Who wants to do my homework? :D

[allan]

Do most resident Arabs in Israel (I know there are some who live there peacefully) speak Hebrew or English? If not, then I can see Arabic being useful for commerce, government jobs, etc. Much like Spanish is here in the US of A (Spanish is the first language of a large and growing minority of people here--and many speak very little if any English--so English speakers who learn Spanish are valued for many company positions and civil service posts).

Of course you know your country better than I-- I'm just curious though....

[ September 19, 2001: Message edited by: allan ]</p>

 

[TrailblazingScot]

G-man...I had a similar problem with Brussels...I could get into Brussels with my car, but could I find a way out! NOOO! Took a good 2 hours!

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by allan:<br /><strong>Do most resident Arabs in Israel (I know there are some who live there peacefully) speak Hebrew or English? If not, then I can see Arabic being useful for commerce, government jobs, etc. Much like Spanish is here in the US of A (Spanish is the first language of a large and growing minority of people here--and many speak very little if any English--so English speakers who learn Spanish are valued for many company positions and civil service posts). <br />[ September 19, 2001: Message edited by: allan ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

Almost all arab Israelis know hebrew. In schools in arab areas the students learn both hebrew and arabic. About "some who live there peacfully" - there are a lot more then some. There's a great majority of peaceful arabs in Israel. I know some arab people, once I was invited to lunch in an arab village, there are many resturants I've been to in arab towns, I meet arabs almost every day. But I guess this isn't the kind of things you see on CNN, huh? <img src="icon27.gif" border="0"> <br />It's just like white-black people in the US.<br />Anyway, in goverment buildings in mainly arab areas there are usually arab Israelis employed, so you can talk hebrew or arabic and they'll understand you.

 

[allan]

Another question I've always wondered about Israel: is English a semi-official language of the country also? It seems every Israeli I've ever met speaks English VERY well--and you seem to command it quite well in your writing (as good as most Americans in fact). Is English a mandatory language taught in schools, like it is in Japan? Or is it actually an official language (like Hebrew)?

 

[duke o' york]

No, if it was an official language of Israel then it would be compulsory for Israelis to be able to quote Monty Python properly. Just joking. I think that it's highly commendable that so many people here have such a good command of the English language. Thanks to the US' world cultural and political domination English has become the primary language in the world, if not the mostly widely spoken as a first language, and is taught in most countries' schools but still - such a command of a second (or sometimes third language) is truly praiseworthy. I sometimes think that it is a disadvantage having English as a first language since you are less inclined to learn others' native tongues if they all speak English. I have always wanted to learn Dutch because all the Dutch people you meet speak impeccable English and yet very few people speak Dutch in England. It is among the languages whose existence is threatened by the spread of English. I don't think that it seems so surprising any more that the crew of the Starship Enterprise et al speak English, but think that it would be a real shame if the future is this way. I visit chat rooms in French occasionally, but haven't made anything like 400 (or so) posts there. Many French people like to visit forums and chat rooms in English anyway so I wonder how many of those people I've talked to are actually francophones first. If anyone else speaks French then please contribute to the Blagues en Francais thread in Humor and Jokes. Please.<br /><a href="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000036" target="_blank">http://forums.civfanatics.com/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000036</a>

 

[G-Man]

No, English isn't an official language in Israel but all schools in Israel teach English. Over 50% of the students do a 5 points final exam in English.<br />But it'll never be an official language. We're too original, so we only speak original languages, not languages that evolved from them. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

 

[duke o' york]

So you all communicate in monosyllabic grunts and by pointing then do you? That's original language! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[LOL]" />

 

[G-Man]

Hoo Hoo Ha ha?<br /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[LOL]" />

But you know, there's a lot of similar thing between Hebrew and English. For example - <br />English starts with A and B<br />Hebrew starts with &#1488; and &#1489;, that sound like A and B

 

[GenghisK]

Originally posted by duke o' york:<br /><strong>So you all communicate in monosyllabic grunts and by pointing then do you? That's original language! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[LOL]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote><br />You know what? That's the way Vietnamese and Chinese languages are. Only monosyllabic words. But of course, each word can have several different tones... Quite difficult eh?

Back to studies, it's strange. In France when we say 11th grad, it means primary school, approximately when you're 7 years old. Anyway, I'm no more concerned byt studies and universities, I've found a good job now <img src="graemlins/king.gif" border="0" alt="[King]" /> <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <br />Oh and for once, a good word for Hippo. Good luck learning French. It's quite hard but it's a nice language ya know <img src="icon12.gif" border="0">

 

[Le Petit Prince]

I'm french.... é ç ä è

 

[GenghisK]

Correction: You are Canadian. Corn will appreciate a lot
Btw, have you read the eponym Saint Exupéry novel? I mean "the petit prince".
I suppose yes and you're surely a big fan of this heroic pilot right? I am, too. I can remember all the homework I was given about this book, when I was in highschool...

 

[duke o' york]

Genghis, I thought that most words in Chinese were compound words made up of more basic constituents. It's far too basic an example, but something like bicycle being made up of the characters for iron and horse. So the single characters are monsyllabic, but more complex ideas often require several characters and therefore several syllables.

 

[GenghisK]

Actually, you're quite right. Effectively, for instance the word "horse" (don't ask me why I take this example ) does look like something with "4 legs". Now back to the subject, in fact, I'm not Chinese. And Vietnamese alphabet DOES use the latin alphabet, ie a, b, c, d... Weird, isn't it? Well, the reason is that it was a French missionnary, Alexandre de Rhodes, who "created" the vietnamese writing, since in the 16th century, people only talked and never needed to write anything. If they did, then they used the chinese ideograms. Other questions?

 

[G-Man]

Don't think that the latin alphabet isn't based on prmitive things. For example - the letter A is actually a fliped picture of a cow. Turn it upside down and you'll see a basic picture of a cow's head.

:crazyeyes

 

[starlifter]

I cannot believe a thread is this big when the topic is to get someone to do your homework!!! I wish I had the "Intenet" when I was in school!!

 

[duke o' york]

Yeah, but if you read it all then you'll notice that the first two posts are about Hippo's French homework, and then all the rest is about linguistics across the globe, and I for one find it fascinating. Hippo could maybe change the title but I'm not bothered.

 

[GenghisK]

Exactly. Well, at least I find this thread is pretty instructive. And very philosophical, isn't it? Of course, it's starting to be long but I don't mind, as long as I have the last word

PS:Starlifter, you're speaking as if you were 70 years old... "when I was in school.."

 

[starlifter]

PS:Starlifter, you're speaking as if you were 70 years old... "when I was in school.."

Whattchoo talkin' 'bout Willis?

Even my dad's not 70, LOL!

Why, I remember how much things suddenly improved when they gave us Slide Rules instead of abacuses during my Sophomore year. And Great Balls of Fire! That was soooome technology!

 

[starlifter]

PS, It was a joke about the Slide-Rule/Abacus thing. The abacus came along much later than my school daze!

 

[GenghisK]

Didn't really get that abacus thing. Either you gotta explain me, or shoot me. Perhaps I'm too dstupid to get it, after all. Well, what do you want, talking too much to hippo terribly exhausted my neuronal capabilities :d