--------------------------------------------------------------------------- **** Goanet Classifieds **** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa Those interested can email enescil....@gmail.com by 15 November 2011 Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This topic is too important to be converted into a ego clash between individuals, so permit me to ignore the flame-baits thrown hereinbelow :-) * Is Konkani a difficult language to learn? I would say that this depends on a number of factors: (i) what script it is being taught in, and what script/s the learner is familiar with (ii) the teaching material and tutors available to teach it. Both are very complex issues in today's Goa, but I doubt that these can't be tackled, given suitable political, ideological and intellectual will. * Can foreigners learn it? It depends on their determination and motivation. If Indians can learn Russian or Dutch, this is definitely not an impossibility or a major challenge. Of course, we need to go beyond foreigners. Many of us Goans in Goa too need a learning of the language, and so do a large section of the expats, perhaps specially those who have lived outside Goa for over a generation. Unfortunately, a bigger problem with language in today's Goa is the attempt to "delegitimise" some forms of speech. Why does Sashti (or the Pednem variant) need to be looked down upon and laughed at? I would say these are just hegemony-building exercises.... At the end of the day, those interested should take such issues forward. It was nice to see Miguel Braganza and others underline the need for simple texts for children in the Romi Script, at a recent meeting, if the language is to move ahead! FN FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 #784 Nr Lourdes Convent, Saligao 403511 Goa India On 5 November 2011 17:45, Carvalho <elisabeth_...@yahoo.com> wrote: > But again getting back to my original point....I categorically maintain > that Europeans cannot pick up Konkani casually just by listening to it. > The reasons being that Konkani, to begin with is an incredibly > difficult language to learn unless you have learnt it on your mother's > knees and because of the range of phonetics and different syntax > involved, it is a near impossibility for Europeans to learn to speak > it casually without dedicated study. > > Now if you go to Dubai, you will find every Arab speaks Hindi. > Every Iranian understand Urdu and every Muslim Keralite will > at the very least know how to type Arabic. Why because similar > and related languages can be learnt. To give you an example, > an Italian can quickly pick up Spanish. A German can easily > learn Flemmish. A Goan can ofcourse easily learn Hindi. And > those who come from a Dravidian base of languages have > the amazing ability to speak a wide range of languages. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------