Thread: Is it really necessary to learn a host country's language?

Definition: Bahasa, language.
Bahasa Indonesia - Spoken by appoximately 235,000,000 people.
Bahasa Malayu - Spoken by approximately 27,000,000 people.
Thai - Spoken by approximately 62,000,000 people

Originally Posted by Butterfly

you will just be another monkey speaking to another monkey. Fuck that. I have better things to do.

Like speaking to other frogs?

ribbet, ribbet!

^^Vous faites moi faim!

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Originally Posted by Texpat

^Yes, good to have the option, but the farangs I am referring to are the smug, I-won't-stoop-to-learn-Thai types.

I don't see the point of learning Thai, it's not like it's a major language, definitely not a must

It's like learning how to speak Monkey, who the fuck care.

Agreed BF......

Originally Posted by Luckydog

Agreed BF.

incredible.

do you mind expanding?

^ obviously not. incredible how bigoted some ppl can be....

Interestingly I found a post in the language forum where butterfly is talking about a good Thai learning cd he found.

from this we can gather he is either.
a. trolling
or
b. failed to master the language.

c. both.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

I don't see how this has anything to do with racism ?

who said it did.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Do you learn how to speak dolphin when you go to the Aquarium ?

truly inane.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

^ I don't see how this has anything to do with racism ?

Que? Who said anything about racism? Although what else would your alluding to Thais and monkey's be?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Do you learn how to speak dolphin when you go to the Aquarium ?

Do you think you could possibly come up with an even more supercilious or ludicrous analogy?

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Interestingly I found a post in the language forum where butterfly is talking about a good Thai learning cd he found.

I still have that CD, and if I had time with nothing better to do, I would probably learn how to speak Thai out of curiosity, and probably to score the freebies with the uni girls.

For the record, everytime I speak Thai to one of the locals, they tell me I speak perfectly. I know it's not true as I really speak only a few words, but I see this as a social thing for them to be polite. Fine with me, but English will be the only fluent language I will speak most of the time in Monkey land, and I don't need to feel guilty about it. Not my country and not my residence and I don't live in some little village out of nowhere.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

but English will be the only fluent language I will speak most of the time in Monkey land, and I don't need to feel guilty about it. Not my country and not my residence and I don't live in some little village out of nowhere.

so foreigners in your country shouldn't have to learn to speak frog then, should they?

Originally Posted by kingwilly

incredible how bigoted some ppl can be....

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Que? Who said anything about racism? Although what else would your alluding to Thais and monkey's be?

maybe a language misunderstanding,

Thais often refer themselves to "monkeys" but in a cute way, not a racist one.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Thais often refer themselves to "monkeys" but in a cute way, not a racist one.

cute?

nope.

BTW - bigoted doesn't just mean racist !

the very fact that you say you don't need to learn their language because it is not as important as yours is bigoted!

Originally Posted by kingwilly

so foreigners in your country shouldn't have to learn to speak frog then, should they?

I am always amazed how many people are interested into learning French or Italian despite being completely unecessary. A bit of snobbery I think even though it does sound very nice when they do try to speak French, so no complain.

Also France having the world capital of culture and "elegance", there is a point of learning French if you want to learn about History of Arts etc...

Originally Posted by kingwilly

the very fact that you say you don't need to learn their language because it is not as important as yours is bigoted!

I don't see how it is ? maybe a definition is in order.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

maybe a language misunderstanding, Thais often refer themselves to "monkeys" but in a cute way, not a racist one

They do? Fair enough, I didn't know that.

My Thai is shite!

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Fine with me, but English will be the only fluent language I will speak most of the time

Good, you seem to know who your masters are and act accordingly... I just wish all the French could understand this.

^ actually, it's the same the other way around, I hate those French expats who go into a foreigner country and expect everyone to speak French or won't speak English but will learn the local language (like Thai) instead.

International English is the language to be spoken for all expats, period, regardless of which country they are attached to. There is no master/slave relationship, it's all about convenience.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

International English is the language to be spoken for all expats, period, ........ it's all about convenience.

true, is it going to remain that way though?

and does that then preclude the need to learn a little of the local language?
I wouldnt think so !

Originally Posted by kingwilly

and does that then preclude the need to learn a little of the local language?

no, but only if you have the time, definitely not a must as originally pointed out, just an optional luxury,

Originally Posted by Butterfly

maybe a definition is in order.

here's a definition.

bigot. n. person with fixed and intolerant belief. bigoted

Originally Posted by Butterfly

no, but only if you have the time, definitely not a must as originally pointed out,

i think it was the negative side that was suggesting the absolute not the positive.