Language Forum, do you want it?

[sanctus]

Recently between moderators the idea came up (actually I thought it might be interesting for people that want to learn a language, that's why I proposed it and the others agreed) to create a language forum, that means a new forum where you can post in other languages. The topics would still be the same as the english (ie we stay a science forum). But before defining well on how this forums will work, we wanted to know if there is an interest and which languages you wanted to see.

Therefore I'm creating the poll to see what you think. I want to specify that only some languages are chosen because they are the ones the moderators know, but if you want a forum in a different language feel free to reply to this posst by saying it.

[Tormod]

The only language I know (apart from English and Norwegian) is German, so it's an easy vote for me. :friday:

[zadojla]

I don't know. Many of the members are Americans, who are known for knowing only English. The Europeans would be fine, as you guys usually can get by in more than one language, plus English, but if you wanted to talk about science, you'd want to use the most convenient language, and if you wanted to learn something about a language, discussing science might not be the best path.

I took scientific German in high school. I can't read a newspaper, but I can tell you the difference between der Rohre and die Roehre, and what ein Bunsenbrenner is. I am actually amazed I remember that stuff since it was 37 years ago. I also learned the more complex grammer of scientific papers, but virtually no idioms.

[Fishteacher73]

My Swedish is probably rustier than your ability to decypher it Tormod, but thats my two cents worth...

 

Perhaps a bit of a Latin would noty be a shabby idea..

[Killean]

Japanese would be interesting to have in there, but I'm not sure if any of the mods know it. :)

[sanctus]

zadojla, that's is one of the reason I thought of to make languages forums, to give the possibility to the few americans who want to learn another language to practice it.

[IrishEyes]

Perhaps a bit of a Latin would noty be a shabby idea..

That's actually a great idea, and I like it.

Sanctus, could we add Latin to your poll? Does anyone know Latin? I know there are a few docs who stop by sometimes, and I'll bet a few of the legal types would know some as well.

Anyone up for Latin?

If not, my vote will go for one of the Romance languages. I'd love to be better in Italian. Though I had an uncanny ability to speak it while in Italy, I don't have a lot of book knowlede of it. It was weird being there, as most of the Italians spoke to me in their own language, and I understood exactly what they were saying, and was speaking back to them in Italian. My husband was a little unnerved, as I studied French for so long, not Italian. But I had no problems speaking it while I was there.

I think that learning Spanish as I learned English, at age 2 in Panama, was very helpful. Even though I didn't keep up with it once we were back in the States, 3 years of being immersed in the language made it very easy to pick it up again later in school. And it helped greatly when I lived In Puerto Rico for 3 years (although they don't really speak Spanish:) ).

Anyhow, some type of place to learn and practice would be interesting. I might even let my oldest daughter check it out, as she seems to have developed my passion for languages. I'm guessing that has to do with her learning Spanish in Puerto Rico before she learned English. She didn't keep up with it once we returned either, but I've noticed that she has an apptitude for languages that the other children don't seem to possess.

[Doktor Faust]

I vote for German- it seems a lot of people here know at least a bit of it.

 

Latin would be a great idea too, I think. And most languages are based in some part or form on Latin- that makes deciphering words you don't know easier.

 

I'm all for German and Latin, should you wish to add it. =3

[sanctus]

Sorry, I answer only now (I was away), but I'm quite sceptic about a latin forum simply fopr the fact that it is a dead language. When you study latin you always translate from latin into your language and never the contrary, but if you think you want to try it why not....we just would need somebody very strong in latin (I'm not, thanks to italian I understand most of it, but with my two years of latin taken at school I'm not able to write something).

[Queso]

Japanese would be interesting to have in there, but I'm not sure if any of the mods know it. :o

for some strange, strong reason..i really wish i knew how to speak japanese.

[niviene]

I have studied German, Japanese, and Spanish, but I am only fluent (besides English, obviously) in Spanish. I would love to have a Spanish forum. I have taught ESL courses and basic Spanish courses since I was a junior in highschool, and even though I no longer consider it an exotic language (since nearly everyone in the country seems to speak Spanish, anymore) I still love the language. It would be fun.

[Qfwfq]

...the fact that it is a dead language. When you study latin you always translate from latin into your language and never the contrary,

Not that my Latin is any good, but I have known people quite fluent in it, without need to mentally translate! There's also an amusing episode, up in Poland, in "The Truce" by Primo Levi. He couldn't ask any of the locals directions for the refugee canteen, untill he met a local preist. After trying the other languages he knew, he thought "wait, he's a preist" and said "Pater optimum, ubi est mensa pauperorum?" and received fully detailed directions. :shrug:

[niviene]

Not that my Latin is any good, but I have known people quite fluent in it, without need to mentally translate! There's also an amusing episode, up in Poland, in "The Truce" by Primo Levi. He couldn't ask any of the locals directions for the refugee canteen, untill he met a local preist. After trying the other languages he knew, he thought "wait, he's a preist" and said "Pater optimum, ubi est mensa pauperorum?" and received fully detailed directions. :rant:

 

pauperorum sounds like a place to buy beggars :rant:

[Qfwfq]

I guess they wanted to put their own selves up for sale...

[niviene]

Hehe... but, I think Latin would be an excellent forum, considering the language's reaches into nearly every topic - legal and scientific to name two that interest me (yea, it's common for priests to know a lot of latin - and perhaps use it in the spoken sense more than most others). I think it would be very relevant to this forum, actually, and I don't think it matters that we would use it in the written sense here, because that's how it's most widely used anymore. It might be "dead" in the sense of being used in street speaking, but it's widely used in other places, and to have a source here to be able to ask about the roots of certain words used in these fields might come in very educational and useful. Not to mention that the history behind the latin language and it's relatives would be incredibly interesting...

[Chacmool]

I have studied German, Japanese, and Spanish, but I am only fluent (besides English, obviously) in Spanish. I would love to have a Spanish forum. I have taught ESL courses and basic Spanish courses since I was a junior in highschool, and even though I no longer consider it an exotic language (since nearly everyone in the country seems to speak Spanish, anymore) I still love the language. It would be fun. :shrug:

I concur! A Spanish forum would be great. I hardly ever get the opportunity to speak (or write) it anymore. ¡Vamos, adelante!