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Foreign Languages - Blog Posts
Learning a language and slang at the same time is crazy bc i‘ll use a phrase and be like „is this a slang term and acceptable in casual conversation, a rare but correct phrase, or absolute bullshit that makes me look like an idiot“
Do Europeans (and do Ukrainians) criticize for low foreign language skills?
Today, I found a post of a non-European who complained about how the Spanish criticized foreigners for nor speaking Spanish. It reminds me of posts about how Europeans hate when Americans are not bilingual or are not speaking their mother tongue.
As an Eastern European, specifically, as a Ukrainian, I personally give no sheesh whether you speak Ukrainian or not. However...
First, not all Ukrainians speak English/Spanish/French/German etc.
You cannot simply come here and expect us to speak English fluently. Elder generations speak English badly, my generation (um...actually, I am not gen Z according to our generation theory...I am Y...uummmm...however!) also refuses to speak (but learns), the youngest gen Alpha cannot speak English yet. Why? Because we cannot practice it, we have no extra money to travel all around the world (even before the war, ye know), and as an English language teacher, I have to say the methods of teaching English in Ukraine are...particularly ineffective. Same situations with less spreaded languages.
Second, we want you to speak Ukrainian.
It is a common situation (especially before the war) when a foreigner surely learns French or German but thinks English will be enough in Ukraine. You may say that is because Slavic languages are hard to (at least) speak, but many of you choose russian to learn. Moreover, there are absolutely brainless and somehow pragmatic people (yeah, Chinese, I am speaking about you) thinking it is enough to speak russian in Ukraine, the mother language of Ukrainians does not matter.
We want you to speak Ukrainian. We do not really care how bad you speak. We will surely (try to) understand you and correct if it is necessary. Our language is unique, and we want not only all the Ukrainians to speak it but also foreigners to learn.
btw how did I learn English...? well...I am a philologist of English and Chinese languages, and I have a bachelor degree (yet).
теє-то, кулєги, поширюйте допис, я пітнів і без перекладача писав, як справжній профі!
Sometimes some simple things in my life can feel so bizarre, and it's so funny, like-
Watching videos and reading fics in English is such a norm for me, I don't even recognise it as something special anymore, and then one moment when I'm casually standing and reading something, and my groupmate right next to me does a double-take on my screen and goes: "You can read this?!?" I go like, 'yeah?-'
And then it hits me. I can read it. Holy crap, I can. 🫢 I can understand words in another language. I can talk with people and they understand me! It's so bizarre. 😶
current frenchy read: La chauve suivi de la leçon by Lonesco Cantatrice
it is originally a play however it was $5 at my local bookstore so i couldn’t resist
looking 4 moots!!
my name is kat and i’m 18
about me and DNIs are in pinned post:)