Re: German Translation Required - Timo?
doetnietcomputeren
> I would like
>
> an air filter
> an oil filter cover plate O ring
> a set of HT leads
>
> to fit a 1986 BMW K75
Something like this:
Herr box kopf, bitte, Ich mag w�rde:
ein Luftfilter
ein �lfilter Abdeckplatte O-Ring
eine Reihe von HT f�hrt
zu passen ein 1986 BMW K75
und ich verspreche den Krieg nicht zu erw�hnen.
--
Dnc
Brownz (Mobile)
> Could someone who knows provide a translation into German?
>
> "I would like
>
> an air filter
> an oil filter cover plate O ring
> a set of HT leads
>
> to fit a 1986 BMW K75"
>
>
> home - it's a bit boring and complex.
I haette gerne einen Luftfilter, einen Oelfilterdeckeldichtungsring und ein
Set Hochspannungskabel fuer einen 1986 BMW K75.
--
Cheerz - Brownz
'97 VFR750F-V
'07 R55 MCDC
Simon Wilson
> und ich verspreche den Krieg nicht zu erw�hnen.
>
Don't forget to close politely with
Nehmen Sie ihn in den Arsch?
--
/Simon
Timo Geusch
> sweller wrote:
>> Could someone who knows provide a translation into German?
>>
>> "I would like
>>
>> an air filter
>> an oil filter cover plate O ring
>> a set of HT leads
>>
>> to fit a 1986 BMW K75"
>>
>>
>> I'll be in Berlin tomorrow and I may need to buy some parts to bring
>> home - it's a bit boring and complex.
>
> I haette gerne einen Luftfilter, einen Oelfilterdeckeldichtungsring und ein
> Set Hochspannungskabel fuer einen 1986 BMW K75.
Pretty good. It's "ein Satz Z�ndkabel" instead of "ein Set
Hochspannungskabel" and "eine BMW K75".
--
Morini Corsaro 125 | XL250 Motosport | R1150RT | 3 1/2 Sport
Laverda SF2 BOTAFOF #33 TWA#10
The UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.info/faq/
"Je profite du paysage" - Joe Bar
ogden
> "Brownz (Mobile)" <spam...@brownz.org> writes:
>
> > sweller wrote:
> >> Could someone who knows provide a translation into German?
> >>
> >> "I would like
> >>
> >> an air filter
> >> an oil filter cover plate O ring
> >> a set of HT leads
> >>
> >> to fit a 1986 BMW K75"
> >>
> >>
> >> I'll be in Berlin tomorrow and I may need to buy some parts to bring
> >> home - it's a bit boring and complex.
> >
> > I haette gerne einen Luftfilter, einen Oelfilterdeckeldichtungsring und ein
> > Set Hochspannungskabel fuer einen 1986 BMW K75.
>
> Hochspannungskabel" and "eine BMW K75".
Crikey. I thought he was joking.
--
ogden
doetnietcomputeren
> doetnietcomputeren wrote:
>
>> Herr box kopf, bitte, Ich mag w�rde:
>> ein Luftfilter
>> ein �lfilter Abdeckplatte O-Ring
>> eine Reihe von HT f�hrt
>> zu passen ein 1986 BMW K75
>> und ich verspreche den Krieg nicht zu erw�hnen.
>
> "Your German is very good"
I think you missed a word between 'is' and 'very'.
--
Dnc
Pete Fisher
<tnewsSP...@unixconsult.co.uk> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
>"Brownz (Mobile)" <spam...@brownz.org> writes:
>
>> sweller wrote:
>>> Could someone who knows provide a translation into German?
>>>
>>> "I would like
>>>
>>> an air filter
>>> an oil filter cover plate O ring
>>> a set of HT leads
>>>
>>> to fit a 1986 BMW K75"
>>>
>>>
>>> I'll be in Berlin tomorrow and I may need to buy some parts to bring
>>> home - it's a bit boring and complex.
>>
>> I haette gerne einen Luftfilter, einen Oelfilterdeckeldichtungsring und ein
>> Set Hochspannungskabel fuer einen 1986 BMW K75.
>
>Pretty good. It's "ein Satz Z�ndkabel" instead of "ein Set
>Hochspannungskabel" and "eine BMW K75".
>
Takes all the fun out of it. I spent a pleasant half hour in a Gilera
dealer in Trezzo sull'Adda in 94 pointing at parts on their microfiche
reader and saying "come questo". Getting to the right fiche required
just a few key words or a bit of mime. This at least ensured that they
didn't think I could speak the lingo properly and fire complicated
questions at me.
Writing such a list down on a piece of paper can be a good strategy.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: Pe...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Steve
> Could someone who knows provide a translation into German?
>
> "I would like
>
> an air filter
> an oil filter cover plate O ring
> a set of HT leads
>
> to fit a 1986 BMW K75"
>
> I'll be in Berlin tomorrow and I may need to buy some parts to bring home
> - it's a bit boring and complex.
http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.efqfogzxxrcwvkgn&pageId=124615
Steve
Dr Ivan D. Reid
wrote in <NrG4n.15863$yt6....@newsfe14.ams2>:
>> "I would like
------------
"neun-zehn hundert sechs-und-achtzig Bay-Em-Vay Ka-funf-und-seibzig"
I think.
--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".
sweller
> > "Your German is very good"
>
> I think you missed a word between 'is' and 'very'.
No, Gordon Jackson didn't say that.
--
Simon
zymurgy
> In communiqué <m2k4vglnkh....@macie.unix-consult.com>, Timo Geusch
> <tnewsSPAMME...@unixconsult.co.uk> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
>
> >"Brownz (Mobile)" <spam.m...@brownz.org> writes:
>
> >> sweller wrote:
> >>> Could someone who knows provide a translation into German?
>
> >>> "I would like
>
> >>> an air filter
> >>> an oil filter cover plate O ring
> >>> a set of HT leads
>
> >>> to fit a 1986 BMW K75"
>
> >>> I'll be in Berlin tomorrow and I may need to buy some parts to bring home
>
> dealer in Trezzo sull'Adda in 94 pointing at parts on their microfiche
> reader and saying "come questo". Getting to the right fiche required
> just a few key words or a bit of mime. This at least ensured that they
> didn't think I could speak the lingo properly and fire complicated questions at me.
I've had similar experiences in France and Italy.
The French parts shop was less than helpful. [1]
The Italians couldn't have been more welcoming or understanding. Many
happy occasions being taught most of the words on this page ... !
http://italian.about.com/library/fare/blfare238.htm
Paul.
[1] Tho, this being said, i've been helped out on several occasions by
French spanner monkeys when i've just opened the bonnet and pointed at
something broken.
Pete Fisher
<13750993-026c-4805...@s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com>,
zymurgy <zym...@technologist.com> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
their language, particularly their oldest enemy. I think the blokes in
the Gilera place were so amazed that I had ridden there on a Nordwest
that they went out of their way to be helpful. They even sold me the
alternator rotor puller from their own workshop.
TBF, Patrick at Pointe de Corde in Limoges is also v. helpful, though he
can't, or won't, speak a word of English. Touching on another thread, he
even leant me some tools to take home to England so long as I posted
them back within 3 weeks. Though that did save him having to do the
labour for a warranty job on the Voxan. It's a long story why I didn't
just have it done there.
Dr Ivan D. Reid
wrote in <13750993-026c-4805...@s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com>:
> The French parts shop was less than helpful. [1]
<shrug> Pas de stock, m'sieur.
When I tried to buy a front brake hose in Liege after my braided
hose broke as I hit the hump on the ferry at Felixstowe. I rode all the
way back to Untersiggenthal with no front brake. Got snowed on in the
Eiffel Mountains and ended up with bronchitis, too...
des hanging around for a while
> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
Pas du tout. We just don't like it when Brits or Americans (si j'ai bien
compris, toi tu te démerdes pas mal en français..) automatically assume
that due to some imagined cultural 'superiority' on their part, we should
speak English.
I've recounted the story of the American bloke who walked up to me one day
and addressed me in English, due to my having a 'NY' baseball cap on. I
arched an eyebrow and asked him in French why he assumed that I would speak
English to him. Then there was the American woman in a shop who when she
saw the prices of the merchandise, asked in a loud voice, 'how much is that
in _real_ money??'
steve auvache
around for a while <d...@des.com> writes
>On 2010-01-17, Pete Fisher <Pe...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
>> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>
>Pas du tout. We just don't like it when Brits or Americans (si j'ai bien
>that due to some imagined cultural 'superiority' on their part, we should
>speak English.
A bit of an ask to expect the world to speak Hebrew though innit?
--
steve auvache
des hanging around for a while
> In article <0363567b$0$1333$c3e...@news.astraweb.com>, des hanging
> around for a while <d...@des.com> writes
>>On 2010-01-17, Pete Fisher <Pe...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
>>> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>>
>>Pas du tout. We just don't like it when Brits or Americans (si j'ai bien
>>that due to some imagined cultural 'superiority' on their part, we should
>>speak English.
>
> A bit of an ask to expect the world to speak Hebrew though innit?
You will one day.
Domènec
noticias news:ook9N0Fr...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk...
> Takes all the fun out of it. I spent a pleasant half hour in a Gilera
> dealer in Trezzo sull'Adda in 94 pointing at parts on their microfiche
> reader and saying "come questo". Getting to the right fiche required just
> a few key words or a bit of mime.
"Vuoi fare una scopatina con la tua sorella" is not exact Italian, but
should work.
Pete Fisher
<domenec.s...@gmail.com> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
I only had to google one (the most important) word of that, so my brief
Italian language immersion course was obviously fairly successful.
Pete Fisher
around for a while <d...@des.com> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
>On 2010-01-17, Pete Fisher <Pe...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
>> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>
>Pas du tout. We just don't like it when Brits or Americans (si j'ai bien
>that due to some imagined cultural 'superiority' on their part, we should
>speak English.
>
<D�j� vu mode>
Do you not think it a little extreme though to let someone continue to
struggle in a language they are not fluent in, when you might know even
just a few words in theirs that could prevent a serious
misunderstanding?
This seems IME to be a particularly French trait. I wouldn't hesitate to
crank up my limited French, on the rare occasions that the sabot is on
the other foot.
</DVM>
>I've recounted the story of the American bloke who walked up to me one day
>and addressed me in English, due to my having a 'NY' baseball cap on. I
>arched an eyebrow and asked him in French why he assumed that I would speak
>English to him. Then there was the American woman in a shop who when she
>saw the prices of the merchandise, asked in a loud voice, 'how much is that
>in _real_ money??'
As an old colleague of mine said to an American who had pushed in front
at a hotel reception desk, then much later said "you don't mind do you
pal, but we are in kind of a hurry" - "Why break the habits of a
nation".
F.M. Arouet
With the pound sterling dropping like a stone against most other
currencies and credit default swap rates on long-term UK sovereign debt
beginning to edge up, with an industrial production like in the twenties
and with a private and public debt that is now 449 per cent of GDP........
it is a good time to mention the war
:-D :-P
Domènec
noticias news:03635b8b$0$1313$c3e...@news.astraweb.com...
> On 2010-01-17, steve auvache <dont...@thecow.me.uk> wrote:
>> A bit of an ask to expect the world to speak Hebrew though innit?
> You will one day.
Judgement day? Nah, that Palestinian jewish disident (and his father and the
bird by a magic TRIck) spoke "arameo" AFAIR.
This has been a post of kafflick humour, mind.
Domènec
> English to him. Then there was the American woman in a shop who when she
> saw the prices of the merchandise, asked in a loud voice, 'how much is
> that
> in _real_ money??'
"One camel, five goats and the virginity of your daughter, madam"
Francis
> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
It was even worse when you get technical teaching to work as spanner
monkey, cook, sparkie or any technical job: you generally got english
lessons 2 hours a week, from 11 to 13 years old.
How could you expect them to get any proficiency?
--
The Beast from The Vosges
Ace
<Pe...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Do you not think it a little extreme though to let someone continue to
>struggle in a language they are not fluent in, when you might know even
>just a few words in theirs that could prevent a serious
>misunderstanding?
>
>This seems IME to be a particularly French trait. I wouldn't hesitate to
>crank up my limited French, on the rare occasions that the sabot is on
>the other foot.
I have to say this is not my experience. Of course, round our way folk
are more used to languages, given that for many of the locals French
isn't actually their first language, but when we have non- or
limited-french speaking visitors they never seem to encounter such
issues.
ginge
And the first 20 minutes just seemed to be a film about running.
Ace
WTF?
doetnietcomputeren
>>>> Do you not think it a little extreme though to let someone continue to
>>>> struggle in a language they are not fluent in, when you might know even
>>>> just a few words in theirs that could prevent a serious
>>>> misunderstanding?
>>>>
>>>> This seems IME to be a particularly French trait. I wouldn't hesitate to
>>>> crank up my limited French, on the rare occasions that the sabot is on
>>>> the other foot.
>>>
>>> I have to say this is not my experience. Of course, round our way folk
>>> are more used to languages, given that for many of the locals French
>>> isn't actually their first language, but when we have non- or
>>> limited-french speaking visitors they never seem to encounter such
>>> issues.
>>
>> And the first 20 minutes just seemed to be a film about running.
>
> WTF?
Slumdog Millionaire at a guess.
--
Dnc
GeoffC
> On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:25:27 +0000, Pete Fisher wrote:
>
>> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't
>> speak their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>
> For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
> schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
That'd be marginally better than British schools then.
> It was even worse when you get technical teaching to work as spanner
> monkey, cook, sparkie or any technical job: you generally got english
> lessons 2 hours a week, from 11 to 13 years old.
> How could you expect them to get any proficiency?
Question of need as well I suppose. If you generally take domestic holidays,
only partake of French TV and films and don't do much business with foreign
companies then there is not really much need to learn another lingo. I
noticed a change though about 10-12 years ago when internet really took off,
the number of enthousiastic English speakers increased noticeably,
especially amongst the younger generation.
Once, a few years ago I got stuck in a small town in Southern France with a
wide load. After a while two gendarmes turned up (male and female); sensing
that my limited French might make things a little awkward to explain, I
tentatively enquired of the policewoman if she spoke English. Well, judging
by the look she gave me you'd have thought I was asking if she fancied a
quick one behind the war monument. Logical really I suppose, struggling with
a foreign language usually entails a degree of face-loss and she was quite
happy for me to assume that role.
Must have said the right thing mind, they held the traffic up for me and
allowed me to depart with nothing more than a toot and a wave.
--
Geoff
Grimly Curmudgeon
drugs began to take hold. I remember "GeoffC" <m...@home.invalid.com>
saying something like:
>I
>tentatively enquired of the policewoman if she spoke English. Well, judging
>by the look she gave me you'd have thought I was asking if she fancied a
>quick one behind the war monument.
And did she?
Pete Fisher
<fra...@vcmadb.org> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
See reply to Des. I don't expect universal or even widespread
proficiency. It is however, my experience, that some of those that can
actually speak quite good English (as you suggest mainly the younger
generation) sometimes won't, even when it might be to their advantage.
As I've said before on here, it can depend on how much of an effort we
English make to conduct a conversation in the language of the country.
I try my best, but sometimes I get the feeling that I am left to
flounder when the other person could probably have translated the odd
word to help, if they wanted to.
Scraggy
Glad I checked down the thread.
--
I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as
members. Groucho Marx
GeoffC
"Grimly Curmudgeon" <grimly...@REMOVEgmail.com> wrote in message
news:uho8l594mekd8n2l1...@4ax.com...
Nah, military types, they have the sexuality clinically removed early on in
the training (either that or its something in the tea).
--
Geoff
Mark Olson
> As I've said before on here, it can depend on how much of an effort we
> English make to conduct a conversation in the language of the country.
> I try my best, but sometimes I get the feeling that I am left to
> flounder when the other person could probably have translated the odd
> word to help, if they wanted to.
France is the only country where I've seen this happen. Not a universal
thing, but there's a significant minority who feel as if English becoming
the global lingua franca since WWII was done as a deliberate insult and
they're going to get their own back no matter what.
Francis
> I
> try my best, but sometimes I get the feeling that I am left to flounder
> when the other person could probably have translated the odd word to
> help, if they wanted to.
There are thicks bastards everywhere, but I would not credit to
unwillingness what is often lack of knowledge.
Most of my relatives are teachers (elementary to university) and seems to
understand just a few words in english.
None can follow a simple conversation neither read any newspaper or book.
The only one that could are those that have some retired english friends
(living in Périgord).
GeoffC
"Francis" <fra...@vcmadb.org> wrote in message
news:hj1q43$pp7$2...@williams.bete-des-vosges.org...
>
>
Sounds like there could be an element of necessity here?
--
GEoff
steve auvache
GeoffC <m...@home.invalid.com> writes
You just don't know how to give orders.
--
steve auvache
steve auvache
<ols...@tiny.invalid> writes
>Pete Fisher wrote:
>
>> As I've said before on here, it can depend on how much of an effort we
>> English make to conduct a conversation in the language of the country.
>> I try my best, but sometimes I get the feeling that I am left to
>> flounder when the other person could probably have translated the odd
>> word to help, if they wanted to.
>
>France is the only country where I've seen this happen.
*DING*
Not that I have been to that many foreign parts but what has always
impressed me is the eagerness of the locals to practice their English
and their utter fucking joy when I manage to understand even the most
broken of it.
--
steve auvache
Francis
>> The only one that could are those that have some retired english
>> friends (living in Périgord).
>>
>>
>>
> Sounds like there could be an element of necessity here?
Yes, the need to exchange with their friends made them overcome their
inadequate education.
Being teachers, the education they received was considered above average
for their generation (born 1930-1950).
Most of my mates who were raised in farms in Dordogne or Lot-et-Garonne
can't speak english or german even under torture, don't need to forcefeed
fat ducks or make goat cheese. :)
ginge
Yeah. Christ knows how I managed to change thread before hitting
reply to.
Switters
The imagined look on Ace's face was worth it though. Good work that man.
Ace
wrote:
I did wonder if I'd been mega-whooshed, but then I saw that it was
Ginge.
ginge
Not to worry, I've now come up with an excuse that fits all
circumstances and situations.
It was performance art.
Colin Irvine
>Not to worry, I've now come up with an excuse that fits all
>circumstances and situations.
>
>It was performance art.
I'm not sure it would fit brewer's droop.
--
Colin Irvine
ZZR1400 BOF#33 BONY#34 COFF#06 BHaLC#5
http://www.colinandpat.co.uk
Domenec
> Most of my mates who were raised in farms in Dordogne or Lot-et-Garonne
> can't speak english or german even under torture,
And Standard French?
That falls under Occitania, innit?
GeoffC
"steve auvache" <dont...@thecow.me.uk> wrote in message
news:G73GEvAA...@auvache.force9.co.uk...
Its like snooker. I know how its done, I just don't seem to be able to do
it.
--
Geoff
Cab
>>> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
>>> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>>
>>For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
>>schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
>>It was even worse when you get technical teaching to work as spanner
>>monkey, cook, sparkie or any technical job: you generally got english
>>lessons 2 hours a week, from 11 to 13 years old.
>>How could you expect them to get any proficiency?
Heh, quite true, but I reckon that a combination of American culture invasion
along with basic school English (amongst other factors) has changed France
considerably over the last few years. Many, many more "youngsters" than before
have a decent understanding of English at the very least and IME, can get by
fairly well if needed.
I reckon civil servant entry exams will require that the entrant speaks no
English at all though. :-)
> See reply to Des. I don't expect universal or even widespread
> proficiency. It is however, my experience, that some of those that can
> actually speak quite good English (as you suggest mainly the younger
> generation) sometimes won't, even when it might be to their advantage.
>
> As I've said before on here, it can depend on how much of an effort we
> English make to conduct a conversation in the language of the country.
> I try my best, but sometimes I get the feeling that I am left to
> flounder when the other person could probably have translated the odd
> word to help, if they wanted to.
I'm not sure that's true. Not anymore, at any rate. I used to find, when
I first move here about 11 years ago, that it was the case. In town, as
well as at the office [1].
Today, I don't think it's the situation anymore. It may bit slower in the
sticks to change attitudes, but in the big cities, people are much friendlier
and more forthcoming.
[1] It used to be French first, English second, which helped me a helluva lot
in the first few months.
--
Cab :^) - "It's not a fookin' budgie, you daft tart!"
Z1000ABS : http://www.rosbif.org/ukrm (just for WUN)
The ALL NEW ukrm website : http://www.ukrm.info
email addy : ukrm_dot_cab_at_rosbif_dot_org
wessie
news:a519l5dkiq5lpv0cm...@4ax.com:
> On Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:54:22 +0000, ginge squeezed out the following:
>
>>Not to worry, I've now come up with an excuse that fits all
>>circumstances and situations.
>>
>>It was performance art.
>
> I'm not sure it would fit brewer's droop.
>
it's not like the sock will care
--
wessie at tesco dot net
BMW R1150GS
Beav
"sweller" <swe...@mztech.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:xn0gp97c...@news.individual.net...
> doetnietcomputeren wrote:
>
>> > "Your German is very good"
>>
>> I think you missed a word between 'is' and 'very'.
>
> No, Gordon Jackson didn't say that.
Wasn't it said *to* Gordon Jackson?
--
Beav
VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19
zymurgy
> In communiqué <hivtrv$6a...@news.eternal-september.org>, Domènec
> <domenec.sos.val...@gmail.com> cast forth these pearls of wisdom
>
> >"Pete Fisher" <Pe...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk> escribió en el mensaje de
> >noticiasnews:ook9N0Fr...@ps-fisher.demon.co.uk...
>
> >> Takes all the fun out of it. I spent a pleasant half hour in a Gilera
> >>dealer in Trezzo sull'Adda in 94 pointing at parts on their microfiche
> >>reader and saying "come questo". Getting to the right fiche required
> >>just a few key words or a bit of mime.
>
> >"Vuoi fare una scopatina con la tua sorella" is not exact Italian, but
> >should work.
>
> I only had to google one (the most important) word of that, so my brief
> Italian language immersion course was obviously fairly successful.
La tua sorella prenderebbe in culo ? should suffice.
Also not exact, but should see you exiting the shop with a shouty man
on your tail ... ;)
Paul.
des hanging around for a while
> On Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:39:03 +0000, Pete Fisher wibbled:
>>>> Well the French do seem to be often intolerant of those that can't speak
>>>> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>>>
>>>For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
>>>schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
>>>It was even worse when you get technical teaching to work as spanner
>>>monkey, cook, sparkie or any technical job: you generally got english
>>>lessons 2 hours a week, from 11 to 13 years old.
>>>How could you expect them to get any proficiency?
>
> Heh, quite true, but I reckon that a combination of American culture invasion
> along with basic school English (amongst other factors) has changed France
> considerably over the last few years. Many, many more "youngsters" than before
> have a decent understanding of English at the very least and IME, can get by
> fairly well if needed.
Ho, ho, ho ... oh, chortle-chortle... you really have no idea, have you?
As an example of the 'decent understanding of English' of French
'youngsters', I give you the following, lifted directly from a homework
essay handed in to me in 2007. The exercise was: imagine a short
interview between a resident of Paris, and a tourist.
"Hello !!!!"
"How long is look Paris?"
"I is already in to Paris."
"Who eaten is sushi?"
"I is never eaten a sushi."
"How long was drived?"
"I was drived for tree year"
"OK ! Good baye! Tenk you!!"
"Baye"
'decent understanding' ??
Nor can I neglect the howlers that result from translating word-for-word,
or occasionally from splitting words up. So 'à bientôt' ('see you soon')
gets split into 'à', 'bien' and 'tôt', and you get, 'at well soon!'. 'de
rien' ('you're welcome!') becomes 'of nothing'. And so on..
> I reckon civil servant entry exams will require that the entrant speaks no
> English at all though. :-)
You're looking at it arse about elbow (or whatever the expression is).
Civil service exams don't normally require that an applicant _not_ speak
English, but other than in the teaching profession (principally CAPES and )
and mainly those where English will be taught (an SVT teacher, for example,
doesn't need to speak English), they don't require that he _speak_ it,
either.
>> See reply to Des. I don't expect universal or even widespread
>> proficiency. It is however, my experience, that some of those that can
>> actually speak quite good English (as you suggest mainly the younger
>> generation) sometimes won't, even when it might be to their advantage.
>>
>> As I've said before on here, it can depend on how much of an effort we
>> English make to conduct a conversation in the language of the country.
>> I try my best, but sometimes I get the feeling that I am left to
>> flounder when the other person could probably have translated the odd
>> word to help, if they wanted to.
>
> I'm not sure that's true. Not anymore, at any rate. I used to find, when
> I first move here about 11 years ago, that it was the case. In town, as
> well as at the office [1].
>
> Today, I don't think it's the situation anymore. It may bit slower in the
> sticks to change attitudes, but in the big cities, people are much friendlier
> and more forthcoming.
Proof that you don't live in Paris.
> [1] It used to be French first, English second, which helped me a helluva lot
> in the first few months.
Qui l'eût cru ..?
des hanging around for a while
> On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:25:27 +0000, Pete Fisher wrote:
>
>> their language, particularly their oldest enemy.
>
> For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
> schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
It wasn't until the mid to late seventies that what we term the 'approche
communicative et cognitive' was introduced in French schools (the BO will
be on the web somewhere). Before that, language teaching in France (and,
for that matter, most of Western Europe) was based around methods, dont la
plupart remontent jusqu'au XIXe siècle. Les règles étaient toutefois
simples, et s'appuyaient sur une notion d'apprentissage inductif, loin de
l'idée moderne de placer l'élève (ou "l'apprenant", comme l'on le nomme de
nos jours...) au centre de son propre apprentissage. L'élève devient
désormais "acteur", l'on évite d'utiliser la langue maternelle ("L1") sauf
en cas de nécessité, et les supports sont du type didactisé ou
"authentique". Tout cela est très loin des méthodes "directe" ou bien
"active" qui datent d'environ (si mes souvenirs sont bons) 1920 - 1950, qui
ont en partie quelques racines américaines, et qui se firent connaître en
Europe grâce (entre autres) à l'arrivée des soldats américains pendant et
après la guerre de 39 - 45.
Je me suis exprimé en français car je crois t'avoir déjà vu sur frm, et du
coup il est plus facile en tant que Français de communiquer dans une langue
que nous partageons tous les deux. Voilà.. le bahut a vachement changé, en
gros....
Francis
> And Standard French?
Yes
> That falls under Occitania, innit?
Yes.
But French governments worked hard for more than two centuries to
suppress regional cultures and languages.
It was thoroughly done by conscription and elementary schools where
french speaking was mandatory, and a very centralised state structure
without any political, economical or cutural autonomy for the regions.
Corse, Bretagne, Pays Basque and Pays Catalan kept their language alive
but it is nonethless receeding in the young generations.
The Older Gentleman
> > For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
> > schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
>
> That'd be marginally better than British schools then.
What is it about French and English teaching? Every English kid is
taught French for years. Every French kid is taught English for years.
Both countries' kids come out unable to speak a word of the others'
language.
Forgive me for being suspicious, but I'd want to know what the fuck
those teachers have actually been *doing* all those years. Not teaching,
that's for sure. Sack the lot of them, and give the job to the baths
departments or something.
--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Triumph Street Triple Honda CB400F
Suzuki TS250 Suzuki GN250 chateaudotmurrayatidnetdotcom
Nothing damages a machine more than an ignoramus with a manual, a
can-do attitude and a set of cheap tools
The Older Gentleman
> It wasn't until the mid to late seventies that what we term the 'approche
> communicative et cognitive' was introduced in French schools (the BO will
> be on the web somewhere).
Have you looked under the unwashed armpits?
Grimly Curmudgeon
Older Gentleman) saying something like:
>What is it about French and English teaching? Every English kid is
>taught French for years. Every French kid is taught English for years.
>
>Both countries' kids come out unable to speak a word of the others'
>language.
>
>Forgive me for being suspicious, but I'd want to know what the fuck
>those teachers have actually been *doing* all those years. Not teaching,
>that's for sure. Sack the lot of them, and give the job to the baths
>departments or something.
It helps if you have a hottie of a young French woman for a teacher. I'd
be willing to bet that every male member of my school that year who got
her recalls more French than from any other teacher/year.
All the rest were boring bald bastards.
CT
> It helps if you have a hottie of a young French woman for a teacher.
> I'd be willing to bet that every male member of my school that year
> who got her recalls more French than from any other teacher/year.
> All the rest were boring bald bastards.
I think I learned more French when being taught by the old hag of a
teacher than when it was the young hottie with the big tits and the
tight tops. We were all mesmerised...
--
Chris
steve robinson
I had the same problem with maths
Domènec
news:hj3s57$59t$4...@williams.bete-des-vosges.org...
I know, for the Catalan part.
des hanging around for a while
> GeoffC <m...@home.invalid.com> wrote:
>
>> > For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
>> > schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
>> That'd be marginally better than British schools then.
> What is it about French and English teaching? Every English kid is taught
> French for years. Every French kid is taught English for years.
>
> Both countries' kids come out unable to speak a word of the others'
> language.
>
> Forgive me for being suspicious, but I'd want to know what the fuck those
> teachers have actually been *doing* all those years. Not teaching, that's
> for sure. Sack the lot of them, and give the job to the baths departments
> or something.
From a French point of view, there is a distinct impression that French
culture (which is tied to our language, to the extent that the character of
the Republic is enshrined the French language in the Constitution) is under
threat from the economically-driven supremacy of English - particularly
American English. The Touban Law [1] is but one example of this
'insecurity', although in some ways it backfired due to the faint ridicule
which it incited abroad.
France is a great nation (in the sense of 'une Grande Nation'), and for a
fair number of years post-war was isolationist. It was (and to some extent
still is) possible to live completely within the culture, and not 'miss
out' (note quotation marks).
In the case of my own brats, their rationale for not wishing to learn
English was, 'we speak Hebrew. We're going to live in Israel. Who gives a
shit about English?'.
Much more to say about it, but it's very late, I'm fucked, and you'll only
come back with a tired, sarky and wholly unoriginal retort, so I'm off to
bed.
Grimly Curmudgeon
something like:
But if the old hag leaned over you and you could feel her nipple in your
cheek or ear, you'd be so traumatised all the learing would go out of
the window.
The hottie, when she did that... the cunning minx, I now realise she was
employed by the French Secret Service to groom sleepers in the UK.
The Older Gentleman
Which doesn't answer the question at all. The languages are taught
extensively and exhaustively and (on the evidence in both countries)
incompetently.
Sorry if you were unable to provide an explanation instead of
irrelevancies, but never mind. I doubt anyone could provide an
explanation, actually.
steve auvache
around for a while <d...@des.com> writes
>On 2010-01-19, The Older Gentleman <totallyde...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>> GeoffC <m...@home.invalid.com> wrote:
>>
>>> > For those among us who are over forty, language teaching in french
>>> > schools was crap at best, and inexistent usually.
>
>>> That'd be marginally better than British schools then.
>
>> What is it about French and English teaching? Every English kid is taught
>> French for years. Every French kid is taught English for years.
>>
>> Both countries' kids come out unable to speak a word of the others'
>> language.
>>
>> Forgive me for being suspicious, but I'd want to know what the fuck those
>> teachers have actually been *doing* all those years. Not teaching, that's
>> for sure. Sack the lot of them, and give the job to the baths departments
>> or something.
>
>From a French point of view, there is a distinct impression that French
>culture (which is tied to our language,
French culture tied to Hebrew? I thought the froggies were all raving
papists and thus inclined to have a culture based around surrender and
collaboration so how does the "just like a kyke" bit work then?
--
steve auvache
des hanging around for a while
Quite possibly not.
> The languages are taught extensively and exhaustively and (on the
> evidence in both countries) incompetently.
You really can't force someone to learn something if they don't want to.
It doesn't make the teaching 'incompetent' [1]. My theory (which I'm not
entirely convinced is wrong) is that kids just don't _want_ to learn a
foreign language. Why should they? Society as a whole places more value
on economic and material enrichment, than on cultural or intellectual
development. A French boy doesn't need to speak fluent English to be able
to make millions on the stock exchange, and an English boy doesn't give a
flying shit how good Rousseau's _Confessions_ are.
> Sorry if you were unable to provide an explanation instead of
> irrelevancies, but never mind. I doubt anyone could provide an
> explanation, actually.
Probably not.
[1] although naturally enough, I would say that..
The Older Gentleman
> You really can't force someone to learn something if they don't want to.
> It doesn't make the teaching 'incompetent' [1].
It ceertainly doesn't make it competent.
> My theory (which I'm not
> entirely convinced is wrong) is that kids just don't _want_ to learn a
> foreign language. Why should they?
Because English is good enough for all practical purposes just about
anywhere in the world.
<waves Union Jack>
Next in usefulness comes Spanish, although a lot of Chinese might
disagree.... ;-) French is probably third.
steve robinson
> des hanging around for a while <d...@des.com> wrote:
>
>
> > You really can't force someone to learn something if they don't
> > want to. It doesn't make the teaching 'incompetent' [1].
>
> It ceertainly doesn't make it competent.
>
> > My theory (which I'm not
> > entirely convinced is wrong) is that kids just don't want to
> > learn a foreign language. Why should they?
>
> Because English is good enough for all practical purposes just about
> anywhere in the world.
>
> <waves Union Jack>
>
> Next in usefulness comes Spanish, although a lot of Chinese might
> disagree.... ;-) French is probably third.
I think English is a required language in Chinese schools these days