The two Americans just stare at him.

"Excusez-moi, parlez vous Francais?" he tries.

The two continue to stare.

"Parlare Italiano?" No response.
"Hablan ustedes Espanol?" Still nothing.
The Swiss guy drives off, extremely disgusted.

The first American turns to the second and says,
"Y'know, maybe we should learn a foreign language."

"Why?" says the other.
"That guy knew four Languages, and it didn't do him any good."