Renting Information Required.
Oct 7th 2011, 6:56 pm
#91
Spanish, 40
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Surrey. Back to Spain in 2012
Posts: 287
Re: Renting Information Required.
Well as the last time Britain was invaded it was by Vikings, but we absorbed them, before that the Normans and we absorbed them, and then of course the Romans were also absorbed. Along the way we picked up bits of their language. Thats why our language is a bit of a hotchpotch and is one of the most successful languages to ever exist.
So what is Spain's excuse, its only 200 years since you very nearly had to start speaking French - if it hadn't been for Arthur Wellesley and his band of prison rejects and cut-throats.
So what is Spain's excuse, its only 200 years since you very nearly had to start speaking French - if it hadn't been for Arthur Wellesley and his band of prison rejects and cut-throats.
Sorry, Wellington is not one of my heroes, Badajoz Battle and all that...
Again... we'd better leave history behind... They are all dead and past is past.
Oct 7th 2011, 8:19 pm
#92
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Living in a good place
Posts: 8,824
Re: Renting Information Required.
I don't agree. One can make mistakes in grammar, and still be fluent. If one can speak 2 languages at mother tongue level then they are bilingual, not fluent. Normally only people with international parents or who have been exposed to both languages since they are little can truly achieve this.
If their English is good enough for you to understand them in nor particularly easy situations, then they are fluent. I don't expect foreigners to be able to speak and construct very complicated sentences that many natives wouldn't use... I just want to be able to communicate with them without performing mime, making too many stops to think and getting a dictionary all the time looking for words.
I make lots of silly grammar mistakes, but I think that my English is quite fluent. I know that it will never be perfect, I'm Spanish at the end of the day.
If their English is good enough for you to understand them in nor particularly easy situations, then they are fluent. I don't expect foreigners to be able to speak and construct very complicated sentences that many natives wouldn't use... I just want to be able to communicate with them without performing mime, making too many stops to think and getting a dictionary all the time looking for words.
I make lots of silly grammar mistakes, but I think that my English is quite fluent. I know that it will never be perfect, I'm Spanish at the end of the day.
Oct 7th 2011, 10:39 pm
#93
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Renting Information Required.
eeeehhh... maybe when you are talking some 1,000 years ago and population was quite small and distances quite large... (funny that SHY is a Vicking word, BTW!).
Sorry, Wellington is not one of my heroes, Badajoz Battle and all that...
Again... we'd better leave history behind... They are all dead and past is past.
Sorry, Wellington is not one of my heroes, Badajoz Battle and all that...
Again... we'd better leave history behind... They are all dead and past is past.
as you say, best left alone.
rgds
Oct 8th 2011, 7:00 am
#94
Spanish, 40
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Surrey. Back to Spain in 2012
Posts: 287
Re: Renting Information Required.
Oct 8th 2011, 9:47 am
#95
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Velez-Malaga
Posts: 4,920
Re: Renting Information Required.
My Spanish neighbour asked me to translate a book of cake and biscuit recipes for her, which I spent countless hours doing over the summer. I hope none of her family suffer upset stomachs or worse as a result of any mistakes I made, or maybe she will sue me!
Apart from giving me a project over the summer, it worked very well as aversion therapy, I was so sick of reading about cakes and looking at photographs of them that I haven't touched a cake or biscuit since!
Apart from giving me a project over the summer, it worked very well as aversion therapy, I was so sick of reading about cakes and looking at photographs of them that I haven't touched a cake or biscuit since!
Oct 8th 2011, 11:20 am
#96
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 7,749
Re: Renting Information Required.
I think you just dont know many "wordly" Spaniards.
Oct 8th 2011, 1:54 pm
#97
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Velez-Malaga
Posts: 4,920
Re: Renting Information Required.
Oct 8th 2011, 2:03 pm
#98
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Living in a good place
Posts: 8,824
Re: Renting Information Required.
They all make mistakes even though some I would consider fluent.
Oct 8th 2011, 3:27 pm
#99
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: near Colmenar, Prov de Malaga
Posts: 5,174
Re: Renting Information Required.
or even may!
Last edited by fionamw; Oct 8th 2011 at 3:28 pm. Reason: hedging my bets
Oct 8th 2011, 4:03 pm
#100
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Living in a good place
Posts: 8,824
Re: Renting Information Required.
When you have run out of stuff to say by all means be pedantic. Now what were we talking about....would it be the usual stuff as to how good we all are at spanish
Oct 8th 2011, 6:06 pm
#101
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: near Colmenar, Prov de Malaga
Posts: 5,174
Re: Renting Information Required.
Anyone ever hears me saying I'm good at Spanish shoot me
