Is it overrated to be a native English speaker?

[[neon.zombie]]

Fem_chan

I'm often envious of native English speakers, especially from the U.S.!

But that is mainly because I come from a country that has a language problem (Belgium). I have difficulty finding a job, in my own country, because I don't speak 3-4 languages fluently enough: French, Dutch, English, German (I never had the chance to study German, as I studied Arts, wasn't part of my school's program).
...my knowledge of other languages than those seems irrelevant. There's a lot of unnecessary language and dialect elitism.

I have friends from other parts of the world (South Africa, Congo) who have similar problems. We often fantasize what it would be like, growing up in a country where nearly everyone can fluently communicate with one-another. And it's ironic my friends, from halfway down the globe, can often understand me better, than my own countrymen.

But, the fact that I knew English from a very young age, has always allowed for me to communicate with tourists from further away (but French can also get you far, many people understand French, even if they can't form sentences with it). Which is great!

Wow, I never knew that about Belgium... that is insane! And that's kinda what I meant about it being overrated to be a native speaker - particularly because I live on an island, there's not really any pressure to speak any other languages, as our neighbouring countries either speak English or speak a language that is too uncommon to really impact your career if you travel overseas, etc. (Well, New Caledonia speaks French, but I don't think that counts). While the number of foreign languages spoken in your country seems to cause problems, to me it sounds like a nice world to live it. Minus the dialect elitism, that is.  

[Lord Fon Fabre]

[neon.zombie]

Wow, I never knew that about Belgium... that is insane! And that's kinda what I meant about it being overrated to be a native speaker - particularly because I live on an island, there's not really any pressure to speak any other languages, as our neighbouring countries either speak English or speak a language that is too uncommon to really impact your career if you travel overseas, etc. (Well, New Caledonia speaks French, but I don't think that counts). While the number of foreign languages spoken in your country seems to cause problems, to me it sounds like a nice world to live it. Minus the dialect elitism, that is.

Yeah, I agree. But even here in Florida, despite the fact that there are huge Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto-Rican populations (and a bunch of Venezuelans o-o), most people don't even know how to say simple phrases like "Me llamo...". It's just...frustrating o_o lol. I mean, English speaking countries should at least officialize a second language. The US could really benefit from mandating Spanish. ._.  

[sayurihaxx]

Well, I suppose that I look at native speakers of other languages like they would look at native English speakers. I think English is a good language to be native in, because (whether we like it or not) it is pretty much "THE" language. And it's a hard language for foreigners too, because we have exceptions to almost every rule. So I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

But on the other hand, at least where I live, foreign languages are not emphasized at /all/. We only require 2 years of one foreign language, in high school. In most other countries they learn other languages much younger, so I feel I'm put at a disadvantage being a native English speaker; because a lot of people here just say "Oh we know English, everyone else in the world does too, no point in learning other languages. We're "THE" language." So...it's kind of a like-dislike thing with me.  

[Why_newton]

Seeing that language is very hard for me, I am glad English is my first or else i would have be screwed in life. I am 21 and it wasn't until I was 16-17 did I start to really learn English, learn to spell, learn to write and it's my native language. (learning disabilities suck).


On the other hand, my family is from the Netherlands (I grew up in Canada) and everyone just wants to speak English there. Almost as if the language is starting to slowly die.

I went to a school were white people were the minority. Everyone spoke their parents language and English. I would be super jealous.

I am tired and I am not sure where this is going. Bed time for me.  

[Moonlight_Naida]

Xx Noir-Keller xX

Well, I suppose that I look at native speakers of other languages like they would look at native English speakers. I think English is a good language to be native in, because (whether we like it or not) it is pretty much "THE" language. And it's a hard language for foreigners too, because we have exceptions to almost every rule. So I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

English is by far the easiest language I've learned so far... In my opinion, this is probably why English speakers have so much trouble learning other languages. That, and the fact that they barely have language classes at school and are, sadly, unmotivated because they don't feel the need to learn a foreign language. It's just a hobby. Fortunately, some people are interested and motivated, and that's even more admirable since they don't have to do it.

I think it's easier to learn something in a foreign language if you've got something similar in your language, so the more complex your language is, the easier it is to learn other languages.
(Un)fortunately, since English doesn't have genders for nouns or a different conjugation for each person, for instance, these things are harder to learn in a foreign language.  

[Henneth Annun]

Moonlight_Naida

Xx Noir-Keller xX

Well, I suppose that I look at native speakers of other languages like they would look at native English speakers. I think English is a good language to be native in, because (whether we like it or not) it is pretty much "THE" language. And it's a hard language for foreigners too, because we have exceptions to almost every rule. So I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

English is by far the easiest language I've learned so far... In my opinion, this is probably why English speakers have so much trouble learning other languages. That, and the fact that they barely have language classes at school and are, sadly, unmotivated because they don't feel the need to learn a foreign language. It's just a hobby. Fortunately, some people are interested and motivated, and that's even more admirable since they don't have to do it.

I think it's easier to learn something in a foreign language if you've got something similar in your language, so the more complex your language is, the easier it is to learn other languages.
(Un)fortunately, since English doesn't have genders for nouns or a different conjugation for each person, for instance, these things are harder to learn in a foreign language.

Also, at least where I'm from and among the people that I talk to, language education for public high school in a lot of parts of the United States isn't as great as it could be...teaching methods might have a lot to do with it.  

[Weiss Kitsune]

I don't know if it's good or bad to be native. Although I have a problem with how little emphasis is placed on language in the United States, english or other wise. I did not have the option to take any language in school until I was 13 and even then it was a really retarded class where we were taught colors, random nouns and how to count in French, Spanish and German. Then when I got to high school the next year the only options I had were Spanish and a Japanese class that was only being offered for that one year because the teacher was going back to Japan. Most native english speakers don't know english as well as they should because of the lacking educational system. Senior year of high school my teacher was shocked that only 2 people in his class knew the difference between there, thier and they're or then and than.  

[asdfasdf22]

Context and english
Examples of common word's that I find commonly not to be understandable via context.
I have no respect for our spelling rules quite frankly.

The topic of a sentence is also not clear in English.
Philosophy Psychology Politics, in english are about as pedantic as saying,
Well there anthrax is a white powder my wheat is a white powder there by they are the same.  

[Mustafah Monde]

Henneth Annun

Moonlight_Naida

Xx Noir-Keller xX

Well, I suppose that I look at native speakers of other languages like they would look at native English speakers. I think English is a good language to be native in, because (whether we like it or not) it is pretty much "THE" language. And it's a hard language for foreigners too, because we have exceptions to almost every rule. So I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

English is by far the easiest language I've learned so far... In my opinion, this is probably why English speakers have so much trouble learning other languages. That, and the fact that they barely have language classes at school and are, sadly, unmotivated because they don't feel the need to learn a foreign language. It's just a hobby. Fortunately, some people are interested and motivated, and that's even more admirable since they don't have to do it.

I think it's easier to learn something in a foreign language if you've got something similar in your language, so the more complex your language is, the easier it is to learn other languages.
(Un)fortunately, since English doesn't have genders for nouns or a different conjugation for each person, for instance, these things are harder to learn in a foreign language.

Also, at least where I'm from and among the people that I talk to, language education for public high school in a lot of parts of the United States isn't as great as it could be...teaching methods might have a lot to do with it.

I also think it's a bit backward to be teaching a second language in High School, don't most places teach it around 1st or 3rd grade? That's around the time we comprehend language best I think i read somewhere.  

[Fullmetalrunt]

Sexhibitionist

Henneth Annun

Moonlight_Naida

Xx Noir-Keller xX

Well, I suppose that I look at native speakers of other languages like they would look at native English speakers. I think English is a good language to be native in, because (whether we like it or not) it is pretty much "THE" language. And it's a hard language for foreigners too, because we have exceptions to almost every rule. So I'm glad I'm a native speaker.

English is by far the easiest language I've learned so far... In my opinion, this is probably why English speakers have so much trouble learning other languages. That, and the fact that they barely have language classes at school and are, sadly, unmotivated because they don't feel the need to learn a foreign language. It's just a hobby. Fortunately, some people are interested and motivated, and that's even more admirable since they don't have to do it.

I think it's easier to learn something in a foreign language if you've got something similar in your language, so the more complex your language is, the easier it is to learn other languages.
(Un)fortunately, since English doesn't have genders for nouns or a different conjugation for each person, for instance, these things are harder to learn in a foreign language.

Also, at least where I'm from and among the people that I talk to, language education for public high school in a lot of parts of the United States isn't as great as it could be...teaching methods might have a lot to do with it.

I also think it's a bit backward to be teaching a second language in High School, don't most places teach it around 1st or 3rd grade? That's around the time we comprehend language best I think i read somewhere.

I'm so jealous that some people have the oppurtunity to learn languages early...I only started Spanish in 7th grade, and Chinese in a crappy Saturday school when I was younger. (But of course I wanted to watch Pokemon and do little kid stuff instead of study /regret)  

[apiyo]

I don't think it's a positive or a negative, it just is. No use crying over it, you have to grow up somewhere. The bigger question is if we want to sit around mopping because people think foreign languages are dumb, or do we want to go forward and keep learning new languages?