Resentment towards English?

[Phlegmak]

I was wondering if this mattered. English is now the most spoken language on Earth. Do any of you nonnative English speakers resent having to learn English to do or enjoy any fun things you do with the language, such as post on forums like this or play English video games?

In short, do you resent having to learn English? Do you dislike the fact that English is so heavily used in the world today?

My own opinion is: you shouldn't resent it. Some language has to be the most commonly used, and it just so happened to be English.

 

[GenMarshall]

My second language is Japanese (At a beguinner level) and I do feel that it does impair on my learning since English is heavely enforced in these forums (If the text itself is not translated into English).

I do have some resentment towards English as an individual who is learning a second language because IMO it impairs learning a second language because people, well speak English.

 

[Leonel]

Well growing up my parents had the option of raising me to speak Indonesian or English (Guess which language won out ). I kind of which I was raised to speak both as I think I have enough linguistical fortitude to speak both fluently enough instead of being an absolute pro in speaking the English language. Especially since my folks seem to talk in Indonesian about stuff they don't want to share with the rest of their children in English.

 

[Winner]

I was wondering if this mattered. English is now the most spoken language on Earth. Do any of you nonnative English speakers resent having to learn English to do or enjoy any fun things you do with the language, such as post on forums like this or play English video games?

In short, do you resent having to learn English? Do you dislike the fact that English is so heavily used in the world today?

My own opinion is: you shouldn't resent it. Some language has to be the most commonly used, and it just so happened to be English.

Many people here do. I know many of these "why should I use the English word when we have a Czech alternative?!" types. Language-nationalists I suppose.

 

[BEHIND_THE_MASK]

Id resent having to learn it... but I didn't have to learn it...

I think you should atleast know the language of the country that your in. If you came to Russia and started talking to me in English, sure, Id start to mess with you... People dont need to be so ignorant, the English speaking population seems to act superior. But I dont really see any other advantages of English except that when your driving and get pissed off you can yell at the guy and he knows your telling him F*ck off.

 

[Phlegmak]

Many people here do. I know many of these "why should I use the English word when we have a Czech alternative?!" types. Language-nationalists I suppose.

Actually, I think the same way. If you have a word in your native language for something, just use that.

 

[Elrohir]

English is my native tongue, so no, of course I don't. If I were from another country I might, though, since I am only moderately skilled at learning other languages, and I would probably never be extremely proficient in English.

 

[Bill3000]

I resent english, because it is hypocritical to care about what is "proper" or "pure" english, when english is as pure as a cribhouse whore.

 

[Winner]

Actually, I think the same way. If you have a word in your native language for something, just use that.

No, thanks.

It usually sounds cool in English, because the Czech alternative is incredibly lame and pathetic.

The English terms I use usually concern computers. Computers got here only about 15 years ago, so we have usually just "czechized" the English words.

BTW, one thing I realized is that Czech is not a suitable language for military.

You say an order in two short words and the Czech alternative is 5 times longer. At least now I know why our armed forces are so ineffective and why the military tries so hard to force the soldiers to learn English

 

[Phlegmak]

No, thanks.

It usually sounds cool in English, because the Czech alternative is incredibly lame and pathetic.

The English terms I use usually concern computers. Computers got here only about 15 years ago, so we have usually just "czechized" the English words.

The exact same thing happened in French. The French invented new words for computer concepts. I've read some of the new French words and I preferred the Frenchized English words to the wholly new French words.

Spanish in Peru also has their own terms for computer stuff. Most of the terms are direct translations from English and they sound fine in my opinion. For example, file => archivo. Computer => computadora. Programmer => programador.

 

[Masquerouge]

Since I'm all for having everybody speak the same language, I can't say I resent speaking English.
Also, having lived in the States for a year when I was a teenager tremendously helped me - I wasn't learning English, I was, eerrr... living it? That sounds corny, but there ya go.

 

[Swedishguy]

The world would be a better place if we all spoke russian.

 

[Winner]

The exact same thing happened in French. The French invented new words for computer concepts. I've read some of the new French words and I preferred the Frenchized English words to the wholly new French words.

Spanish in Peru also has their own terms for computer stuff. Most of the terms are direct translations from English and they sound fine in my opinion. For example, file => archivo. Computer => computadora. Programmer => programador.

Yeah, it's common, I guess.

I study international relations. This is also a relatively new field around here, so we use many English terms.

It is not new. Czech language is full of czechized German words, which are used every day. Now, we adapt to English.

Unfortunately, there are always idiotic language purists who would like us to speak like people in 12th century

 

[Ansar]

No, since I speak two languages.

 

[BEHIND_THE_MASK]

The world would be a better place if we all spoke russian.

It wold be beautiful

Yuo dont even have to speak it, just try and sound like you do... Thats what my friend does, I'll say something in Russian and he'll put together a bunch of places and try and speak it, something like this:

"Don Catherana Neva Kremils, Leninov de Urals."

Its not russian but he tries... Atleast he knows alot of names and locations:

-The Don River
-Catherine the Great
-The Neva River
-The Kremlin
-Vladimir Lenin
-The Ural Mountains

I've takin up his ideas and now I "know" French.

 

[Verbose]

I certainly don't resent English as a language. That would be real daft considering the amount of time I've spent at it, and the amount of fun had, never mind the sheer usefulness.

However, I do get bored with using English occasionally. And I occasionally get annoyed by attitudes among some English speakers towards other languages.

 

[Winner]

The world would be a better place if we all spoke russian.

This reminds me of one old Czech joke:

Prague: a man drinks water from Vltava river (filthy green slop).
Another man sees that and says: "Oh, sir! Don't drink the water, it is really dangerous, you might get poisoned!"
The first man stops drinking: "Zkaži eto jiščo raz, ja něponimaju charašo pa česskom jizike, ja innastraněc z Rasiji!"*
"Umm, I said that the water is cold, drink it slowly!"


*He speaks Russian and says: "Can you repeat it? I don't understand much Czech. I am from Russia!"

 

[GenMarshall]

The world would be a better place if we all spoke russian.

No, I dont want to speak Russian. I rather want to speak English and Japanese .

 

[BEHIND_THE_MASK]

This reminds me of one old Czech joke:

Prague: a man drinks water from Vltava river (filthy green slop).
Another man sees that and says: "Oh, sir! Don't drink the water, it is really dangerous, you might get poisoned!"
The first man stops drinking: "Zkaži eto jiščo raz, ja něponimaju charašo pa česskom jizike, ja innastraněc z Rasiji!"*
"Umm, I said that the water is cold, drink it slowly!"


*He speaks Russian and says: "Can you repeat it? I don't understand much Czech. I am from Russia!"

You Czech's must hate us Russians...

Though, I cant really blame them, or the poles, or the Ukrainians, or the Germans... or alot others.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

This reminds me of one old Czech joke:

Prague: a man drinks water from Vltava river (filthy green slop).
Another man sees that and says: "Oh, sir! Don't drink the water, it is really dangerous, you might get poisoned!"
The first man stops drinking: "Zkaži eto jiščo raz, ja něponimaju charašo pa česskom jizike, ja innastraněc z Rasiji!"*
"Umm, I said that the water is cold, drink it slowly!"


*He speaks Russian and says: "Can you repeat it? I don't understand much Czech. I am from Russia!"

Here, here! Those darn Russians deprived us of Poland's pan-Eastern European Empire too long!