The Off Topic Topic

[CountDeMoney]

The bunny suit doesnt see the light of day.  Too much forensic evidence on it.

[Admiral Yi]

The bunny suit doesnt see the light of day.  Too much forensic evidence on it.

Do you own?  I figured you for a renter.

[CountDeMoney]

Does Batman rent?  Superman cape rentals?  No.  Neither does the Baltimore Bunny Rapist.*


*And no, not a rapist of bunnies.  That's the other guy.

[mongers]

Does Batman rent?  Superman cape rentals?  No.  Neither does the Baltimore Bunny Rapist.*


*And no, not a rapist of bunnies.  That's the other guy.

[MadImmortalMan]

Another weird one. I guess we're getting richer. Sort of.

[Josquius]

That's a very generous definition of middle class.
How do they get the median income too? Never seen those numbers about

[The Larch]

Some Eurostat info on foreign language learning in upper secondary education in the EU:



Surprising absolutely nobody, the UK tops the table of countries with less upper secondary pupils learning a foreign language at 52%. 

[Duque de Bragança]

Something seems to be wrong with the Portuguese stat: 32 %? I don't see how can escape to studying English unless by dropping out very early. Now studying French is on a severe decline or even the study German is much harder to find except in major cities. Castilian should not be a priority since Portuguese can get a passable level easily if need be.
(Too) many people study Spanish in France that's true, given it's not that useful but then it is supposed to be easy.

PS: the link says

By far the lowest shares of secondary education students learning two or more languages, all below 10 %, were recorded in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Greece.

I suppose it's learning two or more FOREIGN languages in the case of Ireland, the UK and Portugal. This makes more sense.

[Eddie Teach]

Is the UK figure students who take no foreign language at all, or those not taking it at a given time?

In many US school districts, it's a requirement, but only a year or two.

[The Larch]

Something seems to be wrong with the Portuguese stat: 32 %? I don't see how can escape to studying English unless by dropping out very early. Now studying French is on a severe decline or even the study German is much harder to find except in major cities. Castilian should not be a priority since Portuguese can get a passable level easily if need be.
(Too) many people study Spanish in France that's true, given it's not that useful but then it is supposed to be easy.

PS: the link says

By far the lowest shares of secondary education students learning two or more languages, all below 10 %, were recorded in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Greece.

I suppose it's learning two or more FOREIGN languages in the case of Ireland, the UK and Portugal. This makes more sense.

I guess that the data includes all languages without discriminating if they're foreign or not, otherwise the "two or more" part is a bit moot, they'd stress out if they include foreign languages on that calculation. Take into account that this is for upper secondary only, that is, from 15 or 16 to 18 years old, not for the whole secondary education.

And what's your problem with Spanish? If not even our neighbours study it who is going to? Scandinavians? :p

[Duque de Bragança]

Something seems to be wrong with the Portuguese stat: 32 %? I don't see how can escape to studying English unless by dropping out very early. Now studying French is on a severe decline or even the study German is much harder to find except in major cities. Castilian should not be a priority since Portuguese can get a passable level easily if need be.
(Too) many people study Spanish in France that's true, given it's not that useful but then it is supposed to be easy.

PS: the link says

By far the lowest shares of secondary education students learning two or more languages, all below 10 %, were recorded in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Greece.

I suppose it's learning two or more FOREIGN languages in the case of Ireland, the UK and Portugal. This makes more sense.

I guess that the data includes all languages without discriminating if they're foreign or not, otherwise the "two or more" part is a bit moot, they'd stress out if they include foreign languages on that calculation. Take into account that this is for upper secondary only, that is, from 15 or 16 to 18 years old, not for the whole secondary education.

And what's your problem with Spanish? If not even our neighbours study it who is going to? Scandinavians? :p

The French are your neighbors, the gabachos study it, problem solved! 
What's next? Spaniards studying Portuguese? Are you willing to subject Burgos and Valladolid to the study of Modern Galaico-Portuguese?  I suppose they would prefer it to Basque and possibly Catalan.

[The Larch]

Actually Portuguese is offered as a subject in some high schools in border areas, like Extremadura. Curiously enough, not in Galicia.  although there was a popular initiative to introduce it that was approved by the regional parliament, so in a few years it might be offered here as well. 

[Duque de Bragança]

Well, in Galicia, they would just need to be taught to use the alternative spelling of Galician, better suited actually, and this would just be some Northern Portuguese.  Granted, this would be too much for effete Lisboetes. Though they might prefer it to Brazilian dialects. 

[The Larch]

Well, in Galicia, they would just need to be taught to use the alternative spelling of Galician, better suited actually, and this would just be some Northern Portuguese.  Granted, this would be too much for effete Lisboetes. Though they might prefer it to Brazilian dialects. 

Nobody uses that alternative spelling besides hardline ideologues over here.

Actually most Galician tourists in Portugal usually don't bother even affecting a Portuguese pronunciation with visiting the country, and just speak plain Galician. That usually works more or less well until you reach Porto, from there on South I guess it's more of a gamble. 

[Duque de Bragança]

You sound like a true Northern Portuguese regionalist. South of Porto: Moors!
I am more of a moderate so my Greater North Portugal goes to Coimbra included.

I'd like to know what you call Portuguese pronunciation though. Lisboete/Modern Moorish West-Iberian Mozarabic?