you got to fight for your life. why europe is in danger? because european people are lazy. they forget their european pride and history(this is not nationalism in any ways) they should fight to rise europe from ruins or some evil countries could enslave europe
>>3 I don't think that's bad, more like human nature. Everybody wants to think that they're special in some way, because it makes the mundane aspects of everyday life seem bearable when they get to you. If people didn't think this way (or want to think this way), then nobody would ever read or write novels, manga, plays, etc.
>>4 Not really. My bosses know that I surf the net (a lot), because they don't give me enough work to do. I just have to make sure not to visit anything inappropriate when I'm here.
dream life: on a fashion week there was a girl(photographer) she is from america. she is 40yr old. so started to do photos on fashion weeks when she was 20. now she is 40. she travelled all around world with from one fashion week to another...
I was also told about another word "lpadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon" but I haven't been able to find its explaination on the web
look at this http://www.fuk.co.uk/fashion/catwalk/lfw-aw05/as.html this designer is so great that I had no words. he have a long story. he went to london to study from INDIA. he studied in st martins then he went to paris to work in some big fashion company but someone stole his portfolio and all his money... so he come back to london and started his own label... what a man....
I can spend endless amounts of time searching web for a images, patterns, abstract lineart while listening to the music from all around the world maybe I really need to go to fashion school. some things really fascinates me
I couldn't believe he wasn't there that day-- The clown, who couldn't show his true face If your dreams come true It won't be because of anyone but yourself You choose to run Even on the days when the wind blows hard
I know I am a little obsessed about myself, but look this is about 18 years of my life. Blown by a dry wind, I walk alone until I reach that sky of oblivion. I'm searching for a grey and beautiful feeling. Becuase I can't erase my footprints my frustration builds I'm searching for a blank white and wonderful feeling. Only my rhapsody is a clue (to the whereabouts of my feelings) I always closed myself off saying "its all just repeats anyway" holding in my heart a story after all the ice has melted away. That's why under the velvet sky I can hear a voice singing. Evading a pointless depression, I can hear my voice. If a cold rain falls I light a cigarette I'll make it through ok. I want to push myself to live but I still remember The story that I hold today that was written when I was still a prisoner. That's why under the velvet sky I can hear a voice singing. Evading a pointless depression, I can hear my voice. In that velvet sky that spins in vain, I'm sure I can hear a voice becuase in this brilliant and sad sky, I can hear my voice. Someone said it's easier to give up, I thought to myself "That's the exact opposite of what I want" I was always confused saying "it all just repeats anyway" but I still hold this story in my heart, which may never be completed. That's why under the velvet sky I can hear a voice singing. Evading a pointless depression, I can hear my voice. In that velvet sky that spins in vain, I'm sure I can hear a voice because in this soft and sad sky, I can hear my voice. I BELIEVE ME, I TRUST ME, I BELIEVE MY LIFE
>>23 You should hit the bittorrent sites and find episodes of "Project Runway" (US Series)and "Project Catwalk" (UK Series). They're about young designers getting weekly challenges, and the prize is a showing at one of the big fashion weeks (New York/London). Some of the stuff they come up with is really creative, and some of it is just ugly, but when they have two days to make an outfit...
talking about succesful people do you know famous fashion company DOLCE&GABBANA?? it is just 2 faggots. one went to the florence when he was 19 he had no money, no education, he was a fag all he had is just his dream another one was a arch. school drop-out. he worked at small textile store. so together they started their own brand and look, they are famous and rich
hey eggplant, I wonder why are you staying in your basement watching anime? you can work on a shitty job just for some money and you can spend it on travels. be an eUrO TrasH AzNboY
Confused and lost, I cried In the corner of the toy store When I realized my mom was gone Even though a stranger spoke so kindly to me I couldn't hear a word he said Even now, an anxious feeling, like that Unbearable incident, still lingers in me How sad, no one came to find me Lost child! The announcement never came Beyond the door there are no promises But let's go, a new morning is here In a blissful daze, I kept pedalling on my bike Riding with you Until we reached a faraway place We had nothing, but every day was wonderful I thought things would never change The pages of my photo album are filled with your smiling face But you're somewhere far away now, you haven't even sent a letter Today is the birth of a new me I'll start by retaking those precious photographs Without extinguishing the flame of those beautiful memories A new morning is here Even now, an anxious feeling, like that Unbearable incident, still lingers in me How sad, no one came to find me Lost child! The announcement never came Beyond the door there are no promises But let's go, a new morning is here Another morning Another morning Happy rebirthday!
When we were still playing pretend, like kids I dreamed I was flying through the sky The real future was frightening And I wished I could stop time A desperate and naive promise was Lost in the pain of imagination Once again from a tiny window A transparent light shone on me Lying down next to that warm body I watched the invisible sky This boring, peaceful-like existence Day by day somehow became more and more pleasant nowhere
I keep sinking I just want to go under, like a deep sea fish You know, I wonder why I don't want anything When we put on adult faces Our laughter was melancholy Even though we made walls out of words The tears dripped a little We were confused, we knew we were lying And our hurt feelings were frozen nowhere We know We can't deal with A world without sadness But we're still loooking for it nowhere I keep sinking I just want to go under, like a deep sea fish You know, I wonder why I just don't want anything nowhere I'm hiding So that my last scream won't be heard Right now, I'm nowhere
Through the empty days I'm waiting I've had nightmares about the tedious ticking of a watch I'm waiting for something My head is down, the only thing that keeps me going Is just a hopeful observation So I don't care about the reality
I wanna drink up some easy consolation, Self control It's boring, but maybe I'll just line up the empty cans in my room I remember the night we kissed, Self control I'll count sheep so I'll sleep tonight too
one two three four five six seven eight nine
The traffic jam Was like water still as death Even if you throw a stone You won't see any expanding ripples Everybody hides their true heart And laughs from behind a mask I'll play Pierrot and be waiting for you
I wanna drink up some easy consolation, Self control It's boring, but maybe I'll just line up the empty cans in my room I remember the night we kissed, Self control I'll count sheep so I'll sleep tonight too
I looked in the public room He was reading a book, With only one page Asked him his age Said he was fine His hearing's not as good as mine Glue your eyelids together Your eyelids together Glue your eyelids together Your eyelids together She was a neat piece Handy with a smack We were walking fronto to back Never the less She was a mess A last ditch effort is always the best I saw him once again He was playing a game, With only one piece He bent over to the left I kicked the table hard I must confess She throws things out, She doesn't want people to see She vacuums it up It's never enough Can't take a step without falling down It's always the same No one to blame Her position to His positiion His position to Her position
In my nite life I don't think twice, everything is so nice Loving in the luxury of the nite life, everything is alright Blinding by the headlites, driving past midnite
Looks like a still life
Give me something cheap, not enough sleep Which one do i keep? You are my nite life
Nite life, brite lite, hold tight, turn right, turn left, like that Bright light
In my nite life I don't think twice everything is so nice Loving in the luxury of the nite life, everything is alright Blinding by the headlights, driving past midnite
Looks like a still life
Give me something cheap, not enough sleep Which one do i keep? You are my nite life
Have you heard about Benny so far? Benny is a singer. She says she is a native English speaker. In fact, her father comes from the US (mother Japanese). No wonder she speaks English. For the most part in her life, she's used the langueage, I guess, at least she told us in public that she had lived in America on and off until she became 14 years old. A total amount of 7 years of English education made her a good English speaker. Now she appears on a TV program as an M.C. In my opinion, she not only speaks English, but also looks really cute. If you haven't seen the program yet, I recommend to you to tune in. You'll be fascinated by her. Trust me.
Fukuhara Ai isn't a pretty athlete, isn't she? Fukuda Saki is pretty girl, isn't she? Jyunichiro Koizumi isn't a competent stateman, is he? You are NEETs, aren't you?
>>80 You make me sick. I think you love Mrs Soga,too... >>81 Benny is still a virgin, waiting for giving me her virginity, But Yukorin threw it away in her younger age.
Fukuhara surprised me when she interpreted into Japanese what a Chinese table tennis player said. Flying to China many times a year as a child, Fukuhara got the hang of speaking Chinese. She's overcame the language barrier at least, though I don't know about the cultural barrier. When she was interviewed by a Chinese anchorman, she answered to him in tears.
Fukuhara is a famous table tennis player with a good command of English. She has been featured since her childhood. As she grow older, she is becoming more pretty.
I used to fancy a girl before I went studying abroad, it was like around 6 years ago... She was my classmate in junior school, and was sitting right behind me.
I met her again last month, we went out for dinner, I was still nervous.
...well...I used to be quite obsessed with her after my junior graduation, it went on for a few years.
But as time goes by, I start to think less about her, cuz I thought I should do something in my career before I return to her and we'll have good times with each other from then on.
Good morning! But I had all night,hahaha. Why...? I watched Best Hit USA. It's very very interesting TVprogram. When songs I know cast,Im so excited. but today's nothing.Oh my god!Hahaha...sorry. Im sleepy〜 Ill be end here,bye
>>164 Why "memorize a news report"? I would recommend you to buy an inexpensive English magazine and read it through. They give you a living example of today's English. On the other hand, news resports' style of writing is rather formal. Moreover, a good magazine gives you an incentive to continue the reading. After all, it is the most important factor to keep you motivated. A mere daily news report lacks that.
>>166 Learn what ability of English? English in general or oral communication in particular? If the latter, go for cinemas or TV dramas. News broadcasts are relatively easy to listen, but newscaster's talks are rather stereotyped.
Do you know Horiemon finally got released yesterday after more than 90 days of costody? A brief glance at him revealed that he has lost some weight and became slim. He must've gotten through a hard time. To my mind, he looked a bit miserable. There used to be something about him, but now that he's lost the past glory, he seems volunerable. By the way, it surprised me when I hear he still can have huge money prepared for his release. Come to think of it, Horiemon is still one of the most influencial financieres of LD, though I don't know what is in the store for him. Maybe Fuji TV will file a lawsuit against LD and then LD and its investors would take a legal action. There might be no way out. Horiemon still catches our attention. What's your opinion on this matter, by the way? Do you think he will ask for mercy and get away with it or will he deserve some punishment? Share your view!
people all around world are amazed at japanese people. for non japanese people Japan seems to be a mystery country? and do you know why? because... because japan is a nation where every person have Asperger Syndrome!!! that's why japan is all about "look"
because people with Asperger's are FAKES. they cant act natural so to live in society they needs to be an actors. that explains that "save you face" bullshit it is all about Aspergers, Baby!
>>181 what is Asperger Syndrome ? I went through my dictionary and didn't find it.
by earnest English learner
By the way, " the golden week" which we call it that way in Japanese about a long vacation is just around the corner. are you gonna go on a trip somewhere ? If so,I'm a bit jealous of your position. because I have to work as usual during the holidays. Have a lot of fun and don't forget to buy me a souvenir !
I know a couple of people who claim to have Asperger's, and I really have to wonder if it's a self-diagnosis. According to most of the documentation and official definition, people with it are generally quite bright, but generally withdrawn and stand-offish. These guys are just really bloody annoying, and have me thinking that they're just loud morons.
i am going crazy of studing. you know when you're study math you can always tell yourself something like that: I know how to solve this and that but when youre reading tons of stupid books it is like a nightmare
that eggplant guy... he is from emigrant's family. he seems to be not stupid guy but due to that fact he feels like an aline in his country (england) he is asian guy...
setting sun by Dazai Osamu is a nice book. but I had promised to myself not to read Dazai Osamu anymore. because it is bad book. do I sound like a girl who fell in love with him? I hope no... lol
i read a book about postwar japan. I was truly fascinated by it. that book is about a boys who were 14 when the SECOND WORLD WAR started. instead of studing they did obscure job for a military. when the war ended many of them ressurected to normal life but the main character could not find himself a place in postwar japan.
>>212 I feel bad because there are a couple of Japanese authors that I really like, but have never been able to actually read their works (versus seeing a film or animated version), because there are either no translations in English, or the translations are very bad (highly mechanical or lots of changes).
/Kenji Miyazawa and Yoshiki Tanaka for those who were wondering
It's been about one year since I first visited the ENGLISH board of 2ch and I'm finally beginning to get bored with it. This is a good omen I should say.
>>231 I got bored after 4 months of staying here. my first reaction was "wow! japanese people I can talk to" but it get boring very soon. maybe because you, japanese people dont want to talk with foreigners in english...!!!!
>>201 much appreciated .long time no see,subject. I know a lot about you because you're a regular poster on this thread. I love you , I need you ,I want you,I miss you. I can't sleep at all without thinking about you at night.
Maki chan can fly because she is a perfect angel with 2 holy wings, but I am an ordinary man who ,of course cannot fly. But we are preparing for flying away from here to the Paradise,
you know,Japan has so much changed. so there are nowhere you dream about an old good days of Japan like ozu yasujirou's world. so I advise you not to come to Japan.or you'll be very disappointed.
I don't like the Korean alphabet because I don't like korean people. As I often see them shouting out something politically on TV, they look as if thet are well barking dogs.
Next time who types in non-English, also type an English translation of it right below. Because by doing so, not only everyone will be able to understand, but also, more importantly, you can improve your English.
Today's newspaper says Horiemon got back home and took a sip of beer with his lawyer, and said to him, quote, "In retrospect, I was so much in a hurry for success. I'll never get involved in management". He seemed sorry for what he did in the past.
>>336 That reminds me. That polygamy man, whatever his name is, made news. He admitted that he threatened several female to live with him. Don't follow suit, you guys. You'll get arrested.
>>339 that's no polygamy. because he's not married to those women. but anyway, just think of it. having so many women. must be exhausting listening to their demands...
>>337 Canada doesn't have anything like Golden Week. We're celebrating nothing right now... ...although we did have Easter not too long ago, so we had school and work off for Friday and Monday. :D
Canada only has one day off in May (Victoria Day) ('A`)
Most people call it May Two-Four Weekend. Basically, a lot of people get a Two-Four of Beer (24-bottle case), go camping and get drunk. This is Canadian culture ('A`)
The current administration of Japan lauched into discussion about whether English should be taught in public elementary school or not a few years ago, and they decided to get going. What's it like in Canada? Did you learn another language as a kid?
>>376 i'm not posting from canada. that canadian guy is gone. anyway, personally i think it's a waste of time to teach english in elementary school.they need to learn other things, like history, maths and things.
>>380 I see your point, but I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. To my mind, kids are learn the ropes of English more easily than adults are. The earlier, the better.
>>381 it really depends on what kind of english you're thinking. english is just a language. it's for communication. it's not something you spend your life on learning (of course, unless you're a linguist, writer or something.) 3,4 years of learning is enough in most cases.
>>380 There has been a lot of study into primary and secondary language acquistion. If you do not learn a first language by the critical point, you will likely never learn one. For a secondary language, there really is not a critical point, but it is universally agreed upon that the older you are when you start learning the harder it will be. Those that start learning another language early may learn more slowly at first, but they more than make up for it in the ability to express sounds that are not in the primary language and accents. Thus, you should at least learn the phonology of other languages while you are still young, as that is the part that becomes the hardest with age. Other parts of language development are also effected, but not to the same extent.
>>383 But poeple say though they learn 6 years worth of English classes they still can't speak even a bit of English. I mean, most Japanese are thinking if they had started earlier things would be different. And I think they get some point here. If kids learn English for 3 or 4 years, they come to communicate without taking pains.
>>386 that's mainly because they don't practice speaking. nothing to do with learning at a young age.just add up the number of hours you actually spoke in english in the 6 years you mentioned. i bet it's less than a few months. that's not enough really.
but anyway, as i said. english is just a language. it's for communication. people shouldn't take such a long time to learn it. i mean mastering it is difficult. but for communicating with others, one doesn't need to master a language.
>>389 So you mean the government should more focuses on the lack of practice in the current compulsory education? I don't mean to offend you, but what about comparison between kids and adults? Which do you think learns easily? In my opinion, that critical point thing can't be ingnored.
>>390 >people shouldn't take such a long time to learn it I totally agree to this point. But after coming of age, you need to take more time to learn it than in childhood, don't you?
when you are among adults, ideas and what you want to say are more important than how you say them or how well you express them. so even if you speak a really crappy english, as long as the idea you have is good, everyone will probably listen to you. by the way, i think the speed of learning is about the same. kids are prone to be distracted, whereas, adults can concentrate on learning. anyway, back to not enough practising stuff - YES. at the moment that's not enough.
>>394 for example, only adults can understand words expressing mature feelings.besides, kids can't read many books, but adults can. so learning is in a way easier when grown up a bit.
>>399 Is that all? Do you believe if you go abroad you come to understand English? If children can't read because they are children, how can they come to read? Children starts reading Japanese step by step, and gragually they will read more difficult books. Naturally, that goes for English.
>>400 that's not what i mean. what i mean is some words (english or japanese) expressing difficult feelings can in no way be understood by kids. for adults it's easier, because they know the meaning of the word they are trying to learn. so you don't have to spend ages trying to understand what the word means.so learning a seconday language is more efficient when slightly older.
>>401 actually, yes. that's how people do in general. you spend some time (maybe a year or so, up to 3 years, learning a foreign language), then they go abroad a bit, use the language, and get some confidence. that's the way it is.
>>401 on your second point, i would say that's a waste of time if children try to learn how to read both english and japanese books from the start. it's better they read japanese/english well first, then move on to another language. you can save time in this way.
>>402 I wonder why you stick to the notion that children can't understand somewhat difficult words only in English. Why do you ask for perfection? As children learn Japanese, they can gradually understand English.
I think teaching English as a kid is a step in the right direction. Because most Japanese adults can't understand more than English children do in English. Why? Because of lack of basics. Basics should be learned as a kid, because they are more able to learn quick when it comes to languages.
>>405 i didn't specify that to english alone. the same goes for japanese. what i'm saying is that learning as an adult can save some time as well. so not at all bad. by the way,i am not asking for perfection.as i said, language is for communication. as long as you can convey what you want to say, that's enough.
>>406 As things stand now, most japanese feel they couldn't convey what they want to say, because of pronunciation, grammar, expressions, blah-blah-blah. If they learn as a kid, they can overcome such a language barrior easily and permanentally.
>>409 You are right. It's just because they don't use it. Things don't vary from Japan to UK. If they don't use it, they don't improve. If the kids are put in a situation where they should use it, it's a completely different story, isn't it?
>>411 yes, but the same is also true for adults, if they were put in a situation where they must use the language to survive. granted, pronunciation is harder to master when old.
>>412 at the moment i don't see people speaking in english everywhere in JP. at home, in school... so where do they use it? i am sure even among friends, kids prefer to use JP rather than english.
>>413 Imagine, a child and his parents live abroad, and they spend the same time using the language. Which one can improve easily? The answer's obvious, isn't it?
i go back to what i said earlier. it's not when you learn it. it's how much you actually use it regardless of your age. think of joseph conrad, for example.
well, classroom time vs outside the classroom time?? i think the competition is obvious. it doesn't sould so effective.
joseph conrad is originally from ukraine. he didn't learn english till late, yet he is an english writer. so my point is it's not important when you start learning. he had to learn english, because he was a sailer.
I watched a fashion show dont you think it is pretty cynical to show preparation of the show ,where all models are nervous like hell, and playing the funny song with lyrics "should I stay or should I go" haha fashion is very cynical. it is just how rich people look on non-rich people
I have a hard time expressing myself in English. All I can use is a really limited English. Some people might say you can improve after you become adult, and you don't need to speak fluently as long as you can communicate, but they don't miss an important point. From what I have experienced, when you start learning a new language after you pass the age of 12, your progress is very limited compared to the amount of efforts you make in learning the language.
Sure optimistic people don't want to admit there's a little prospect that the ability to get used to it sharply is lost after what they call a critical point. But one cannot emphasize too much the importance of the theory. You can never use English properly. Your langueage doesn't sound good, I mean, weird. There are thousands of words and expressions you have to learn that you can't use properly. Even basic words are difficult to put to use which you mistakenly think you have mastered.
Plus, if you practice English and get used to it somewhat, then you have to keep your memory fresh. And this is the next thing you will suffer from. You will lose your words. The more you learn by heart, the harder you keep your words. You will get tired of loss of them. Your langueage ability can never go up smoothly. It becomes tough to learn.
Contrary to the fact that adults can't improve easily, however, children are genious, so to speak. If they start English early enough, they can get the hang of it easily and effectively. They learn languages easily and keep their skills high enough after they become adult. That's why they should make an effort to develop their English ability at the earliest stage of their lives.
With all the efforts and energy put into learning English, adults can't imporve more easily than children can. Why put off starting learning until you come of age or pass the critical period? That doesn't make any sense.
We have great difficulties putting our feelings into even plain English. I'm the first to admit that almost all of us learners of English in Japan have failed to learn English well, and that there's no point getting started in our adulthood. We've studied English after we got into junior high shcool, which proved people can't learn another language, especially this applys to languages between Japanese and English because they are completely different from each other.
We must put more emphasis on learning our mother tongue and cut the learning of English. No need to use English anywhere in Japan. Japan is a homogenious community, so we should exclude anyone who can't speak Japanese. We need to have confidence in ourselves. We are great. We have pretty idols and actresses.
I read in some other thread that one day Uehara Sakura, a beautiful female talent, got up and found herself fluent in English. She is a guy magnet as well as a good English-speaking person. I'm not sure what miracle made her a good English speaker overnight, though.
japanese comedian micky yasukawa went to usa at the age of 18. he started from primary school.during his 4-5 stay is usa, he got able to speak english with no difficulties because there were no japanese speaking people around him.he would have died if he had not spoken english. if there is a need to speak english, you will be able to speak. on top of that,english learning method is as important as neccesity. when you get older,you get ashamed of learning english for kids level.
if schlool education lies in only for learning english , the sooner,the better. but bad influences can be bigger than benefits.
we should change english learnig method first rather than starting age. for example we should put more emphasis on basic words and basic usage. after that ,we shoud proceed to another stage. i might know a lots of difficult words that american kids don't know usually. but i still can't distniguish betwenn 'a' and 'the' or 'singular form' and 'plural form' i can't use a prepositoin correctly either. before we master plain and basic english, we proceed to more difficult words and usages. that 's the big problem.
>>460 I don't understand what's bad about bilingual education. Can you be more specific? And usually, kids start learning easy words and everyday expressions through which they can learn about how to use basic grammar items properly. So you made me sure that English should be taucht in elementary school. As I see it, however, it should be more focused on how to teach school kids English, not on when to get them started on it. If the committee of education can't deploy as many native English speakers as needed and so instead non-English-speaking teachers should substitute them, then we should speak against the authoriety. It's more like a waste of time. In conclusion, children should learn English from proplerly licenced native English speakers.
I, for one, like Beni Arashiro, who is half American, half Japanese. She appears on TV as an English teacher. She looks exotic and beautiful. I can't resist her temptation. Anyway, I set the video to tape the program today.
>>479 Not to worry. It's just sour grapes. Nobody in the right mind would take the like of him seriously. He doesn't know what he's doing. I think we should keep going. So what do you see in Saki? Is she just pretty? I figured there's something about her that attracted you that much.
>>482 Oh, I thought you were the fan of her. Well, I don't know much about her, really. All I know is that she is an idol, plus from what 476 said, her looks were good enough to him. Is there a writer by that name, by the way?
>>495 lay yo mama, put your lingua into her butthole and suck off something brown or black that be sustenance for you. and that's kinda hard play you never forget and your cavernous body rock rock on and can't stop foreva~~~. you don have to worry about copulatory maybe. you know I mean?
あんな、俺の英語ってのは英語圏のエロサイト見るために覚えた英語なの、分かる? よって、すっげー意義がある英語な訳よ。おまえ、熟女 とか マジかわいい外人の女の子の 画像どうやって探すよ、探せっか? 俺にとっちゃ簡単よ。ちなみに言っとくけど fuck なんて使ったらだめだよ。だめだめサイトに飛ばされるから。 glamour babe とか busty とか a mature spreads her legs and show her pink とかなんで? おまえ分かってんのか? お前の中途半端な英語力とスキルじゃエロサイトも見れねーし ビジネスでも通用しねーんだ。俺のがよっぽど有意義だろうが、ばかぁめ。
>>553 つか、3兆円分さ、エロサイトの補充して欲しいよね。 むしろ、基地内でやつらのワイフを使った風俗店やるなら許す。じゃね? マジでファックしてやりたいよ。旦那の見てる前で潮吹きを見せてやりたい。 oh yes oh yes oh yes what the p is this fingering? みたいな?
With all the efforts and energy put into learning English, adults can't imporve more easily than children can. Why put off starting learning until you come of age or pass the critical period? That doesn't make any sense.
>>604 Are you sure? Is there any other reason you can come up with? Off the top of my head, most Japanese don't start learning English as a kid in public elementary school, as do some Japanese in international school.
I think that learning a foreign language is indeed difficult once you've reached a certain age. It's unfortunate that in many countries students aren't taught foreign languages until they pass the stage of easy language acquisition...
I'm an American, and I started learning Spanish when I was 13 in High School. Today, I'm 16, and I find it easy to write Spanish and understand Spanish texts, but I find speaking difficult and understanding spoken Spanish very difficult, especially when the person I'm talking to has an unclear accent.
It's not that I don't know the words they're using; it's that I can't parse the sounds they're making into words very easily. I think this is because while one effortlessly learns the phonemes of the language spoken around them as a young child, one loses this ability later on, and learning to recognize new sounds becomes frustrating.
>>623 In Canada, you start learning French in first grade of primary school. You have to learn it until the first year of high school. The funny thing is that I forgot nearly everything I was taught. It's the same with most people.
>>625 I know what you mean. As a matter of fact, I started learning English when I was 13 like you did Spanish. And I've almost given up speaking English fluently..
Speaking of language education in America, the Japan's media reported the other day that Bush put more emphasis on learning Chinese languege for America's safety. And some data show the language has come to be taught in thousands of elemetary schools.
>>626 But once you put your little energy into remembering what you learned in your childhood, I'm sure you can call it back. You can ride a bicycle 10 years after you actually did it.
Really? I wouldn't believe that news if I were you. Bush doesn't have the power to do that because education standards are set at the state level. Anyway, the schools where I live don't offer any languages other than Spanish or French at the high school level, and only Spanish in junior high. No foreign languages are taught in elementary school, though speaking Spanish is highly desired for school workers in my area because of all the Mexican immigrants who can't speak English very well.
You were right about Bush calling for more schools to teach Chinese, but he also wants them to teach Farsi and Arabic it seems. Anyway, I personally doubt many schools will suddenly start offering Chinese, but you never know...
Not to change the subject, but do you like figure skate? The artistic sport has caught a lot of attension from many Japanese people. In Canad a figure skate competition took place and an American female skater won the goldmedal in march this year. I was deeply enchanted by the skaters' graceful performance. And in my view, there are lots of pretty females. Sasha Cohen is my favorite.
Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know very much about figure skating. I did watch the Winter Olympics women's figure skating though, and I believe Japan got the the gold medal, right? Sasha Cohen only got silver, I think. Anyway, I liked the Japanese one who won the gold medal best.
>>632 Thanks for taking the time. From what I saw on the TV report I mentioned, I'm way sure the surge in the number of schools to offer Chinese was remarkable. And as China's communist government has loved to spread its language around the world in order to advertise Chinese culture, they have been providing Chinese teachers with many countries including America. Perhaps, the school in the report got a head start.
Farsi and Arabic.. These languages are used in America's opposing countries, aren't they? After 9/11, I don't think there's no wonder about it, though.
>>635 Oh, I see. I thought figure skating was one of the popular sports, though, even if it doesn't hold its own against baseball, basketball, and football..
Yeah, Shizuka Arakawa made it in the Olympic. She's got more and more attention. Still, I prefer Sasha, though.
If you don't mind, I correct some errors you made.
"way sure": This should be "very sure". Using "way" to mean "very" is slang, and I would advise againt using it.
"they have been providing Chinese teachers with many countries": I think you meant "they have been providing many countries with Chinese teachers".
"I don't think there's no wonder about it": "it's no wonder" would be better.
Anyway, to answer your post... Yes, Farsi is used in Iran, and Arabic in other Islamic countries. I don't think these languages will be taught in many schools, though, because learning a foreign language is voluntary, and most students wouldn't want to take Chinese because it's far more difficult than Spanish (which many people only take to satisfy college requirements, although I'm not one of those people).
Sorry. I just don't pay too much attention to sports, not even baseball, basketball, or football. I just don't really find them that interesting for some reason.
>>638 Thank you for correcting my errors. I wonder if "way sure" sounds rude. I picked up the expression from a TV drama(and to me, she sure talked casually but didn't seem rude). I have difficulties making out what expression sounds polite or offensive if contexts don't clearly tell me how they sound.
Yes, Chinese must be very tough to learn. But surprisingly enough, the children were really fluent in the language. Kids are language geniuses!
Not necessarily. Many people who are obsessed with sports are fat and lazy because they spend all their time watching sports on TV. :) Just liking sports doesn't make you fit. You have to exercise. Anyway, I don't watch TV too much (mostly because nothing good is ever on), but I see nothing wrong with reading books.
>>640 That's ok. I love reading books, too. I sometimes read English books. For the most part, they are fantasy books for children, though. When I read Japanese books, I prefer who-done-it kind of books. What kind do you prefer?
No, "way sure" isn't rude. It's just that it might make people laugh at you. It's not really very common, IMO. I think it's kind of outdated.
Anyway, I suppose that it is possible to learn Chinese through immersion if you're very young. I still doubt that many schools will start teaching it, though; since right now, Spanish is far more important in the US than Chinese. I can only see it becoming more important with all the immigrants coming in from Mexico.
>>643 >I don't think so... Perhaps you're talking about people who _play_ sports. I'm talking about people who _watch_ them. Let me tell you that there are plenty of fat people who watch sports on TV but couldn't play them themselves if their life depended on it.
I mostly enjoy reading Science-Fiction and Fantasy stories. For example, I like the Harry Potter books, Isaac Asimov's novels, and Iain M. Bank's novels. I suppose you're referring to detecive novels by "who-done-it kind of books". I enjoy them, but I haven't read many.
>>646 Speaking of immigrants from Mexico, did they march on the street against a bill that illegal immigrants will be banished from America? It may be a difficult question to answer whether to let them stay or or not.
And thanks again for shedding light on my question. I didn't know it had already been outdated.
right now, i'm reading a book called " mad money" by jim cramer. a jewish ( i think!) guy who was graduaded from harvard law school & had been worked for goldman sachs for 25 yrs as a banker. she has own his show at CNBC news called " mad money" his slogan is this, make money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!booooyah!!!!!
Are there anyone from America on this thread right now?
If there are, I just wanted to know how much publicity and general public recognition the ABDUCTION of Japanese and Korean citizens by the North Koreans are getting right now over there.
Is it just the Japanese media broadcasting the meeting with George Bush or is the news being shown in the states?
Well, they did in some places in the US, which I'm sure you already know, but not in my city, although there were rumours that there was going to be one. Speaking of that, on Monday they're planning to all stay home from school/work in order to create an "immigrant-free day" to show everyone how vital they are to America. As for the question of whether or not they should stay, in my opinion they should have to go back to Mexico if they're not legal. I don't have anything against them, but providing them with free schooling, free school breakfast/lunch, welfare checks, food stamps, etc. is sucking up tax dollars for little gain, IMO.
I agree. The Harry Potter books are quite good. Earlier I said I liked Fantasy, but now that I think about it, I haven't really liked any other fantasy I've read. I think J.K. Rowling has a better style than most Fantasy authors. Even though many like The Lord of the Rings, I just couldn't get into the series because of his, IMHO, excessive detail.
>>655 About Harry Potter, yeah, I'll say. I also tried The Lord of the Rings 1, but the book was out of my depth. I gave up.
Anyway, what do you think will happen at the end of Harry Potter 7? My wild guess is that Harry will fight against Voldemort at Hogwarts, as in dragon warrior( do you know about the game software?).
I think you mean "beyond my level" by "out of my depth". I've heard of Dragon Warrior. I tried playing the first one (for NES), but I found that it was too tedious. I don't really like RPGs that focus on leveling up too much, but that's just me. As for the end of Harry Potter, I like the rumor that Harry's scar is a horcrux, but I doubt it will be true.
>>662 >Harry's scar is a horcrux but I doubt it will be true Me, too. If his scar is a horcrux, Harry is supposed to die when he really want to distroy Voldemort. In the first place, his scar was marked after he who must not be named created 7 horcruxes..
>>664 Sounds really sad if Harry dies in return for bringing peace to the magical world. I hope Harry and Ginny go out again.
Incidentally, why did Dunbldore believe in Snape? As I'm reading volume 4, when Harry asked him why, the head master didn't anser his question.. There must have been a big secret which will be unveiled in volume 7.
>>667 Well, many great stories have been tragic, like Romeo and Juliet... As for the Harry/Ginny romance, I didn't really like the way the "monster in his chest" was described in Book 6. I think the romance is fine, but I think a better metaphor could have been used for his desire for her.
As for Dumbledore's belief in Snape... Well, there are many rumors on the Internet. Lots of people think that Snape isn't really evil. Some people think he made an unbreakable oath with Dumbledore and that's why he beleived in him, for example. Personally, I think Snape might still really be on the good side considering that he gave Harry a bit of advice while fleeing Hogwarts at the end of book 6, IIRC. I think the argument between Snape and Dumbledore in book 6 was about Dumbledore wanting Snape to go through with his oath to help Malfoy and Snape was trying to refuse because he didn't want to have to kill Dumbledore.
>>670 >the way the "monster in his chest" was described in Book 6. Yeah, you're right. Come to think of it, the way Harry behaves in book 5 seemed to irritate many readers. (In 2ch there have been "Harry Potter" threads where people discuss the books as well) Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought American people loved to read/see happy ending stories. Someone told me they wouldn't be satisfied with bad endings.
Your take on Snape is completely new and really interesting to me. He's still run a risk.. The books has been really full of twists and turns. So Snape may help Harry out when he's faced with death or something..
By the way, I still think Wormtail will do good to harry, because Dumbledore said a wizard who is saved a life from another one will do something in return.. What do you think about it?
>>672 >Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought American people loved to read/see >happy ending stories. Someone told me they wouldn't be satisfied with bad endings.
This may come as a shock to you, but not all Americans are the same. :) j/k Anyway, I usually like happy endings when they fit the story, but I think a sad ending would be more fitting for Harry Potter since the books have kind of a dark mood, IMO.
"He's still run a risk": This should be "He's still running a risk.", but I still don't really know what you mean by this. Do you mean that it was risky for him to kill Dumbledore or something?
"The books has": "The books HAVE"
"Dumbledore said a wizard who is saved a life from another one will do something in return": "Dumbledore said that a wizard will do something in return for someone who has saved their life." is what you mean, I believe. You would use "his life" instead of "their life" in my sentence if you wanted to be very formal, BTW. You might already know this. I just don't want to mislead anyone learning English.
Anyway, I'm not really sure what Wormtail will do to repay his debt to Harry. My best guess is that he's going to perhaps sacrifice himself to save Harry in the final battle or something like that. Just guessing, though...
>>467 if you want to speak english as fluent as native speakers and act like english speaking foreigner, go ahead. but there are many other things we should learn first. for example,japanese and mathmatics.
early education is important not only for language skill but also for mathematics and japanese. building up identity also should not be late.i am concerned that kids can be moved easily by foreigh teachers.
we should build up our identity first.kids still don't know who they are and who others are.kids will be confused . ealy english ecucation lead idenntity crisis and some kids will think english and american way of life is superior to japanese . i have seen some returnee students like this. but they'll never get important position in usa.they can speak english but don't have remakble skill other than that. anyway he got back to japan.they are ashamed of being japanese and misundestanding.they think they are among american, but real american never admit it.
language is only the means of communication.the aim of learning foreigh language should not be for acting ,speaking the same way as english speaking people.
philipino can speak better english than japanese.english is an official language.but are they as wealthy as japanese and american?
of course african american can speak english.but they are still having hard time. i don't think discrimination is the only reason. african american don't know where they come from. they could hardly pass down african culture. they were made to have little self-esteem. race is the only common thing they can depend on. they are lacking in family value,ethnic solidarity. black people tend not to help each other compared to other ehnic groups.they unite against white establishment ,but when someone got succesful position as white establishments, they are called 'race traitor'.
on the contrary,look at the jewish and chinese people. they know where they come from.they know what their original culture is.they help each other.they know the wisdom of tradition.
i don't say black don't have wisdom.but slavery rip off their tradition and wisdom somewhat.black even don't know where they come from and what language they spoke.
>>678 >language is only the means of communication. it's not the only means... you can communicate in other ways - like punching the face of someone you don't like, or kissing someone you love.
>>678 and thanks for speaking on behalf of the whole african americans... are you one of them??? you really shouldn't generalise things too much though.
>>675 If Snape really isn't on the dark side, it means he is pretending to be a Death Eater, although he is considered to have betray Dumbledore's trust. Aurors will try to track him down. If Voldemort see through him, he'll be killed. If Aurors catch him, he'll be killed(I doubt any of them can find him, though). He's running risk of being killed. That's what I meant.
Now I see. BTW, "to have betray" should be "to have betrayed". Anyway, I have a question for you. What does the "サーウィ" mean in 676's post? I can't seem to figure it out...
it's kind of sad that the news about innocent teenagers being abducted by the north koreans aren't generally acknowledged by the general american public. to me it's more important than the new harry potter book. however on the other hand, we tend to be very ignorant about the racism towards african-americans, jews, polish, etc. in the states.
>>692 I'd translate the sentence into: 1)I guess Saawi has been here talking about Harry Potter. 2)Now that I've found that you've been talking about Harry Potter, I suspect Saawi is here.
Of course, >>676 was wrong. I've been talking with you about Harry Potter and I wouldn't be more of the person in question than you were.
Well, that confirms that, as I suspected, I'm hopeless at Japanese. Anyway, your English is very good... I wonder if it's because English is a simpler language than Japanese. It certainly seems that way to me. Maybe it's just because it's my native language, but I've always found that other languages contain many more complexities than English.
Sorry to tell you this, but that really was my post. I think Japanese is just beyond my ability... I've been studying it for a while, but I think I now realize that I don't really have any hope of learning it... If even such a simple sentence is beyond my ability to understand, how will I ever learn to understand more complex sentences? I think that beyond a certain age, learning a foreign language simply becomes a futile endeavour.
>>704 No, my translation was quite rough. And English grammar is really different from Japanese'. One of the biggest differences I have in mind is how to bring up a subject. Japanese people don't often refer to the subject of a sentence. In a sense, Japanese is simpler than English.
>>706 I think learning a language grammatically is not an impossible task no matter how old you are. It's the pronounciations and the actual speaking part that tends to become tricky. As you can read, I have no problem with my English. But I can't speak it to save my life.
Japanese people are famous for lack of English ability. As a matter of fact, we are the second worst in the TOEFL exam. The number of English expressions we must to learn is so overwhelming that I can easily forget new words today that I just studied yeasterday.
Well, I find this aspect of Japanese very confusing. It's seems as though you have to guess how the topic is related to the rest of the sentence sometimes. In English, everything is explicit. You must specify the subject of every verb.
Another reason Japanese is difficult is that it's hard to know when "wa" or "ga" is appropriate. I've read a number of explanations on the subject, but I usually can't figure how the rules of these explanations apply when I see them used in a Japanese sentence.
>>715 The way Japanese think and the one English speakers do are mostly different. Let me take several examples: 1)The pain in my leg is killing me. 2)School work's killing me. 3)This stockings come to just above my knees. Those expressions really surprised me when I first heard them. As I see it, when you learn a secondary language, you need to learn about its culture as well.
I don't think the part of speech terms we use in English really fit Japanese. For example, "adjectives" like "akai" (red) don't really fall under the English concept of adjective at all. To me, "akai" seems more like a verb.
Sorry, but it was a while ago that I set up and I don't remember that well... Which distro do you use? Be aware though that it's not nearly as good as the Windows one... It's difficult to use, IMO.
on a message board I saw a message from a girl whose husband was a military guy(he works in the navy) she wrote how her husband love STRAPON and she also said that she is in a panic, because she was afraid that her husband would leave her for a guy. lolololol military people sure JUST A BIG MESS.
>>770 i've installed scim, skim and anthy and a couple other dependent programs. it loads up fine, but nothing happens after that. i can't select langueages or i don't get any input displays.
hey mr.eggplant I know youre reading this... I dont know u at all but this is a something like an advice why dont you read a history of your NATIVE(where your parents came from) country? it may help you a lot to understand yourself.. I think because at the moment you're just an alien...
>>782 i know the history of my country very well, thank you! besides, i understand myself better than anyone else. i don't have any identity crisis! haha... i am an alien because i choose to be. maybe, that's hard for you to understand. but some people like me prefer to be alone. that gives me more time to think about how i proceed with my evil plans...
>>787 I just want to tell you that(of course I dont know a damn) your parents did a great job. you probably had the abilities of your parents. they gave you a start, why dont you use it? .... I am telling this, because one day I would be like your parents. lol
>>786 yeah. i know what you mean. but i want to achieve that by doing the opposite of what one supposed to be doing. i.e. by evil means... have you seen the link i gave you some time ago?? here is the link take a look: ttp://www.darksites.com/souls/horror/evilguide/index.html
>>787 haha, we are the same :) I dont like to tell where I am from. you dont like to tell about your native country .. we are ashamed of our roots. but your parents escaped from evil roots. :)
>>789 thanks for the link. but I want to tell you the truth. there is a major deterrent in men mind... you can think anything about yourself but... in 20 you dont have the mind in 30 you dont have money in 40 you dont have the wife. (Same goes to me, I feel very shitty because I understood the formula)
>>792 well, i don't know why you call "deterrent" in your mind. in 20, i had plenty of mind. in fact, too much of it. so i stay outside of what's supposed to be the place for men. i don't really know about the last 2. i am not aiming for earning loads anyway. so money won't be a problem for me. 40 years old without wife?? who knows. i think i will be single forever. that's more fun. in a way.
>>794 women are dumb. at the end of the day, they are mostly bitches. they need men, and they can't resist the nature. they are always after men, regardless of what they say about men and equality.
you just afraid of rivalry, competition... but this is an essence of live... think about your schoolmates who would laught at you if they see you now....
>>798 ah... but i am the one laughing at them. i have more control over myself than many of my old "schoolmates", who were plainly incompetent to stand for what they believed in, and who eventually conformed to the society which they are told to be part of.
I am a guy and this is MY point of view. guys are dumb. so I am. I dont have good MIND to for a living. so I need to find an owner!!! in other words I need to find a girl who would control me, as I am working for cool things lol and making a career. is this sounds like a SM????????????????
>>811 you sound like someone who is desperately trying to justify the very existence of yourself by denying others. frankly, it's us that couldn't give a damn about your perspectives. we don't come here looking for the meaning of life.
>>816 and you don't have the spirit of ninja... one needs to hide his/her identity in order to be successful. success brings you fame. that's the rule. not the other way around.
>>815 i am out of a man's club because... most mans are controlled by women and most mans just dont know it... you know some girls are making speeches at UNITED NATIONS and some girls only making speeches in the front of its husband. lolololol you know there is a natural LUST FOR POWER in a girls mind. so you should find yourself a GOOD girls who would use her LUST FOR POWER in a good way(i.e: help you make a career)
>>817 i am not denying others. i just don't care about them. they are mostly inferior to me. all i have to watch out is a few individuals who are better than i am. muahahahaha...
>>820 interesting point. i like the bit about UN and the in front of their hubsbads bit. but think carefully. they are at the end, very unreliable. besides, i think men's lust for power is not so much less than girls'. but anyway, as long as you are moaning about girls and stuff, you will never ever be a true evil doer!!!
>>832 everything would be the same. some would call her slut or something, but at the end of the day, nothing changes, leaving only some sad boys wanking hard in their beds.
>>848 ah... that's sooo medieval. you know that? today's philosophy is to creating something out of nothing. pretty much what lawyer and bankers are doing. ah, and the devil, of course... so having nothing to start off with is, in a way, the road to success.
>>850 yes. but even I am not well-to-do myself(I am entering college as you know) but I found that there is no other way.. you know for dreams there are artists/writers etc... for real life there are such rules.. if you dont have an ability of being artfag you should choose that way... and most of the artfags are very unhappy people
>>855 you know, subject. the worse thing you can do is to have dreams that are impossible to achieve. so be realistic. and finish off your study properly. then take some time off, to know yourself better. and to know what you really want to do with your life.
you know .. about Densha Otoko. do you know why Hermes choose him? because she is bored lady... at first densha will became her slave then they would sleep in different rooms and then hermes would find a lover. lol
mmm ok. so lets talk about UK books... do u know a book called line of beauty? it's about a oxford graduate whose father got a high rank in tories. that guy also have a almost crazy sister. and there is also a faggot from middle-classes. that faggot loves art. he lives in that family because he is a lover of that oxford guy. so let's be honest. you are a son of an important person???
hey hey hey do you know what is worse then "son of important person" yeah you got it right... the GRANDson of an important person.. do you understand me?? :) lol
>>904 i'm caught up in other things... besides, i don't really like girls with big tits. sometimes, they look so unnatural. and just imagine what will happen to these grand tits when the time comes. they all go sagging. ugh..
berenjena,i want to know the class in the uk. which in general will "well-educated white people from the upper class" respect , working class whitemen or well-educated colored people?
>>908 it really depends on where you live.class difference is not so obvious.but there is in the uk. because it's not apparent, i reckon no one really cares. not much discrimination in the uk, though.
>>910 cool! I really like Webern. do you know him? he is from second vienna school. schoenberg/webern/berg. what a great company.. I readed a letter of schoenberg. really interesting.
>>931 next autumn!!! its good for me to study. do you know why I dropped out form prev. uni? not because I was stupid lol. but because of really strange thing lolololol
i guess nonprejudiced british people will turn pale when it comes to their children marrying a coloured people. they will prefer a working class british people with little intelligence.
Internet freebies: you can get something for nothing. You 've always been a sucker for freebies. They gave me a freebie with my purchase. As a freebies junkie, I'm resigned to lots of nosy questions: What is your age range?