English as a second or third language

[viper37]

I obviously worked, and lived, almost exclusively in English when I taught in the United States - which does wonders for picking up slang... But this was, as Josquius notes, quite mentally taxing, in ways that native English-speaking folks often can't imagine - and ways I hadn't imagined either. As my partner then was Irish, I also did not have a "safe heaven", a household where I could retreat to, and speak French - unless I called my parents. Only a few French colleagues I met for a beer, from time to time.

Never had to totally immerse myself like that.

The closest I've been was in Ottawa, by my closest working unit were separatist Francos in 1995

I still unofficially managed the rest of the team and the programmer exclusively in English though, despite the presence of French speakers.  It was the Federal government, after all.

And of course, my family there were all Franco-Ontarians, so I could see them on the week-ends I wasn't working.  I had no roommates for this part, and wasn't attending that 5 à 7 with the other university students as I was mostly always working late and didn't know anyone either.

Still, I enjoyed that part.  Working exclusively in English this time didn't bother as much as the last time when we were all French speakers and there was one English speaker.  In a bilingual position.  I had cable tv with only English channels, I think.  Didn't watch the French stuff anyway, just Babylon 5 and Star Trek.

[viper37]

Construction - konstruktion

absolut konstruktion
translated as:
absolute construction.


Yeah.  Someone is messing with me on the internet. 


It's architecture, right?

[Norgy]

What I can say for certain is that this board helped me understand English better back when I joined, even with a degree in English (a lower one, for certain).

What's Wordsworth to the various ways people tell each other to eff off. 

[viper37]

What I can say for certain is that this board helped me understand English better back when I joined, even with a degree in English (a lower one, for certain).

What's Wordsworth to the various ways people tell each other to eff off. 

I'm getting a feeling for Swedish now.  Fracking language.

[The Brain]

Construction - konstruktion

absolut konstruktion
translated as:
absolute construction.


Yeah.  Someone is messing with me on the internet. 


It's architecture, right?

Konstruktion is when you design something. It doesn't include manufacturing/building it.

[HVC]

What's building? Arkitektor?

[The Brain]

What's building? Arkitektor?

Bygga is the verb for building something.

[Syt]

In German, Konstruktion would probably be best translated as design (n), i.e. the design of a car, building, machine etc.

[Tamas]

What I can say for certain is that this board helped me understand English better back when I joined, even with a degree in English (a lower one, for certain).

What's Wordsworth to the various ways people tell each other to eff off. 

I am quite certain hanging around on Languish helped me a lot. I already had an advantage over many (most) English-speaking Hungarians of the time by having learnt the language out of practical necessity (my nerdy hobbies required it) and for practical use, so I wasn't speaking and writing the extremely lame language-course English most other people at the time had.

But then coming here reading your discussions and participating myself I think has helped a lot in learning to express my thoughts in English.

More indirectly, I think you guys helped push me away gradually from prevailing political/cultural norms in my old country which I suspect contributed in a non-insignificant way to making me want to try and live abroad.

[PDH]

What I can say for certain is that this board helped me understand English better back when I joined, even with a degree in English (a lower one, for certain).

What's Wordsworth to the various ways people tell each other to eff off. 

I am quite certain hanging around on Languish helped me a lot. I already had an advantage over many (most) English-speaking Hungarians of the time by having learnt the language out of practical necessity (my nerdy hobbies required it) and for practical use, so I wasn't speaking and writing the extremely lame language-course English most other people at the time had.

But then coming here reading your discussions and participating myself I think has helped a lot in learning to express my thoughts in English.

More indirectly, I think you guys helped push me away gradually from prevailing political/cultural norms in my old country which I suspect contributed in a non-insignificant way to making me want to try and live abroad.

AND you learned the Union zerg-rush in 1862 could have been a thing.

[Tamas]

AND you learned the Union zerg-rush in 1862 could have been a thing.