[Albion] Yves Bissouma learning English

[GT49er]

It helps to have a passport to get to France for the campsite.

Seriously, I'm trying to keep my brain active to offset dementia, although coming onto Nsc doesn't help.

Me too! Different mental exercise for different people, I guess. Good luck with the languages, I'll concentrate on my various brain stimuli.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Just tell them that you want to speak in the other language. I've never found anyone insist on speaking in English when you tell them that you don't want to.

I find that Germans who almost 80% speak English for 8 to 10 years don't want non-German speakers to try German. They seem to behave like dogs hearing a high pitched noise.

 

[Rodney Thomas]

You're right. I found that learning basic Greek made a huge difference to my three years in Crete. I met Brits, holed up in their enclaves, who'd not learnt a word of the language after ten years. You can imagine how well that went down with the locals. And those Brits were missing out on so much.

Living and working as an immigrant in someone else's country is an extraordinary, life-affirming privilege that, sadly, will soon become much harder for any of us to experience in future.

It helps that the Greeks absolutely love it when a foreigner speaks their language (or at least tries). My wife is Greek so I've learnt enough to get by, the reaction is always fantastic and really makes you want to get better.

 

[McTavish]

It helps that the Greeks absolutely love it when a foreigner speaks their language (or at least tries). My wife is Greek so I've learnt enough to get by, the reaction is always fantastic and really makes you want to get better.

I try to learn enough of a language before I go on holiday to make myself vaguely intelligble for the absolute basics - numbers, yes, no, thanks, sorry, where are the loos, table for two, can I have that one? etc. In the past few years I have learnt (and mostly forgotten) bits of Croat, Spanish, Czech, Estonian, German and Arabic [traditional NSC stealth holiday boast]. Off to Crete this summer so - duo mpures parakalo!

 

[Rodney Thomas]

I try to learn enough of a language before I go on holiday to make myself vaguely intelligble for the absolute basics - numbers, yes, no, thanks, sorry, where are the loos, table for two, can I have that one? etc. In the past few years I have learnt (and mostly forgotten) bits of Croat, Spanish, Czech, Estonian, German and Arabic [traditional NSC stealth holiday boast]. Off to Crete this summer so - duo mpures parakalo!

Well played! (The language learning is impressive too )

 

[Gwylan]

I find that Germans who almost 80% speak English for 8 to 10 years don't want non-German speakers to try German. They seem to behave like dogs hearing a high pitched noise.

Hmm... I have been to parties in Germany, been down the pub with groups of Germans, been shopping, gone to the cinema and countless eating places and not once has any German (most of whom can speak English) ever said they don't want me speaking German.

I'd also say that the estimate of 80% is way, way too high. Yes, most Germans at degree level can speak reasonable English but lots can't.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Hmm... I have been to parties in Germany, been down the pub with groups of Germans, been shopping, gone to the cinema and countless eating places and not once has any German (most of whom can speak English) ever said they don't want me speaking German.

I'd also say that the estimate of 80% is way, way too high. Yes, most Germans at degree level can speak reasonable English but lots can't.

8 to 10 years is not uni level. It's elementary & secondary level. Maybe because my speaking of German pronunciation is so poor. But then many elementary & secondary level Germans are poor English speakers also.