English Go Away! Destruction of Classic Japanese Literature!

[yanpa]

Or, as a German speaking friend of mine once explained, they have wonderful grammatical constructs like:

"I threw my grandmother out the window a kiss."

I need to learn more languages just for the fun of it.

At the risk of sounding slightly (OK, very) pedantic the "my" here in German would be the dative form ("meiner Grossmutter") without the ambiguity the English translation has. Which does then lend itself to more variants in sentence patterns.

[Yokohammer]

Or, as a German speaking friend of mine once explained, they have wonderful grammatical constructs like:

"I threw my grandmother out the window a kiss."

I need to learn more languages just for the fun of it.

At the risk of sounding slightly (OK, very) pedantic the "my" here in German would be the dative form ("meiner Grossmutter") without the ambiguity the English translation has. Which does then lend itself to more variants in sentence patterns.

To be accurate I guess it translates more as "I threw to my grandmother out the window a kiss."

But that's boring.

The fact German even has a dative case makes it interesting though.

[IparryU]

Wait a sec... So all them kids in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong who know a fist full of languages are on the verge of losing touch with their mother tongue?

Bitch is dumb, Japan just needs to change the way they do language edumacation.

[yanpa]

Or, as a German speaking friend of mine once explained, they have wonderful grammatical constructs like:

"I threw my grandmother out the window a kiss."

I need to learn more languages just for the fun of it.

At the risk of sounding slightly (OK, very) pedantic the "my" here in German would be the dative form ("meiner Grossmutter") without the ambiguity the English translation has. Which does then lend itself to more variants in sentence patterns.

To be accurate I guess it translates more as "I threw to my grandmother out the window a kiss."

But that's boring.

The fact German even has a dative case makes it interesting though.

And genitive. But it's not a patch on some of the Slavic languages. Still, mighty glad I spend some of my school years chanting through various 4 x 4 grids of various propositions' gender/case variations. I know bugger all about Shakespeare mind.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Wait a sec... So all them kids in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Hong Kong who know a fist full of languages are on the verge of losing touch with their mother tongue?

Bitch is dumb, Japan just needs to change the way they do language edumacation.

You can't compare Singapore to Japan. They had different ethnic groups speaking different languages who chose English as their lingua franca. That's also the case in India to a certain extent though they also have competing native lingua francas in different regions. In any case all of those countries were colonized which Japan never was and excluding Singapore English isn't as commonly spoken among the masses as you might think. Besides, I've met more than a few Singaporeans who know multiple language but none of them at the native level. And that's not just the uneducated folks.

[matsuki]

Most of the people I know from Singapore are ethnically Chinese, sound like heavily accented Chinese FOBs...yet speak not a lick of Chinese. This "Singlish" is their native tongue...and it's not too pretty.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Most of the people I know from Singapore are ethnically Chinese, sound like heavily accented Chinese FOBs...yet speak not a lick of Chinese. This "Singlish" is their native tongue...and it's not too pretty.

That's not Singlish. That's just English with an accent. Not the same thing. If it was just proper English with a unique accent, that would be one thing. But a lot of them can't write for shit either.

[kurogane]

It's either a patois or perhaps a dialect (like Jamaica or Haiti), but as SJ noted it developed from an internal logic and it isn't really a part of The English Language. That spelling alone marks it as distinct: rather Esperantonian in its logic, but English it isn't. I have no f'in idea what most of them are on about unless they went to a mission school, though I do smile when the ones in Japan claim they should be regarded as native speakers.

[matsuki]

According to wikipedia:

Colloquial Singaporean English, better known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.

Although Singapore has English as a de facto language among Singaporeans, Singlish (a particular dialect with its unique intonations and grammar) is commonly regarded as having low prestige. The Singaporean government and many upper class Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English and Standard Mandarin. The government has created an annual Speak Good English Movement to emphasize the point. Singlish is also heavily discouraged in the mass media and in schools.

and...

Standard Singapore English began to take root and Singlish began to evolve among the working classes who learned English without formal schooling. Singlish originated with the arrival of the British and the establishment of English language schools in Singapore. Soon, English filtered out of schools and onto the streets, to be picked up by non-English-speakers in a pidgin-like form for communication purposes.

Which is why I made that earlier comment about Japanese eventually devolving into this type of shit if they keep unnecessarily replacing words with trendy waseieigo.

[kurogane]

Aaaah, it goes by the name of (King) creole!!!!!!!

PS best Elvis movie ever. He smouldered. And Walter Matthau was good too.

[Samurai_Jerk]

According to wikipedia:

Colloquial Singaporean English, better known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.

Although Singapore has English as a de facto language among Singaporeans, Singlish (a particular dialect with its unique intonations and grammar) is commonly regarded as having low prestige. The Singaporean government and many upper class Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English and Standard Mandarin. The government has created an annual Speak Good English Movement to emphasize the point. Singlish is also heavily discouraged in the mass media and in schools.

Right. My point was Singaporeans speaking English with a Chinese accent isn't Singlish. You wouldn't be able to fully understand people speaking Singlish.

[matsuki]

According to wikipedia:

Colloquial Singaporean English, better known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.

Although Singapore has English as a de facto language among Singaporeans, Singlish (a particular dialect with its unique intonations and grammar) is commonly regarded as having low prestige. The Singaporean government and many upper class Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English and Standard Mandarin. The government has created an annual Speak Good English Movement to emphasize the point. Singlish is also heavily discouraged in the mass media and in schools.

Right. My point was Singaporeans speaking English with a Chinese accent isn't Singlish. You wouldn't be able to fully understand people speaking Singlish.

Gotcha...but these dorks had more than a fucked accent...it was grammer, etc. and they all play it off by calling it Singlish.

I guess they were speaking "soft" Singlish? ...or maybe just shitty English as a second language? (though as Kuro pointed out, they claim to be masters of English )

[Samurai_Jerk]

The sad thing is they're often speaking shitty English as a first language and even shittier Chinese and Malay as a second and third. It's sort of a Jack of all trades master on none situation.

[matsuki]

The sad thing is they're often speaking shitty English as a first language and even shittier Chinese and Malay as a second and third. It's sort of a Jack of all trades master on none situation.

Yeah, that's what I meant but even worse, as their only language...I thought they were probably Chinese immigrants but then they couldn't speak Chinese worth a damn.

[Samurai_Jerk]

The sad thing is they're often speaking shitty English as a first language and even shittier Chinese and Malay as a second and third. It's sort of a Jack of all trades master on none situation.

Yeah, that's what I meant but even worse, as their only language...I thought they were probably Chinese immigrants but then they couldn't speak Chinese worth a damn.

And many of them who do speak Chinese speak dialects that aren't very useful outside of their family/tribe. I knew a Singaporean in college whose spoken English was fluent but not perfect. However, his writing was a grammatical disaster. He told me he spoke native Chinese (not sure which kind) but couldn't read or write at all. At least he realized he was fucked and was embarrassed about it.

[matsuki]

At least he realized he was fucked and was embarrassed about it.

In comparison to here where many misguided locals will try to correct you in your use of your native tongue...or try to sell you that katakatazed words like "arubaito" are English.

[kurogane]

I have had legions of 2 years in Eikaiwa types tell me with no shortage of pedantry that Arubaito comes from the English for Part Time Job, so maybe it is English by now.............amongst idjits.

Outside of the bona fide My Father Could Buy Your Whole City rich kids crowd I find Singaporeans to be linguistic spastics, especiallly since they claim they're speaking English. I actively avoided them at the university in Kyoto. Really nice, actually, and some of the chicks are just droolworthy smoking but it takes them 4 sentences to convey one simple piece of information you and I could do in 4 words. It must be, as SJ noted, that they are so used to that sort of Star Wars Bar Scene style they can't actually tailor their speech to communicate properly. I found them utterly aggravating. And it was obvious to anybody they were really, really nice kids. Their progress in Japanese was completely shiite as well.

BTW, a lot of the new continetal Chinese crew in Vancouver are growing up like that; they have full Cdn accents but a vocabulary so limited you wonder if they aren't in the short bus classes. And thanks to Mutliculturalism!! it's all Whitey's fault if you can't communicate with them.

[matsuki]

you wonder if they aren't in the short bus classes. And thanks to Mutliculturalism!! it's all Whitey's fault if you can't communicate with them.

Well, technically lambdacism is considered a medical condition or speech impediment...

The most terrible sounding English to me is from people with rhotacism (Bawwwston English is a close second)...I can't comprehend how any of them gain celebrity status with any kind of non-comedic speaking roles but according to the video below, certain parts of the UK have devolved to this accent.

[Russell]

I have had legions of 2 years in Eikaiwa types tell me with no shortage of pedantry that Arubaito comes from the English for Part Time Job, so maybe it is English by now.............

Well, at least they didn't claim that アルバイトマーフトフライ is a dish from Hebrew cuisine...

[Coligny]

you wonder if they aren't in the short bus classes. And thanks to Mutliculturalism!! it's all Whitey's fault if you can't communicate with them.

Well, technically lambdacism is considered a medical condition or speech impediment...

The most terrible sounding English to me is from people with rhotacism (Bawwwston English is a close second)...I can't comprehend how any of them gain celebrity status with any kind of non-comedic speaking roles but according to the video below, certain parts of the UK have devolved to this accent.

I don't do my rrrr like a V or an L ? What kind of retard am I...

I do my rrrr like cats purrrs...

Repeat after me... Croissant... Croute de fromage... Caramel... Clitoris...

[matsuki]

I don't do my rrrr like a V or an L ? What kind of retard am I...

I do my rrrr like cats purrrs...

Repeat after me... Croissant... Croute de fromage... Caramel... Clitoris...

I think it mostly applies to the current fucked modern British English pronunciation....but it might make them easier to understand since they like adding imaginary r's onto words lacking like China, saw, etc...

There was an Aussie dude behind me on the flight to LA and some dumb American housewife was chatting him up. I swear they spent 15 minutes talking about where he wanted to visit in LA....all the while she was thinking he wanted to go to some sort of famous spice museum she had never heard of....asking why he was so interesting in spices and if he was a cook....all the while he was talking about seeing the space shuttle. It was hard soooo not to laugh...but I can't really blame her. He did say　スパイス not スペース　

[dimwit]

Spend any time in the countryside of West Yorkshire, Cork, Ireland, or the deep recesses of South Carolina and you'll English that is utterly incomprehendable to any outsider

[matsuki]

LOL, I'm still trying to figure out how LA-ben is fucked. I'm sure Wags will chime in but so far the one that sticks out at me is pronouncing "to" as "tuh." As in go tuh the store tuhday.

[J.A.F.O]

Spend any time in the countryside of West Yorkshire, Cork, Ireland, or the deep recesses of [youtube][/youtube]South Carolina and you'll English that is utterly incomprehendable to any outsider

Yep thats the dirty south. Parts of Bastan MA are like that too.
Someone posted this here on FG before but here it is again

[Russell]

The Netherlands is a small country of 200 by 300 km, yet there are quite a few dialects that are virtually incomprehensible to me.

Cross the border into Belgium, and it is even worse. I am used to Flemish since I lived near the Belgium border for 5 years in my youth, but the dialect spoken in a city like Antwerp is completely alien-speak. It took me a couple of minutes before I recognized the Antwerp dialect spoken in one Youtube video as actually being Dutch.

So what do you expect for the dialects spoken in the US? I can virtually understand all of them, so it is actually not that bad. The only English I have problems with are that spoken by some Indians and some Australians.

[Coligny]

New zealand... There is an old guy youtube channel (rc model review i think) my head hurts just listening to his english...

Bench: beeensh

[Samurai_Jerk]

British English [...] they like adding imaginary r's onto words lacking like China, saw, etc...

There are plenty of places in the US where they do this to. I've heard it in NYC, central Virginia, and New Orleans. And even when I lived in Seattle some older people said "Warshington." You definitely wouldn't like the New Orleans Yat dialect. The first lady in this video speaks Yat.

LOL, I'm still trying to figure out how LA-ben is fucked. I'm sure Wags will chime in but so far the one that sticks out at me is pronouncing "to" as "tuh." As in go tuh the store tuhday.

How about ending every statement like a question? That seems to be really common with Asian women from Southern California. Maybe they all learn how to speak English in Australia. I also hate when Angelinos pronounce Los Angeles with a hard "G." You don't hear that much anymore though.

[kurogane]

Warshingtan is correct warshingtonian to my ears, though a touch plebby (Bellingham not nice Seattle) as the beachside neighbourhood in Vancouver is Kitsalaino (spelt Kitsilano). The Pacific Soutwest / Northwest accents have been overrun by the massive migration of flatlanders and easterners with tin ears that think English spelling is phonetic and their earnest nasal preachiness is normal speech. They were never really all that much as accents or dialects, but at least they were ours and relatively nasal free.

[wagyl]

LOL, I'm still trying to figure out how LA-ben is fucked. I'm sure Wags will chime in but so far the one that sticks out at me is pronouncing "to" as "tuh." As in go tuh the store tuhday.

A few days ago I posted "my favorite herb is basil" but I then deleted it, as it wasn't really relevant to the discussion. It is now.

[Samurai_Jerk]

LOL, I'm still trying to figure out how LA-ben is fucked. I'm sure Wags will chime in but so far the one that sticks out at me is pronouncing "to" as "tuh." As in go tuh the store tuhday.

A few days ago I posted "my favorite herb is basil" but I then deleted it, as it wasn't really relevant to the discussion. It is now.

You mean your favorite 'erb is bayzil, right?