Obama at today's Town Hall, on learning foreign languages

[jefferson_dem]

Run time: 01:46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdxP85ouT9c   Posted on YouTube: July 08, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 08, 2008 By DU Member: jefferson_dem Views on DU: 1067

 

[skooooo]

1. Thank you Barack.

Too bad Americans are too lazy to put effort into learning much of anything.

[YOY]

2. Thanks Barack but I speak several languages

and International business has not beat a path to my door. They demand experience of the international business kind...a real catch 22.

I like where I am though...

[skooooo]

3. Learning other ways to think.

Don't you think that learning languages gives you the ability to think more creatively and understand people? I wouldn't trade the hundreds of hours spend learning different grammar for anything.

[YOY]

4. Oh Yes! Quite so! However, he was wrong about the foreign language on the resume

It's not so easy.

I'd never "unlearn" my languages! I do treasure the benefits. I just wish I could use them in the capacity that Barrack mentions.

[skooooo]

5. Don't know what languages....

...you learned. I didn't learn Spanish, but I know if I did I would have a much easier time getting a job in the southern states.

I just wish people didn't view education as some that is either "marketable" or not. Guess it's easier to feel that way when you already have a decent job, though.

[YOY]

8. This is true.

Spanish is a cakewalk. You can learn it in under a year if you study intensely and IMMERSE YOURSELF whenever prossible...few people learn languages by reading books.

Some irregular verbs are common, but the grammar an pronunciation are pretty simple. Standard Romance language fare without the nasty cases (save pronouns like English) you find in some (semi)Latin based languages...like German and Russian.

When people complain about learning English I do feel sorry to some level but not extremely. The spelling rules are odd and there are some irregular verbs and nouns. The real reason English is a bitch is when it comes to verb tenses: 18 tenses and if you include both active and passive...then there's modals but most European languages have modals. English also has phrasal verbs that use prepositions and get the meaning changed. (For example, "put" has one meaning "put through" has a completely different...) Verbs in English are a bitch...but native speakers really don't notice until they try to learn it from scratch.

Then again most of us don't use most of those tenses on a common basis.

[CTyankee]

14. I have been working with Literacy Volunteers in their ESOL program for years

and the most fun I ever had was with a group of Chinese women who wanted to learn English idioms and how our culture works. They were highly educated in the sciences and most had advanced degrees. They regularly watched "Sex and the City" and brought in the show's idioms each week for explanation. One woman nearly exploded she was so baffled over our "Holy shit" term. She said it didn't make sense so why do we say it?

I can appreciate non English speakers' difficulty with our language but I myself, as an adult learner of Italian, have had problems "getting" the "imperfetto" tense of that language. I really had to reorient my brain to imagine when to use it and it practically drove me nuts...however, visiting Italy really helps and I think if I lived there for awhile I'd be in good shape...

[ryanmuegge]

6. Our children should learn Mandarin if they're going to learn any other language.

Though that is much more difficult (even during the so-called critical period) and would require a lot more federal funding than they're probably willing to give.

Personally, I think we should drill math and science a lot harder, rather than trying to make everybody more multi-cultural just for the sake of doing so. I do not see a lot of pratical economic benefit in having children learn Spanish, even if the demographic trends are leaning in favor of Hispanics (even as a majority, they probably still won't be the powerful institutional decision makers; white, affluent - predominately - males aren't just going to give that up).

At least the rhetoric here is a bit more sensible than on the globalization/outsourcing issue. Obama has enough sense to realize that adults aren't biologically capable of learning a new language easily, so he frames it in terms of children. Whereas on the economic issue, they just say, "hey, fuck you. You just aren't skilled enough for 21st Century jobs. Go back to school (regardless of how unrealistic it is for most adults) or starve."

[SeeHopeWin]

7. I speak multiple languages...hoping to be in the Obama State Department :)

Please pray for me and for Obama. The Obama candidacy and the Senator himself have inspired me to work in government and help my country as much as I possible can.

[YOY]

10. I'm gonna guess they get rid of being able to recite off Condi's "code of ethics" in the last stage

That's what ruled me out last time. I don't parrot bullshit from commiters of high-treason.

[SeeHopeWin]

11. can you tell me more abouth this?

My test is on July 15th...what are talking about? How far did you get in the process? What should I expect? About the whole process?

[YOY]

12. I got to the end. The test and essay are a cakewalk if you are not a simpleton

Use standard essay format: Into with thesis, three supporting arguements, conclusion with thesis. Proper grammar and decently thought out. You'll be fine.

I got to the personal interview months afterwards. When you walk in the door to the state department interview place there will be some pap on a poster about Condi's "value and ethics." If you can formulate your answers to contain them you have a better chance of being selected. Use your eyes when you walk in.

Like I said. I don't consider perps of high treason to be ethical or have values (to society or in general...)

[babylonsister]

9. I SO agree with Obama here; we are so far behind other countries

in learning languages that would broaden our horizons compared to most other countries. And why? I wish I had been forced to learn another language, though at least when I was growing up some were offered.

[Common Sense Party]

13. Do Obama's daughters speak Spanish? Or another foreign language?

Does Obama speak a foreign language?

[CTyankee]

15. If Obama does speak a foreign language it better not be French!

Look at what happened to poor John Kerry, just because he spoke fluent French. So stupid.