Re: [lace] English translations
Jean and all, I just registered my daughter for school starting in a couple of weeks (she's been homeschooled up 'til now, my son is staying home). The office offered her the choice of two languages, one was French - quite natural in a country with two offical languages - and the other was Punjabi. We live in an area with a large Sikh population mostly from the Punjab in northern India. She chose French but then her Indian friends all speak English. I can speak a smattering of Spanish but understand quite a bit more. I did speak French rather well in high school, but the lack of someone to converse with means I have forgotten most of it. Now it ususally come out Franglish (French & Spanish mixed). Heather Abbotsford, BC Way too hot, still. >In English (don't know about Scottish or Welsh) schools all children have to >study at least one foreign language from age 11, and now it's being brought >into schools so that those as young as 7 start learning. The usual languages >are French or German, with some now offering Italian or Spanish. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] English translations
Jean wrote: And how many of us have learned another language? We rather arrogantly expect everyone else to learn English and pander to us. I have cheerfully written letters in bad German and not-so-bad French in order to buy stuff overseas. Often I get a response in near-perfect English, sometimes not. However, here in the Land of the Immigrant, if you really want to write to someone in another language, or to have something deciphered for you, just ask around. There's almost always somebody who speaks or reads whatever language you want. I've found learning languages is a bit like learning musical instruments - once you have a good grasp of French, Spanish is fairly easy, and knowing a bit of German helps with Danish and so on. They also help your English - I could never quite grasp what "nebulous" meant until I found out that Nebel was the German word for fog! In the lace world, I've run across quite a few volunteer translators, and I'd like to take the time to thank them for their efforts in promoting lace knowledge. From the people who come on this list to help out with foreign websites, to those who have translated entire books, the efforts you've made are much appreciated. Adele North Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] English translations
I also studied French, and remember an occasion years ago when I was on an outing with a friend at a local college which was hosting a hostelling group of young German travelers. We couldn't speak German, they couldn't speak English, it was the Fourth of July, and THEY were waving the American Flags!! But we managed to communicate quite nicely by electing to speak to one another in (equally) fractured French! It was a delightful evening! Clay - Original Message - From: "Jean Nathan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lace" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 4:03 PM Subject: [lace] English translations > Jeri wrote: > > < Is it too much to hope this will > eventually lead to her being able to influence some publishers of Italian > lace books > to provide us with English translations??? Optimists unite!!> > > I was saying to DH a few weeks ago when I got my Barbara Fay catalogue that > here we have a German company who prints a catalogue in English. How many of > our English speaking countries publish catalogues or any other work in > German, French, Italian or any language other than our own? And how many of > us have learned another language? We rather arrogantly expect everyone else > to learn English and pander to us. > > In English (don't know about Scottish or Welsh) schools all children have to > study at least one foreign language from age 11, and now it's being brought > into schools so that those as young as 7 start learning. The usual languages > are French or German, with some now offering Italian or Spanish. I learnt > French at school and was quite fluent so that I could quite happily converse > with my brother's French wife and in-laws. I also learnt enough Italian to > get by and a smattering of German, but I'm ashamed to say that I'd not now > be able to carry on a conversation in French, but can still get an idea of > what's being said when it's written down, and have about three words each in > German and Italian. > > Far easier for me when people use English, but far harder for those for whom > it's not their native tongue. > > Jean in Poole > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: [lace] English translations
>>>How many of our English speaking countries publish catalogues or any other work in German, French, Italian or any language other than our own? And how many of us have learned another language? We rather arrogantly expect everyone else to learn English and pander to us.<<< Speaking only for myself--not arrogant, not expectant. I HOPE people will speak and publish in English, and APPRECIATE when they do. There's a difference! The US is so big and such a melange of cultures that there is no particular language that is of any use to me outside English. I cannot afford the airfare to a country that doesn't have many/most people capable of speaking English. It would take me quite a few days to drive to a country that doesn't have many/most people capable of speaking English. OK, parts of Canada have more French than English speakers, but there's plenty of English available. Even in Mexico, one can get by most of the time with English! So I've had no incentive to learn any particular language. I applaud language teaching in school--I took Latin, French, German, and Russian, none of them long enough to become fluent. You may have read my message about dabbling in lace--the same is true for language. If I had a use for a particular language, I could concentrate on learning that language, but there isn't any outstanding use. In my work, I could benefit equally from all of the above, plus Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Portugese, Chinese, Ukrainian, and Japanese. None of them is *particularly* useful, though all of them *could* be of *some* use. So I don't find myself willing to devote myself to the intense effort (for me) to become fluent in a language that isn't going to be much use and will therefore most likely be forgotten. I wait for English publications or I puzzle my way through bits and pieces of foreign publications. Robin P. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] English translations
Jeri wrote: < Is it too much to hope this will eventually lead to her being able to influence some publishers of Italian lace books to provide us with English translations??? Optimists unite!!> I was saying to DH a few weeks ago when I got my Barbara Fay catalogue that here we have a German company who prints a catalogue in English. How many of our English speaking countries publish catalogues or any other work in German, French, Italian or any language other than our own? And how many of us have learned another language? We rather arrogantly expect everyone else to learn English and pander to us. In English (don't know about Scottish or Welsh) schools all children have to study at least one foreign language from age 11, and now it's being brought into schools so that those as young as 7 start learning. The usual languages are French or German, with some now offering Italian or Spanish. I learnt French at school and was quite fluent so that I could quite happily converse with my brother's French wife and in-laws. I also learnt enough Italian to get by and a smattering of German, but I'm ashamed to say that I'd not now be able to carry on a conversation in French, but can still get an idea of what's being said when it's written down, and have about three words each in German and Italian. Far easier for me when people use English, but far harder for those for whom it's not their native tongue. Jean in Poole - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
