Bilingual people are smarter
Mar 21st 2012, 9:57 pm
#91
Daffyd Duck
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Paradise
Posts: 5,636
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
French is still a diplomatic language, and is spoken in many places worldwide- the French had an empire and colonies just like Britain did.
My daughter is off to New Caledonia at Easter for a French immersion course where she will be staying with a host family and having lessons entirely in French during the day. She did this last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. She is also having conversation classes with a native French teacher and is starring in a play entirely in French. She also corresponds in French with an artist in France and is going to do some artwork for a game he is developing.
She is quite bright, unlike her mother, who has to dig up 35 year old French to converse with her to help her practise.
My daughter is off to New Caledonia at Easter for a French immersion course where she will be staying with a host family and having lessons entirely in French during the day. She did this last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. She is also having conversation classes with a native French teacher and is starring in a play entirely in French. She also corresponds in French with an artist in France and is going to do some artwork for a game he is developing.
She is quite bright, unlike her mother, who has to dig up 35 year old French to converse with her to help her practise.
Mar 21st 2012, 10:19 pm
#93
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Most definitely. When I met my OH he had enough English to say things like "please turn light off - close door - you like this?"
Since having the kids and listening to me repeat the same damn things over and over again with prepositions, he now automatically says:
Please turn THE light off - close THE door - DO you like this? etc.
Since having the kids and listening to me repeat the same damn things over and over again with prepositions, he now automatically says:
Please turn THE light off - close THE door - DO you like this? etc.
Mar 21st 2012, 10:29 pm
#94
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 14,284
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
I don't speak a second language and haven't met any Australian's that do and only know a small number of Brits that do. I would like to have that skill, but feel it is too late for me now and haven't got the patience it would require to learn.
I tend to think that being able to speak more than one language is more a factor of opportunity to learn than how smart somebody is. An hour a week between the ages of 12 and 16 (like I had at school) really is not enough.
I tend to think that being able to speak more than one language is more a factor of opportunity to learn than how smart somebody is. An hour a week between the ages of 12 and 16 (like I had at school) really is not enough.
Mar 21st 2012, 10:37 pm
#95
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Amongst Melbourne's tall gum trees
Posts: 1,323
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Is it because you can't read fast enough to follow the subtitles?
Unless it is The Artist or a silent movie from the 20s, I tend to think that the talking bit is at least half of the acting so I hate dubbed films. The French do that and it drives me nuts. TV series are the worst. I couldn't stand Friends in French back in the days. It took away so much from the humour and the personality quirks.
Unless it is The Artist or a silent movie from the 20s, I tend to think that the talking bit is at least half of the acting so I hate dubbed films. The French do that and it drives me nuts. TV series are the worst. I couldn't stand Friends in French back in the days. It took away so much from the humour and the personality quirks.
Mar 21st 2012, 10:58 pm
#96
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Yes same here, exactly the same in the UK. It seems to be very rare that people in either country that are born and bred in those countries know another language. I wouldn't mind knowing another language, just don't know which one 
I don't speak a second language and haven't met any Australian's that do and only know a small number of Brits that do. I would like to have that skill, but feel it is too late for me now and haven't got the patience it would require to learn.
I tend to think that being able to speak more than one language is more a factor of opportunity to learn than how smart somebody is. An hour a week between the ages of 12 and 16 (like I had at school) really is not enough.
I tend to think that being able to speak more than one language is more a factor of opportunity to learn than how smart somebody is. An hour a week between the ages of 12 and 16 (like I had at school) really is not enough.
Mar 21st 2012, 11:03 pm
#97
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Yes unfortunately I did most of my schooling here so reading wasn't a priority, luckily I finished school in England so I have managed to catch back up a little, I use the slo mo function.
Mar 22nd 2012, 5:55 am
#99
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,717
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Is it because you can't read fast enough to follow the subtitles?
Unless it is The Artist or a silent movie from the 20s, I tend to think that the talking bit is at least half of the acting so I hate dubbed films. The French do that and it drives me nuts. TV series are the worst. I couldn't stand Friends in French back in the days. It took away so much from the humour and the personality quirks.
Unless it is The Artist or a silent movie from the 20s, I tend to think that the talking bit is at least half of the acting so I hate dubbed films. The French do that and it drives me nuts. TV series are the worst. I couldn't stand Friends in French back in the days. It took away so much from the humour and the personality quirks.
SBS is first class for films from all over the world.
Mar 22nd 2012, 6:14 am
#100
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,717
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Really, born and bred Aussies from anglo/Irish background speaking a foreign language?? whilst i believe there will be a percentage i would doubt very much it would be a large percentage, certainly no higher than in the UK.
I don't really buy into the English being arrogant at not learning a foreign language, it just came to be that English and probably to a large extent because of the Americans became 'Lingua Franca' and made it easy for them to get by without learning.
I am always suprised at how poor a very large percentage of young French people speak English and it must be very frustrating for them when they travel around the world.
I don't really buy into the English being arrogant at not learning a foreign language, it just came to be that English and probably to a large extent because of the Americans became 'Lingua Franca' and made it easy for them to get by without learning.
I am always suprised at how poor a very large percentage of young French people speak English and it must be very frustrating for them when they travel around the world.
Mar 22nd 2012, 7:02 am
#101
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Amongst Melbourne's tall gum trees
Posts: 1,323
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Really, born and bred Aussies from anglo/Irish background speaking a foreign language?? whilst i believe there will be a percentage i would doubt very much it would be a large percentage, certainly no higher than in the UK.
I don't really buy into the English being arrogant at not learning a foreign language, it just came to be that English and probably to a large extent because of the Americans became 'Lingua Franca' and made it easy for them to get by without learning.
I am always suprised at how poor a very large percentage of young French people speak English and it must be very frustrating for them when they travel around the world.
I don't really buy into the English being arrogant at not learning a foreign language, it just came to be that English and probably to a large extent because of the Americans became 'Lingua Franca' and made it easy for them to get by without learning.
I am always suprised at how poor a very large percentage of young French people speak English and it must be very frustrating for them when they travel around the world.
. My children were born here, they are Australian citizens, yet they are bilingual. Again, as far as I am concerned, they are born and bred Australian.I also never mentioned arrogance, just ignorance when it comes to the English and languages
. The French are the champions of arrogance! 
Please give us our due! And believe me, I am also painfully aware of the French's shortcomings when it comes to learning a foreign language. Although that is rapidly changing and my generation and the younger ones are certainly much more aware of the world and the advantages of learning a foreign language. Even though a large part of the older generation still lament the loss of French as the world language from about 300 years ago!
Napoleon has a lot to answer for Of course we are all too aware that the dominance of English is mostly due to the dominance of the US on the global economic scene. Not much to do with Blighty and the Queen's English, more to do with the large number of people wanting to leave the mother land to find a better life in America all those years ago! I guess life was sweeter in France and not as many people wanted to leave to colonise the rest of the world
Mar 22nd 2012, 7:30 am
#102
I'm Old Gregg!
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: A Former Bogan Colony in QLD
Posts: 8,460
Mar 22nd 2012, 7:35 am
#103
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
Of course we are all too aware that the dominance of English is mostly due to the dominance of the US on the global economic scene. Not much to do with Blighty and the Queen's English, more to do with the large number of people wanting to leave the mother land to find a better life in America all those years ago! I guess life was sweeter in France and not as many people wanted to leave to colonise the rest of the world
Mar 22nd 2012, 7:48 am
#104
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,717
Re: Bilingual people are smarter
I never mentioned Anglo/Irish background. I have friends who were born here from migrant parents and who were still raised in their parents' main language. Does that not make them born and bred Australian . My children were born here, they are Australian citizens, yet they are bilingual. Again, as far as I am concerned, they are born and bred Australian.
I also never mentioned arrogance, just ignorance when it comes to the English and languages. The French are the champions of arrogance! Please give us our due! And believe me, I am also painfully aware of the French's shortcomings when it comes to learning a foreign language. Although that is rapidly changing and my generation and the younger ones are certainly much more aware of the world and the advantages of learning a foreign language. Even though a large part of the older generation still lament the loss of French as the world language from about 300 years ago!Napoleon has a lot to answer for
. My children were born here, they are Australian citizens, yet they are bilingual. Again, as far as I am concerned, they are born and bred Australian.I also never mentioned arrogance, just ignorance when it comes to the English and languages
. The French are the champions of arrogance! Please give us our due! And believe me, I am also painfully aware of the French's shortcomings when it comes to learning a foreign language. Although that is rapidly changing and my generation and the younger ones are certainly much more aware of the world and the advantages of learning a foreign language. Even though a large part of the older generation still lament the loss of French as the world language from about 300 years ago!Napoleon has a lot to answer for I was not talking about the older French people but the young who i still consider to be very poor at the English language in general and is probably the reason you meet in relative terms so few of them when travelling around the world compared to most other European nationalities.
