Re: sound changes (was Conlangea Dreaming)

On Mon, 16 Oct 2000, Christophe Grandsire wrote:

> En réponse à Yoon Ha Lee <yl112@...>:
>
> > Sometimes I really wonder if the language that I learn in the classroom
> > is going to be any good for communication with Real People who are L1
> > speakers of that language.
>
> At least it's better than knowing nothing of their language. It gives you a
> basis with from which you can improve your knowledge of their language. However
> bad they are, I don't think foreign languages classes can ever be completely
> useless.
I don't think they're useless per se--I love learning grammar and how a
language is "put together"--but I do want to someday be able to converse
in them, and that's where I get depressed.  None of my housemates this
year are really into foreign language at all, so I'm somewhat lacking for
conversation partners (other than the occasional "bis später" and "ich
liebe dich" with my boyfriend, who at least remembers *that* much).

I did occasionally do exchanges in French with my sister, and sometimes
practice it in my emails to her, but it's been such a long time....

YHL