Western World Unawareness

[Reilly]

I feel a little frustrated...

At my university I'm continually meeting people who are not from the UK/Ireland, and they know so much more about the world then I do. Just listening to them talk about all the places theyve seen, how many parts of other languages they can speak, how aware they are of geography around them and of other countries and generally just involved in cultures that stretch far beyond their own.

And then there's me, and everyone else who's grown up in the UK. For most of us, the only parts of other countries we've seen or known of was on cheap packaged holidays, being mulled in with other people from our country in what is simply a different surrounding. I can only speak one language because English is the worlds language right now (forgetting the condensed Asian languages- English is spread across more countries).

What frustrates me most about it- not only am I unaware of other cultures/languages etc, but people from foreign countries are given the idea that I am lazy or ignorant in doing so. Even on here in the past, Ive been jokingly criticised for knowing only one language while some of you from other countries had to struggle through knowing English and probably a few other languages.

I didnt grow up being taught to care about other countries, basically. I lived in Canada as a child and then Ireland as a teenager, and the UK/Ireland and Canada/US are countries that only look to themselves on a daily basis, by each individual.

At 18 I am still young, but with so much other work to do I cant learn another language, with hardly any money I cant see other countries, and Im jealous, majorly jealous.

Snicky.

[swallowedinamessage]

i understand ....
in the UK you are taught languages in school but no one will learn these languages eg. French, German, Spanish enough to speak them properly and fluently as you are taught only basics ...

personally i'm not bothered to learn another language as i don't believe i need to but there a lot of people around the world, who know at least two languages, so credit to them for making the effort ...

[*Ali*]

aaaaah this is why i learn spanish. i didn't like going there and having to speak in english because i don't think it is right to presume everybody can speak english (because although a lot of people can, there's a hell of a lot more that can't). And it annoys me when people go abroad and get annoyed when people don't speak english because it's just wrong - a chinese person wouldn't come here and expect us all to speak chinese, why should we do the same?

this is also why i like going to areas which aren't reliant on tourism as you can experience what the real country is like and not be surrounded by people from your culture (making it very tempting to speak in english).

[Gitta Rensolo]

I think the same like Ali....well,I'm not grown up in the UK,so I don't know how it is there....but I know that the germans when they go somewhre they always try to talk the language of the country they go to....this is a very cool thing.....here in germany it is said about the french people that they always insist on speaking their language...btw we talked about that with some people yesterday at the concert....

[burningmonk]

I'm hoping on going on a tour around the world.











Anyone wanna come with me?

[Gitta Rensolo]

ME!!!!

[Reilly]

I'm comin monk

Yes Ali that is so true, it pisses me off when English speaking people say that about other countries- that right there is officially being ignorant.

I dont think though that people of the Western world can be blamed for not knowing much about other cultures though, we simply werent made aware from childhood as it wasnt a big factor.

[Petit Prince]

I live in Switzerland and if you live here everyone has to learn at least to languages. You have to learn one language that is spoken in our country (normally French if you spek German, if you speak French that will be German). And of course you have to learn English, that used to be optional a few years ago, but it isn't anymore. If you go to a Gymnasium and you don't take mathematics as main subjects you have to learn another language (Spanish, Italian, Russian or Latin)

I think the main reason why we have to learn more about other cultures is that we have different cultures in our country. If you go to the part where people speak Italian or French it's really very different and this not only because of the language. If you live in such a small country you get to know more about other countries, just because it is normal that you watch foreign channels on TV or that you read newspapers/ books from other countries from very early age on.

In some way this is a positive thing, you learn a lot about other cultures and in other countries it's definitely not normal that you are able to speak four languages. But there are many negative aspects as well. It really takes a lot to learn those languages, and some people won't need this after they leave school. If you have to learn a language that doesn't mean you can speak it well. I've been learning French for eight years now, we have to read very difficult literature at school, but if I go to France, I'm not really able to talk to people. I know that I'm not good at languages, but many people have the same problems. I'd rather have a proper English than speak three foreign languages without being able to use them.

[ClearAsCrystal]

Well Reilly, at least you have admitted your need to be more aware and involved and hoepfully now you will make the effort to get to know more about other countries...it is not difficult..only now you will need to dedicate some of your spare time to it. But I see that you desire to so soon you will get to it?

[Reilly]

In comparison with some of my friends, I know a lot about countries, other cultures, geography and spoken languages etc. But hardly any of this was taught to me at actual school or from my parents or society urging me to invest time and interest into other cultures.

Sally you made some good points, its true that places like the UK and the US are based on an un-divided cultural society. But- the majority of people in the US for example are not caucasian or african americans, their society is becoming more and more diverse. It is however still based on speaking English and American culture (Of which there isn't any).

[kekita]

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Quote:

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with hardly any money I cant see other countries, and Im jealous, majorly jealous.

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oh know what you mean when i first went to uni i was amazed at how many people had visited other countries or gone backpacking----i was jealous at their good fortune! i'm definitly saving up and gona backpack, oi burningmonk, add me to the list

its always good to learn another language - i know two but technically im cheating cause came to OZ from another country.
i grew up in a multicultural area so always tried to at least learn to say hello in my friends languages.

[Marisa]

This topic I can definitely relate to! Reilly you are right, about a lot of ppl in the US not being caucausian, that's me!
I can only speak one language, bet you can guess which one :/ I am of Mexican ethinicity and 3rd generation to be born in the US.,but can not even speak spanish. My parents can't either, and 3 of my grandparents can, but don't use it often,( my other grandparent is white) It is just that when my parents were growing up, it's not like it was "popular" to speak other languages. and now when ppl tell me "you cant speak spanish? why not, you are really missing out" that can make me upset sometimes. I did take 3 years of spanish, but it was when I was 13, and I truly believe in my case, that a person can not learn a language fluently if they do not learn it during their early childhood ( birth to 5 years old) so of course it was diffucult for me to learn it. I can still recognize words, but can not realistically speak or understand it.

I do live near Detroit which has a substantial area of Mexican immigrants and I love to go down there all the time to buy foods, and go to festivals, and see what my heritage is really like, but I get so embarassed when ppl try to talk to me and I have to say sorry I don't speak spanish. :embarrased:


But I feel that I can perhaps, after college, travel down south and see some of where I come from. and learn so much so that I can teach my kids so they will have more opportunities than I did.

[Bijeli_Miš]

Well, when you grow in small irrelevant coutry, you just have to learn about the world.It's kind of an advantage, but the disadvantage is that people think your country is some kind of an exotic fruit.