Re: TECH: Official languages of the list

Carsten wrote: "Hehe, not bad, really! But have you never heard of the
conditionel? Well, you're younger than me and perhaps I have had French for
one or two years longer than you."

Hmm. I've taken French for seven years or so. I think it's that Canadian
foreign-language education is attrocious. We haven't yet learned about the
conditional (except I learned about that from Christophe, but I forgot the
endings so didn't recognize them :( ) or the like.

John Cowan wrote: "Ah, but Trebor is an English Canadian, and it's part of
their cultural tradition to write French badly.  (Just look at any public
sign in English Canada; the French half might just as well say "No
Parleyvooing Here.") They inherit this trait from their English ancestors,
who conducted their public business in bad French for centuries ("La utilite
del chose excusera le noisesomeness del stink.")

LOL. But I am not English. My mother is Hungarian (came here from eastern
Europe twenty-odd years ago) and my dad is U.S.-ian of German descent. So I
don't think it's really my fault, it's the education system.

... But hey, maybe it is. After all, the U.S. is a melting pot, and maybe
the mentality "Everyone speaks English, so why should I bother learning a
foreign language?" is unconsciously at work in my psyche? (My dad only
speaks English and a few words of Deutsch from HS, and doesn't seem to want
to try to learn Français.) After all, when I'm not making an effort to *not*
sound like a furriner, I have a heavy accent (in Français and Magyar). ;))))
Sorry for the rant :P

Chin-chin,

Trebor
"Oysters are a fine thing, so are strawberries: but mashed together?"

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