posted
Question for Juan, Sharky and generally everyone:
How many languages do you know? I ask because as I slowly attempt to get my Ph.D in the next 8 or so years, I'm going to have to learn a variety of languages, since it's in history. Since I'm going to specialize in Roman history and the Early Middle Ages, here are the recommended languages I was told I MUST know:
Ancient Latin- to translate ancient texts for myself! Ancient Greek- ditto! What fun! French- to argue with French scholars in their own language! German- Ditto!
and...Arabic, preferably Ancient Arabic! Why, because everyone knows those other four, and it'd help to make myself stand out! They said go for Italian too if I get bored!
Although I'm being sarcastic, this is what I really need to learn! I'm slightly proficient in French and Latin, but I have no skills in German and Ancient Greek, let alone Arabic. It should be an interesting next couple of years...
What other languages do you guys know, and did you have to learn them for school?
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Just for giggles I ran Cobies last post through bable fish, translating from english t french. Then I took the translation and rand it back through into english...
Question for Juan, Sharky and generally each one:
How many languages do you know? I ask because while I slowly try to have my Ph.D in the 8 next approximately years, I will have to learn a variety from languages, since it is in the history. Since I will specialize in the Roman history and the average ages young person, here languages recommended that I was known as that I MUST know:
Ancient Latin to translate the ancient texts for me! Ancient Greek idem! What a recreation! French to be discussed with the French disciples in their own language! German Idem!
and... Arabic, Arabic preferably ancient! Why, because each one knows these others four, and helps of it' D to be made the stand outside! They said go for the Italian too much if I obtain tedious!
Although I would be sarcastic, is this what I must really learn! I am slightly qualified in French and Latin, but I do not have any qualification in German and Greek ancient, even less Arabic. It should be forthcoming interesting years...
What of other languages you of the types do they know, and you had to learn them for the school?
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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The question is Juan, Sharky and common everybody:
How many languages do you know? I request because when I slowly attempt to have my Ph.D in the next 8 several years, I must learn various language, because it is in the history. Because I specially study the Roman history and the childhood middle ages, this I am told the language which recommends me must know that,
Ancient Latin translation ancient text for I! Greek same! Any pleasure! French and the French scholars argued uses they language! German same!
And... Arabic, well ancient Arabic! Why, because did everybody know these other four, can help with it to make the oneself standpoint! They said for Italian too if I obtain tastelessly!
Although I am the satire, this is any I truly needs to learn! I am slightly skilled with French and Latin, but I do not have the skill to use German and Greek, 更不用说 Arabic. What should this be interesting next 23 years...
other languages you the person knows, and you will have to learn them for the school?
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Just a little reminder how much fun it'll be for me to translate stuff in the next fifty years !
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Question for Juan, Sharky and generally everyone:
How many languages do you know? I ask because as I slowly attempt to get my Ph.D in the next 8 or so years, I'm going to have to learn a variety of languages, since it's in history. Since I'm going to specialize in Roman history and the Early Middle Ages, here are the recommended languages I was told I MUST know:
Ancient Latin- to translate ancient texts for myself! Ancient Greek- ditto! What fun! French- to argue with French scholars in their own language! German- Ditto!
and...Arabic, preferably Ancient Arabic! Why, because everyone knows those other four, and it'd help to make myself stand out! They said go for Italian too if I get bored!
Although I'm being sarcastic, this is what I really need to learn! I'm slightly proficient in French and Latin, but I have no skills in German and Ancient Greek, let alone Arabic. It should be an interesting next couple of years...
What other languages do you guys know, and did you have to learn them for school?
I speak Spanish, German, English and French, and stutter heavily hispanized Italian. No Latin whatsoever. And I would love to know some Greek (modern Greek, mind you), but alas, I don't.
As to whether I had to learn them for school..., well, no, not for university, if that's what you mean. Having grown up in Colombia, my mother language is Spanish. I went to a German school my whole life, so I started studying German as a small child. It's a good thing, too, because it's not an easy language to learn, especially coming from Spanish. I started English in high school, and ended up learning it mostly through movies and comic books that my father used to bring me from the States. And French..., well, I had a few months time between high school graduation and the beginning of University. At first I wanted to work a bit on my English, but then I changed my mind and ended up in France, where I took an intensive course in French for four months. It actually worked, but boy, talk about jumping into the deep end of the pool! I was 19 years old then, and arrived with absolutely no French whatsoever... A great time, though. I enyojed that so much, that later on I took another intensive course in Italy (I had less time, just a month and a half, and that's probably why I don't do Italian that well).
I really enjoy languages, they really open up worlds. It's actually very difficult to describe why it's so much fun learning them, you just live differently speaking other languages, you think differently. It's really not a matter of learning to say things in other languages, to me, it's more about being able to listen to what people have to say, in their own way. You get so much!
Professionally, I've benefited greatly from speaking different languages. For one thing, I got to study in Germany, for Biologists that's really one of the main places to be. And University there is very cheap, too, even for foreigners (not so many go there, precisely because of the language barrier). I also benefit greatly from being able to read European papers in the original languages, and from being able to talk to European scientists in their own terms. Actually, one of the things I'm thinking about now that I've finished my PhD is learning another language. Maybe something Asian this time.
So, my advise is, plunge in. If you can possibly manage to go to either France or Germany, and study French or German there, do it, it will be quicker and much more enjoyable. Heck, it's a great lot of fun. You'll have to come up with some funding, though. German is not easy, coming from English you'll probably need at least 5-6 months of an intensive course. Unfortunately you can't do this intensive thing with Latin, as far as I know. But maybe you can do it with Greek? How about studying Ancient Greek in Greece? Will you get hopelessly confused with Modern Greek? Good luck!
As for Arabic, I also played with the idea of learning Arabic, it's really quite an interesting language. But Arabic has a very big problem: it's extremely dialectal. In other words, the Arabic you learn in one country will not necessarily be understood (at all!) in other countries. And everybody just writes Classical Arabic, the language of the Koran, a language that nobody speaks anymore! That turned me off a bit from learning Arabic, since, as I said, my main objective is always to be able to listen to people. But for you it might work, if you just learn Classical Arabic. Just don't expect to be able to talk to anybody.
(Just as a bit of a final note, the same is true for German, it's an extremely dialectal language. When I arrived in Frankfurt for the first time, after having spent years in high school learning German, I couldn't understand a word! Not one! It was quite disconcerting at the beginning! But Germans do all speak 'high German'if asked, the German that you learn as a foreigner, so it's OK. That's also the language that they use on TV, at the University, etc. But definitely NOT on the street! There, it's a whole different ballgame.)
posted
We had to take one language at school until we were 16. Latin was the easiest so I did that!
The only other language I know is German. And the only things I can say in that are " That is a table" and "Willy Schmidt is next to the bowling alley."
-------------------- "What a total entropic mess! Let me at it!"
From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: What? I missed 'em!
Oh yeah, that reminds me! I have two pics of myself I want to post! Now I just need to learn how to do it!
Not to worry Cobie. I'll show 'em to you if you'd like.
-------------------- "Hey Jim! Get Mon out of the Zone!! And...when do we get Condo back?"
From: Paragon City on patrol | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Sounds good Vee, I'm curious! (And I promise to post my other pics!)
Juan, thanks so much for the feedback! All I can say is WOW!!! That's a lot of languages, and majorly impressive! Like you said, I'm going to have to dive right in, and really make it a part of my life to learn and adapt to other languages in the next few years--luckily, this is something that I've always wanted to do and have been prepared to do for some time! Still, knowing all those languages is extremely impressive!
Like you said, going to France and Germany is probably the best option for learning the languages, and a trip over there has been in my mind for some time. Latin I can learn as I go (I've already started), and Ancient Greek may work in Greece, I'd have to see about that. Classical Arabic is what I'd need to study anyway (despite no one speaking it), since that is what the documents that I'd be researching would be in! It all sounds like so much work and so overwhelming, but I know it can be done...I know people who've done it, like you!
Thanks for the feedback! You may not know it, but this has been EXTREMELY encouraging !
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Blimey! This thread is on it's last legs no? Next question anyone?
OK! Here's one! "When were you last sacked from your job? And what did you do wrong?"
Here's my answer! "Well, it wasn't the last job I got sacked from. But a few years ago I worked in Pret A Manger (for 11 days) and got sacked because I made 250 bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and accidently left the tomato out."
NEXT!
-------------------- "What a total entropic mess! Let me at it!"
From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:OK! Here's one! "When were you last sacked from your job? And what did you do wrong?"
The last time I was actually "sacked" would have been back around '73 when I was dismissed from my job at a plumbing supplies warehouse. I don't think I did anything wrong, they just didn't need two guys on the loading dock anymore.
More recently, I've had a couple of companies go bankrupt on me. I worked for a programming house that wrote software for in-circuit test and when it finally shut its doors in '90 I wound up going freelance for a couple of years while I made ends meet by running a SuperCrown bookstore.
I had to move from Anaheim to San Jose to get another job in the electronics industry only to have that company go bankrupt '02. They were bought by another another company but I was out of work for six weeks before the new company hired me back.
Every other job I've had I've left of my own volition, unless you count getting kicked out of the Coast Guard for admitting that I had unnatural feelings for the guy in the upper bunk.
I've basically had two careers: retail management and electronic engineer/test programmer. I actually prefer retail management (especially the two bookstores I ran), but being an engineer is a lot more lucrative. Oddly enough, all through High School I thought I would become an English teacher. Luckily that didn't happen since I can't stand kids.
Ken
-------------------- Yes, but now I'm back! I'm back FROM the future!
Vist Hyperion Ranch! Guided tours of Chateau Crowbar now available!
Sounds like you've had an interesting life, though. Are you kind of a jack-of-all-trades now?
Don't worry IB. Anyone who's a Legion fan is wise beyond their years.
And no, I wouldn't call myself a jack-of-all-trades. I have my little niche in test engineering and quality and that's about it. I worked in retail until I was 30 (I'm 48 now) and was able to fall back on that when I was in-between engineering jobs. Aside from that I'm pretty useless.
Ken
-------------------- Yes, but now I'm back! I'm back FROM the future!
Vist Hyperion Ranch! Guided tours of Chateau Crowbar now available!
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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