OBSCURE AND OBTRUSIVE TITLE
| I'm sure I can teach myself natural languages as well. |
With your current scheme, we'll be seeing the results, I guess. Knowing German before Dutch is a good choice, I know both and there are a lot of similarities in them, having a solid foundation in English helps on both, too. But I don't doubt you have that.
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| I'm more of an autodidact |
Me too. But I simply don't have time to learn these languages now (school + homeworks + learning Perl (cgi), C# + coding in C++)
And if you are about to learn a language quickly, it's good to have a reason for that, eg. when I started learning C++ I could barely understand every third word in the tutorial, but I almost haven't noticed how much I improved my english while reading about programming and C++
I don't have a lot of time right now either, but in England, it's not worth learning languages at school. You'll learn a few hundred words that are only useful in very specific circumstances, and a little bit about sentence structure. And that's if you're slightly better than average at languages. If you're very good at languages (like my friend) you might learn some more words, more complex sentence structures and maybe how to mix tenses properly. If you're below average, don't even bother. You'll probably pass the course, but you won't learn the language.
Things are quite different in here. You have to take your final exams for at least 3 languages, two of them being set to Dutch and English, the last can vary depending on your choice: German, French, Latin or Greek. I chose German. I have learned a lot ever since; writing letters, watching and analyzing German videos and other exercises have left me quite proficient with using it. I will find myself using English in Germany, though, I won't doubt that. :P
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Wow, this topic got REALLY off-topic... From trolling to speaking foreign languages? That has to be a record!
| I don't really want to learn Chinese or Japanese because I don't really have any interest in those languages |
お前の実力はその程度か!? 戦士の誇りを見せてみろ!
// I plan on learning(and have been trying to learn) Japanese myself. My "interest" in their language is far more than just loving the language(which I also do). Their technology-oriented country is exactly the kind of country I want to support. They don't let things such as sexuality and "looking silly/crazy" slow them down. Robotics, Electronics, Space Exploration, all things that they highly focus on and that I highly agree with.
// This is why after learning programming, learning Japanese, and getting enough money, I'm going to live in Japan. For all the reasons for learning another language, I like mine. ^.^
// This is why after learning programming, learning Japanese, and getting enough money, I'm going to live in Japan. For all the reasons for learning another language, I like mine. ^.^
// Ah, of course! I thought it was a commonly known thing xP. I forgot to mention I'm not just going there as any programmer, but as a "Game Programmer", so that would have given a better hint!
Would someone please tell me what this topic is about? I thought that the OP's original intent was to make fun of newbies/homework cheaters. Am I mistaken?
Japanese is somewhat more interesting to me than Chinese, but I still don't feel like learning it. I've already got to learn two more alphabets (Greek and Cyrillic), and those two are at least somewhat similar to the Latin alphabet. But Japanese..?
Japanese doesn't have any alphabets.
It has one syllabary, and two ways to write it (hiragana and katakana).
It also has logograms (kanji).
And the Japanese like to make use of arabic numerals and latin letters (roumaji).
Choice of writing system employed depends on contextual conventions.
It has one syllabary, and two ways to write it (hiragana and katakana).
It also has logograms (kanji).
And the Japanese like to make use of arabic numerals and latin letters (roumaji).
Choice of writing system employed depends on contextual conventions.
Was considering putting double apostrophes on both sides of alphabets, as they technically aren't, but you pretty much covered the point already.
Now, how did this turn into a language discussion topic?
Now, how did this turn into a language discussion topic?
It is actually very convenient.
The Japanese could rightly call English needlessly complex.
The Japanese could rightly call English needlessly complex.
| That seems needlessly complex. |
It's only complex if you don't understand it, I would think. It's less complex than Chinese...I have no idea how their system for pronouncing foreign words works.
@chrisname,
This system is very convenient, as Duoas already stated. The different "alphabets", as I call them, are all applied in different situations.
Hiragana is used for words "old words".
Katakana is use for all others (they are really just Japanese pronunciation applied to a foreign language, my name Ties, would become Chizu, for example).
Kanji is used to mark what word does what in a sentence, much like, for example, der, dem, den, das and die do in German.
Then again, that's just a simplified version of it all.
This system is very convenient, as Duoas already stated. The different "alphabets", as I call them, are all applied in different situations.
Hiragana is used for words "old words".
Katakana is use for all others (they are really just Japanese pronunciation applied to a foreign language, my name Ties, would become Chizu, for example).
Kanji is used to mark what word does what in a sentence, much like, for example, der, dem, den, das and die do in German.
Then again, that's just a simplified version of it all.
Er, I've never seen someone use kanji as particles (or joshi) -- at least not in modern Japanese.
Japanese sentences have only about one organizational rubric: the verb must come last (not counting certain particles, like "ka", which turn the sentence into a question).
The meaning of other things in the sentence are either obvious or they are given by appending an appropriate particle, written in hiragana. Particles indicate things like: subject, object, where-from, where-to, etc.
Kanji come from the Chinese way of writing, applied to the Japanese language. They have intrinsic meaning -- unlike syllabic or alphabetic symbols, which only have a sound attached -- the kanji for "dog" is a specific symbol, distinct from the symbol for "man". Each symbol has a way to "read" (speak) it. (Most have multiple ways to read it, depending on how it is used.)
Symbols may be combined to form more complex words. They may also just be used for their sounds, though this is the exception and not the rule.
Hiragana are just a phonetic way to write Japanese, often used to help children read kanji, in addition to use for words for which the kanji does not exist or is obscure/unknown to the reader (like children), and the aforementioned particles.
Katakana are the same thing except they are used primarily for foreign or foreign-sounding words and names, and for writing sound effects.
Roumaji is used for effect, and for us foreigners.
I just found this too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system
It is a better read than what I wrote here.
Japanese sentences have only about one organizational rubric: the verb must come last (not counting certain particles, like "ka", which turn the sentence into a question).
The meaning of other things in the sentence are either obvious or they are given by appending an appropriate particle, written in hiragana. Particles indicate things like: subject, object, where-from, where-to, etc.
Kanji come from the Chinese way of writing, applied to the Japanese language. They have intrinsic meaning -- unlike syllabic or alphabetic symbols, which only have a sound attached -- the kanji for "dog" is a specific symbol, distinct from the symbol for "man". Each symbol has a way to "read" (speak) it. (Most have multiple ways to read it, depending on how it is used.)
Symbols may be combined to form more complex words. They may also just be used for their sounds, though this is the exception and not the rule.
Hiragana are just a phonetic way to write Japanese, often used to help children read kanji, in addition to use for words for which the kanji does not exist or is obscure/unknown to the reader (like children), and the aforementioned particles.
Katakana are the same thing except they are used primarily for foreign or foreign-sounding words and names, and for writing sound effects.
Roumaji is used for effect, and for us foreigners.
I just found this too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system
It is a better read than what I wrote here.