Re: CHAT: Anglification (was Re: My Conlang Museum in Netscapetoo)

BP Jonsson wrote:
> > Of course, since almost none of those people will get much of a chance to
> > use their language skills outside class, the requirements are almost
> > pointless, in a strictly practical sense. Nevertheless, the salutary effect on
> > people's open-mindedness and cultural enrichment by such classes can't
> > be doubted.
>
>  I suppose most students choose Spanish as their foreign language exactly to
>  increase their chances of getting to use their skills.  Is that correct?
Right.  Since the schools do generally require some knowledge of a foreign
language, people will most often choose the language which they feel they
have the best chance of putting to some use.  In the southwestern US, that's
Spanish;  in the Northeast, French is probably a fairly strong competitor too.

> Here, of course you can hardly get a job without knowing English -- unless
> you want to be a sewage worker, no insult meant to this important line of work!
It's not much of an exaggeration to say that it's all a matter of economics.  If people
have a need to learn a language, they will.  If they don't, they won't.  Almost all
humans, unless they're taught otherwise, take that pretty much for granted.

The blessing of this group is, of course, that we don't. :)

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: trwier
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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