How do we think EU negotiations will go?

[sidicks]

drainbrain said:

It reveals a certain limitation to the understanding of the importance of being able to communicate to a range of foreign peoples on the part of those planning that school's curriculum. Probably (sadly) widely shared.

How many foreign languages do you think most German or French people learn at school, for example?

[SantaBarbara]

The best time to start to learn another language is about the age of three.

[Funkycoldribena]

drainbrain said:

It reveals a certain limitation to the understanding of the importance of being able to communicate to a range of foreign peoples on the part of those planning that school's curriculum. Probably (sadly) widely shared.

I have a feeling you quickly made that up.

[anonymous-user]

drainbrain said:

amusingduck said:

drainbrain said:

It's revealing that your only foreign language choice at a UK school was French.

Oh?

What does it reveal?

It reveals a certain limitation to the understanding of the importance of being able to communicate to a range of foreign peoples on the part of those planning that school's curriculum. Probably (sadly) widely shared.

I left school in 1982, it was hard enough to learn English in my inner city school back then, as often witnessed by my contributions here.

I would hope language skills have improved significantly since my years at school. The best way to learn though, is by living in a multi language family, by the time you get to school its already harder work than growing up with that as a normal environment.

[alfie2244]

sidicks said:

drainbrain said:

It reveals a certain limitation to the understanding of the importance of being able to communicate to a range of foreign peoples on the part of those planning that school's curriculum. Probably (sadly) widely shared.

How many foreign languages do you think most German or French people learn at school, for example?

Something I recall from my extensive European travels.... very rarely was I allowed to try out my own linguistic ability as no matter what country I was in they predominantly wanted to practice their English on me...mind you Cockney was not quite the BBC English they had been taught

[sidicks]

alfie2244 said:

Something I recall from my extensive European travels.... very rarely was I allowed to try out my own linguistic ability as no matter what country I was in they predominantly wanted to practice their English on me...mind you Cockney was not quite the BBC English they had been taught

Speaking French or German is of little (business) use unless you want to work in France or Germany. Speaking English is extremely useful in a business environment in numerous countries.

[Zod]

sidicks said:

alfie2244 said:

Something I recall from my extensive European travels.... very rarely was I allowed to try out my own linguistic ability as no matter what country I was in they predominantly wanted to practice their English on me...mind you Cockney was not quite the BBC English they had been taught

Speaking French or German is of little (business) use unless you want to work in France or Germany. Speaking English is extremely useful in a business environment in numerous countries.

You are right to an extent, but they are very useful outside the formal business meeting context for building relationships.

If schools had sufficient foresight when I was a pupil, we would have learned Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese and Arabic.

[Garvin]

alfie2244 said:

Something I recall from my extensive European travels.... very rarely was I allowed to try out my own linguistic ability as no matter what country I was in they predominantly wanted to practice their English on me...mind you Cockney was not quite the BBC English they had been taught

This ^^

At school I studied Latin, French and Spanish and I am now gainfully employed in a multinational company with staff in UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and US. We also undertake a lot of multinational collaborative projects the most complex being a European six nation one which involved the above nationalities bar US but including Sweden!

When conversing one on one with either French or Spanish colleagues I am always requested to speak English as they want to practice their English (and probably because my French/Spanish is a lot worse than their English). I have, on occasion, had the bizarre experience in Paris of speaking French to the waiting staff in restaurants only for them to speak to me in English and this has gone on for the entire meal!

Once there are three or more nationalities involved in a dialogue then it just has to be English.

IME the Swedes speak the most correct English (even more correct than a lot of Brits)!

English is the international business language and all our staff, no matter what their nationality, predominantly speak English when in all other countries in the world (and we do business in 85 countries world wide).

Regarding the Brexit negotiations, are they being conducted in English or are they in native language with interpreters?

[drainbrain]

Zod said:

You are right to an extent, but they are very useful outside the formal business meeting context for building relationships.

If schools had sufficient foresight when I was a pupil, we would have learned Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese and Arabic.

....and reinforcing this whilst dragging the convolution back to the main topic.....

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/global-britain...

[sidicks]

Zod said:

You are right to an extent, but they are very useful outside the formal business meeting context for building relationships.

I agree with this, which is why I’ve been learning a new language to help with informal conversation with one particular country where I have clients. However, this is a million miles from being able to discuss business in that language for the next few years!

Zod said:

If schools had sufficient foresight when I was a pupil, we would have learned Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese and Arabic.

I certainly think Mandarin would be a useful option for children, but realistically the majority of kids are going to have limited use for a second language and certainly there isn’t scope to learn miultiple languages, unless we don’t want them to learn, science, maths, history etc!

Edited by sidicks on Wednesday 25th October 19:16

[Funkycoldribena]

Ah,memories...

[Zod]

sidicks said:

Zod said:

You are right to an extent, but they are very useful outside the formal business meeting context for building relationships.

I agree with this, which is why I’ve been learning a new language to help with informal conversation with one particular country where I have clients. However, this is a million miles from being able to discuss business in that language for the next few years!

Zod said:

If schools had sufficient foresight when I was a pupil, we would have learned Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese and Arabic.

I certainly think Mandarin would be a useful option for children, but realistically the majority of kids are going to have limited use for a second language and certainly there isn’t scope to learn miultiple languages, unless we don’t want them to learn, science, maths, history etc!

Edited by sidicks on Wednesday 25th October 19:16

I speak French and German and have done business in both, but I have lived in both places and native language meetings tend to be on less international deals, so we are in agreement on that.

Quite a few private schools are teaching Mandarin. That will just give further advantages to the well off.

[drainbrain]

sidicks said:

I agree with this, which is why I’ve been learning a new language to help with informal conversation with one particular country where I have clients. However, this is a million miles from being able to discuss business in that language for the next few years!

Edited by sidicks on Wednesday 25th October 19:16

That's a bit odd. I've never been in a country where they had an "informal" language and a separate language for "business".

I wonder where that is? Imaginaria?

[drainbrain]

Zod said:

Quite a few private schools are teaching Mandarin. That will just give further advantages to the well off.

Eh??

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pupils-across-e...

[Jockman]

B'stard Child said:

Mine was Latin - does that reveal anything?

Mine were Latin, French, German and English O-levels.

French and German A-levels (inter alia).

And I'm thick !!!!

[alfie2244]

drainbrain said:

sidicks said:

I agree with this, which is why I’ve been learning a new language to help with informal conversation with one particular country where I have clients. However, this is a million miles from being able to discuss business in that language for the next few years!

Edited by sidicks on Wednesday 25th October 19:16

That's a bit odd. I've never been in a country where they had an "informal" language and a separate language for "business".

I wonder where that is? Imaginaria?

You really do look for each and every point to attack but another failure from you......words, phrases etc used in business were not taught in my "O" level days hence why I took the optional module of "Business French" when undertaking my degree studies (Funded by EU monies BTW...or should that be British taxpayer?)

[sidicks]

alfie2244 said:

You really do look for each and every point to attack but another failure from you..

Indeed, a familiar event!

alfie2244 said:

....words, phrases etc used in business were not taught in my "O" level days hence why I took the optional module of "Business French" when undertaking my degree studies (Funded by EU monies BTW...or should that be British taxpayer?)

Indeed - when you are learning a language you start off with the basics, learn the characters, sentence structure, verb patterns etc and develop basic sentences. It’s a massive step from that to being able to discuss complex business problems,

But most people know that.

Edited by sidicks on Wednesday 25th October 20:06

[alfie2244]

sidicks said:

alfie2244 said:

You really do look for each and every point to attack but another failure from you......words, phrases etc used in business were not taught in my "O" level days hence why I took the optional module of "Business French" when undertaking my degree studies (Funded by EU monies BTW...or should that be British taxpayer?)

Indeed - when you are learning a language you start off with the basics, learn the characters, sentence structure, verb patterns etc and develop basic sentences. It’s a massive step from that to being able to discuss complex business problems,

But most people know that.

Not related really but has just reminded me of a little anecdote - we had a girl on our course that had an "A" level in French literature but couldn't speak a word of French

[sidicks]

alfie2244 said:

Not related really but has just reminded me of a little anecdote - we had a girl on our course that had an "A" level in French literature but couldn't speak a word of French

[gooner1]

alfie2244 said:

sidicks said:

alfie2244 said:

You really do look for each and every point to attack but another failure from you......words, phrases etc used in business were not taught in my "O" level days hence why I took the optional module of "Business French" when undertaking my degree studies (Funded by EU monies BTW...or should that be British taxpayer?)

Indeed - when you are learning a language you start off with the basics, learn the characters, sentence structure, verb patterns etc and develop basic sentences. It’s a massive step from that to being able to discuss complex business problems,

But most people know that.

Not related really but has just reminded me of a little anecdote - we had a girl on our course that had an "A" level in French literature but couldn't speak a word of French

Sacre bleedin bleau!!!!!!!