Philosophical debates about languages

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А.М.
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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“Why? Why do I need to spend so much time to learn foreign languages I know someone who learned English in only half a year! And he said he speaks English perfectly! He just used the book YYY by author ZZZ.”

I remembered this conversation when I was reading the text written by N.F. for Chinese comrades. And another story came to my mind at the same time...

Once upon a time, when I was a student I met a guy who told everybody that he could play guitar perfectly. And he knew many songs and could play them for us.
And then there was a party... Well... I heard how that guy played guitar. He knew only those three damn chords and tried to press all of tunes down in them. You know what I mean... It was really hard to listen to him. Without some amount of alcohol of course. Huh...

What I want to say is... You can really spend only half a year to learn a foreign language. And then you can really feel you know the language. But! How are other people going to feel when you start to speak in this foreign language?
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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А.М. писал(а):“Why? Why do I need to spend so much time to learn foreign languages I know someone who learned English in only half a year! And he said he speaks English perfectly! He just used the book YYY by author ZZZ.”

I remembered this conversation when I was reading the text written by N.F. for Chinese comrades. And another story came to my mind at the same time...

Once upon a time, when I was a student I met a guy who told everybody that he could play guitar perfectly. And he knew many songs and could play them for us.
And then there was a party... Well... I heard how that guy played guitar. He knew only those three damn chords and tried to press all of tunes down in them. You know what I mean... It was really hard to listen to him. Without some amount of alcohol of course. Huh...

What I want to say is... You can really spend only half a year to learn a foreign language. And then you can really feel you know the language. But! How are other people going to feel when you start to speak in this foreign language?
Мая жит Масква дольга-дольга. Мая гаварит руский языка отчин здоровый. Эй, мущин и жэнщин, купи урук! Отчин силатыкая урук растаял на губа! Вах-вах!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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А.М. писал(а):“Why? Why do I need to spend so much time to learn foreign languages I know someone who learned English in only half a year! And he said he speaks English perfectly! He just used the book YYY by author ZZZ.”

I remembered this conversation when I was reading the text written by N.F. for Chinese comrades. And another story came to my mind at the same time...

Once upon a time, when I was a student I met a guy who told everybody that he could play guitar perfectly. And he knew many songs and could play them for us.
And then there was a party... Well... I heard how that guy played guitar. He knew only those three damn chords and tried to press all of tunes down in them. You know what I mean... It was really hard to listen to him. Without some amount of alcohol of course. Huh...

What I want to say is... You can really spend only half a year to learn a foreign language. And then you can really feel you know the language. But! How are other people going to feel when you start to speak in this foreign language?
Some time ago, when I knew nothing about N.F. and his method, I heard like one cutie girl at work who worked at the same building but at the other floor, was talking on the phone in English. I was impressed.
Maybe it was another drop in the barrel of my desire to learn English.
And about couple of years later, or maybe a little more (this time I spent for learning English), when I met her again at the smoking area near the work, I started to speak to her in English. What I heard back, makes me sick… We were at the different levels of skills, but for her it was enough to express her thoughts somewhere at Egypt or Turkey, and she could understand the speech of the same speakers.
The moral of this story is… Competition for the best moral is open. )
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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You know, I very much like an English phrase "It depends". I don't know why. May be because it suits many cases... And this case too. Something like that:

- Do you speak English?
- It depends...

I don't pretend to write any morals for your story. But I think there is a kind of people who are strongly convinced they can do something perfectly (play guitar, speak English) and you never can prove the opposite to them...

Oops, the same thought again....
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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Hi, A.M., glad you are still an active forum member.
When I think about this story, I have thoughts kind of, "everything is relative”. )
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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Hi. I am glad to hear you too.
Брэйв писал(а): "everything is relative”.
Or may be "it depends", huh? ;)
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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А.М. писал(а):Hi. I am glad to hear you too.
Брэйв писал(а): "everything is relative”.
Or may be "it depends", huh? ;)
Maybe, why not?:)
Maybe anybody join us?
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

Сообщение Пушистая няшечка2 »

I have my own "inspiration story" to tell. It's a little strange, actually :)

Right in the first year of university, at the first English lesson, the teacher asked us to tell about ourselves. You know, a usual practice: what is your name, how old are you, what is your hobby, and such. The students, one by one, began to say, "My name is Vasya, I listen to Rammstein", etc. And there were a couple of guys, who came from "progressive" schools and seemed to me exceptionally smart. They told about themselves so fluently (as it seemed to me back then), that I could barely grasp some separate words with several-seconds delay... I felt so envious, because I had big problems with this task. I could barely say a word and was stuttering all the time. I felt like I'm stupid.
And then one girl stood up. A very self-confident and smart-looking girl. And she said in a very confident voice, "You know, I won't go to your lessons any more. I understand nothing".
Then, after a short conversation with the teacher, she left.
I don't know why, but at that moment, when I saw this girl so confidently leave the classes where she understood nothing, I felt adamant about staying here and learning English, whatever it takes. Exactly because I understood nothing...

I think the moral of your story can be, we should be grateful to our "inspirers", however strange shape they might take... They did help us to achieve the goal and learn the language, after all. :)
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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Hi, Nyashecka, glad to see you.
Thanks for your interesting story of inspiration.
Maybe anybody else join us? Kirill, Sergey, where are you?
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

Сообщение Дерзкий Серхио »

Hey,
Nice to see you again. We're 'here, there and everywhere'. I have no stories related to the topic. Besides, it's weekend. Russians don't post on weekends.

- Look who's talking, Blue Face! You know what your little horns remind me of?
- These are not horns! Come on, you don’t tell a guy he has horns. These are antennae.
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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Еще один Сергей писал(а): Russians don't post on weekends.
Hi, Sergey, glad to see you as well. I have to look at my passport to be sure I am Russian, after your words, buddy. :)
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

Сообщение Дерзкий Серхио »

Брэйв писал(а):I have to look at my passport to be sure I am Russian, after your words, buddy. :)
Yeah, I do that too. Sometimes even looking at myself in a mirror and thinking 'how come?'

- Look who's talking, Blue Face! You know what your little horns remind me of?
- These are not horns! Come on, you don’t tell a guy he has horns. These are antennae.
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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Еще один Сергей писал(а):
Брэйв писал(а):I have to look at my passport to be sure I am Russian, after your words, buddy. :)
Yeah, I do that too. Sometimes even looking at myself in a mirror and thinking 'how come?'
I have the same thoughts when I'm looking in a mirror after party.
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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Dear Nikolai,

Thank you for sending me your email address so that I could pay you for the dialogues. However, I have decided not to do the work after all.

I read your book not once but twice. I worked hard at it and I took notes. You convinced me 95% that your method would be the best way to learn a foreign language. But in the end I just can't make the commitment because I will never actually use Russian in any way: I will never come to Russia; I am too old to get a job. So the effort of learning Russian your way would be too demanding and too maddening without any motivation!

I am fascinated by your book. It's beautifully translated. It reads well. And your wonderful humour shines through. Thank you for writing it. And I wish you well.

Mark Watson
London, England
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Re: Philosophical debates about languages

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The book was translated in English? I didn’t know, it’s great! Where we can download it?
Briefly about myself: I'm brave, handsome, clever, yeah, and almost forgot to mention ... humble!
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