My Canada
Friday, March 28
For God's Sake Let Me Not Be Limited To English!
"C'est un grand plasir, Merci, merci. Thank you, Wnough of my Diefenbaker French," former Premier Klein said to his audience.
Klein's cousins, Romeo & Juliet spoke French all the time and I would say, "For God's sake, speak English."
I had to laugh because my grandparents were Italian and Czechoslavakian and I would say, "For God's sake, speak English." They would laugh and tell me to learn their respective languages. How I wish I would of taken their advice."
I have discovered through my virtual travels and associations on the internet that English is like a drop in the bucket of languages read and spoken in this world.
Yes! We should honor our native language, but I felt ashamed when I met people from other lands who spoke five, six or more languages and wrote them too fluently and then asked me to teach them English.
I hang my head in disgrace when I speak to people from Europe, Africa, The Middle East, Asia, China, Japan etc. and it always comes up in the conversation. "How many languages can you speak and write Ms. Sandra? "
Ms. Sandra blushes and with great embarrassment and humility says "one." There is a moment of silence and then the offer is made for which I am so thankful. One word of English, one word of Arabic, or French or Urdu or maybe three or four languages in one sentence.
Communication is an art form and sometimes it is funny and sometimes the bloopers are very embarassing. But I smile and I learn.
Klein's cousins, Romeo & Juliet spoke French all the time and I would say, "For God's sake, speak English."
I had to laugh because my grandparents were Italian and Czechoslavakian and I would say, "For God's sake, speak English." They would laugh and tell me to learn their respective languages. How I wish I would of taken their advice."
I have discovered through my virtual travels and associations on the internet that English is like a drop in the bucket of languages read and spoken in this world.
Yes! We should honor our native language, but I felt ashamed when I met people from other lands who spoke five, six or more languages and wrote them too fluently and then asked me to teach them English.
I hang my head in disgrace when I speak to people from Europe, Africa, The Middle East, Asia, China, Japan etc. and it always comes up in the conversation. "How many languages can you speak and write Ms. Sandra? "
Ms. Sandra blushes and with great embarrassment and humility says "one." There is a moment of silence and then the offer is made for which I am so thankful. One word of English, one word of Arabic, or French or Urdu or maybe three or four languages in one sentence.
Communication is an art form and sometimes it is funny and sometimes the bloopers are very embarassing. But I smile and I learn.
Labels: Afrikaneer, Arabic, bloopers, communication, English, French, humor, language
¶ 3/28/2008 02:45:00 a.m. 0 Comments
