Well, I have followed this thread for a while and would like to comment on several things. However, I will just put in a few ideas. I have to Disagree with you Astra on your opinion about wasting time to learn another language. For me
Language is Culture. It is an intrinsic part of said culture and also affects and effects the very way a person thinks. I have a friend who is Maori here in Japan. A man asked him why he tried to keep up his Maori tongue even though he had lived in Japan for years. He said "It's me. It's my culture and it is my mind". I think that helps state the importance of Language.
I lived for 7 years in Russia. I speak Russian and have read about 20 novels in Russian. I think the knowledge of another Language is vital if one has the opportunity to attain the knowledge and speak it at a conversational level. As a bonus one can read novels watch movies or listen to the radio in said language.
For example. I take the time to listen to Russian, Spanish, and French via podcasts every week on the web.
As for Only reading about another culture or country. Yes, you can learn a lot but you can not understand the culure as well. I am no pro at understanding Russian culture. However, I have met people with PHDs in Russian history and Literature who can not have a long conversation in Russian. Yet, some of these people tell me about how Russians think and how their culture works?!...
hidari
Quote:
Originally Posted by astra
Do you realise how well one must learn a foreign language in order to enjoy reading a fiction book (understanding all the subtlities and nacities of the language/text/novel)?
I am not sure you do.
Mind you, I am speaking about a certain level of knowledge of a certain language that is far superior to the level equal to be able to ask direction to the nearest loo in a foreign country.
As about this famous saying:
anyone "must learn other languages as well, as it broadens your views and keeps you open to other cultures"
I totally disagree with it.
There are plenty of opportunities to learn other cultures if you are interested. Just read the proper books or google for it on the Internet and you will learn a lot more about them than spending a huge chunk of your life to learn grammar and vocabulary of another language.
The simplest example is me. My first language is Russian, my second language used to be Hebrew and now it is English.
Learning language didn't broaden my understanding of the cultures who are using the languages at all, however, I am sure that if only a fraction of the time I spent on learning the languages I would spent on reading books about the cultures in my native language, I would learn so much more.
I sincerely envy people whose first language is English, and if I were one of them I would never waste my time on learning a different language as a hobby (unless one enjoyes learning languages, as one might enjoy reading books, or playing chess etc.). There is so much new and interesting in the world that you can learn instead of 3.000 foreign words. Or as a worst case scenario spend the time to advance in your carier.
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