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Mira

(22,380 posts)

8. Yes - but in my observation of American's interpretation

Tue Mar 4, 2014, 10:24 PM

Mar 2014

of that fact it is quite diluted in value.
French is the gorgeous language that American's think of as debauched. And his learning French as a Mormon Missionary in Paris is really not that effing impressive or rounding him out as a citizen of the world to Americans.

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FYI - Putin speaks fluent German - and Merkel fluent Russian - and did you know [View all] Mira Mar 2014 OP

Thanks, very interesting elleng Mar 2014 #1

Yeah I knew that nadinbrzezinski Mar 2014 #2

I studied five years of Latin 1000words Mar 2014 #3

It's astounding Mira Mar 2014 #6

Indeed. 1000words Mar 2014 #7

Same. Eight years of Latin here. NYC Liberal Mar 2014 #13

Eight? ... Impressive. 1000words Mar 2014 #16

Latin helped me to learn... ReRe Mar 2014 #47

Four years Latin, French - 4 yrs high school, 3 yrs College No Vested Interest Mar 2014 #51

Lol, I HAD Latin for a few years, wouldn't say I studied it because I was not very good at studying. sabrina 1 Mar 2014 #53

k&r... spanone Mar 2014 #4

Mitt Romney speaks fluent French wheniwasincongress Mar 2014 #5

Yes - but in my observation of American's interpretation Mira Mar 2014 #8

George Bush, Sr., destroyed Pete DuPont... DonViejo Mar 2014 #10

Mitt speaks Mormon French... icarusxat Mar 2014 #39

That's a liability in the GOP. moondust Mar 2014 #52

It came in handy when living in a French chateau while avoiding the Viet Nam war. Ikonoklast Mar 2014 #72

I just cringe when I realize dixiegrrrrl Mar 2014 #9

So Merkle knew what she was talking about when she said Putin "was not in touch with reality".. Cha Mar 2014 #11

Indeed. Good point (and scary). nt SunSeeker Mar 2014 #18

I think that 2naSalit Mar 2014 #35

What part of "not in touch with reality" is so vague? From what I've seen Cha Mar 2014 #60

I think there's 2naSalit Mar 2014 #64

That's right.. we can't know everything now.. it's all unfolding. All we can do is go by past Cha Mar 2014 #66

Actually, I do like it 2naSalit Mar 2014 #67

All right then. :) Cha Mar 2014 #69

Speaking of reality cprise Mar 2014 #57

Yeah, I heard that reported several times, but I think we should not assume that report is accurate. 2banon Mar 2014 #58

For now he's just a mean ol asshole who cracks down on Gays and Journalists in Russia. Cha Mar 2014 #61

Sounds ok, a bit too fast jakeXT Mar 2014 #12

German words, Russian cadence 1000words Mar 2014 #20

That's why her phone was bugged. CK_John Mar 2014 #14

Which one ? Stasi or NSA ? jakeXT Mar 2014 #15

Actually there is some suspicion that the Merkel family was well connected in East Germany JVS Mar 2014 #37

think I recall that mentioned several years ago, and forgotten it. 2banon Mar 2014 #59

I took 2 years of Latin in high school in the late '50s pangaia Mar 2014 #17

I graduated high school in the mid 80s NewJeffCT Mar 2014 #19

I started school 2naSalit Mar 2014 #41

Merkel also speaks English...with a slight British accent. KoKo Mar 2014 #21

Putin speaks English kskiska Mar 2014 #74

English-speakers mostly don't need to learn another language. Spider Jerusalem Mar 2014 #22

Yes 2naSalit Mar 2014 #46

Sure... Spider Jerusalem Mar 2014 #56

Indeed 2naSalit Mar 2014 #63

Even during the First World War in the forces of Austria-Hungary Sognefjord Mar 2014 #68

There's a thread saying MERKEL tried talking Poot down & said he's out of contact with reality n/t UTUSN Mar 2014 #23

My teenage daughter TuxedoKat Mar 2014 #24

... Mira Mar 2014 #25

In Scandinavia, everyone is required to study English, starting in elementary school Lydia Leftcoast Mar 2014 #26

Early in the internet years I had a correspondence zeemike Mar 2014 #44

I speak 3 languages and also had 7 years of Latin and Ancient Greek.. HipChick Mar 2014 #27

Putin stopped WW3. kitt6 Mar 2014 #28

To be fair... awoke_in_2003 Mar 2014 #45

You know, I think we finally found our Putin fan. Hekate Mar 2014 #50

I hope you mean... awoke_in_2003 Mar 2014 #70

It was definitely an aside to you about her/him. See post #40 & my reply #48... Hekate Mar 2014 #71

Those countries are so small and all their neighbors in all directions speaks a different launguage Auntie Bush Mar 2014 #29

a lot of Americans are bilingual. mackerel Mar 2014 #30

We definitely do not invest enough in culture in general. go west young man Mar 2014 #31

I think we should be multi-lingual here. Cleita Mar 2014 #32

Tea party is the epitome of American know-nothingness. Imperial measurement system is close second. Bernardo de La Paz Mar 2014 #33

I am, as ever, impressed with the company I keep on DU... icarusxat Mar 2014 #34

" know we don't have a need for being multilingual..." < I don't know about that. While I jtuck004 Mar 2014 #36

Years ago we went to Switzerland. My wife and I were having lunch lob1 Mar 2014 #55

Come and say hi if you ever manage to return! Democracyinkind Mar 2014 #75

Thank you, I'll do that. I still only speak English, tho. lob1 Mar 2014 #77

Fluent Japanese, stilted German here. nt Bonobo Mar 2014 #38

This President needs to stop kitt6 Mar 2014 #40

That is a bizarre and untrue statement.If it were true we would be embroiled in several more wars... Hekate Mar 2014 #48

The best public school systems in the US still offer mnhtnbb Mar 2014 #42

K&R DeSwiss Mar 2014 #43

We confuse "ignorant isolationism" and "American Exceptionalism" NightWatcher Mar 2014 #49

THanks. K&R. We Americans should try to learn languages. JDPriestly Mar 2014 #54

Latin & Spanish here. ANOIS Mar 2014 #62

I mentioned something similar when it came to various countries' foreign policies: MisterP Mar 2014 #65

Disregarding Spanish while speaking of US languages in use is very odd. Bluenorthwest Mar 2014 #73

I agree...I think it's atrocious young children aren't required to joeybee12 Mar 2014 #76