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Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe Camilla Send a noteboard - 24/09/2010 02:10:57 PM
And one has to wonder about how comparable the self-reported figures for degrees of proficiency are. Still, they're interesting. The dominance of English is also remarkable.


Is it?

Might as well add a mini-survey for European members (though Americans and others are welcome to answer as well if they like):

1) Which languages did you learn in school, and for how long?


English(8 years compulsory, 2 years elective), French (5 years elective, although everyone has to take a second language (apart from English) at least two years, I think), Spanish (2 years elective) and some Swedish/Danish (in between the Norwegian classes).

Edit2: I didn't realise we were doing native languages as well. We had Norwegian throughout all the years in school, and then we had Nynorsk (which is another written Norwegian) during the last 5 years or so of school. All compulsory.

2) Which languages would you say you speak with some degree of fluency?


English, Spanish, Norwegian :P
I can understand Swedish and Danish more or less perfectly, but that is less to do with school and more ... general culture, I suppose, as well as similarity to Norwegian.
My French is perfectly adequate for reading the language, and I can usually keep up a conversation, but I am not fluent.

3) Do you think languages get too much attention in the school system you went to, too little, or just about enough?


Just about the right amount, I feel. Norwegian is such a minor language, we need to learn others. And I think it is healthy to learn a third. But I also think it is good that not everyone has to learn the same amount all the time.

4) What do you think of the remarkable dominance of English that appears in the data?


Unsurprising, surely.


Edit: I hate smiley codes that are perfectly normal combinations of signs.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
This message last edited by Camilla on 24/09/2010 at 02:14:14 PM
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/Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 24/09/2010 01:37:42 PM 1305 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe - 24/09/2010 01:49:32 PM 720 Views
Answering the survey myself... - 24/09/2010 02:04:39 PM 725 Views
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Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe - 24/09/2010 02:14:52 PM 770 Views
We have a similar situation in Belgium. - 24/09/2010 02:32:25 PM 641 Views
It is all double dutch to me - 24/09/2010 02:41:41 PM 720 Views
Hah! - 24/09/2010 06:58:49 PM 801 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe - 24/09/2010 03:32:09 PM 666 Views
That is rather sad to say the least. - 24/09/2010 04:15:32 PM 890 Views
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That's just Paris being a city of nasty people. - 24/09/2010 06:32:40 PM 850 Views
I never noticed that - 24/09/2010 07:05:18 PM 744 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe - 24/09/2010 04:00:04 PM 778 Views
I didn't mean just in Sweden, or Scandinavia. - 24/09/2010 04:19:32 PM 774 Views
Well... - 24/09/2010 10:50:09 PM 673 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe - 24/09/2010 05:47:09 PM 744 Views
Interesting. - 24/09/2010 06:04:30 PM 693 Views
Re: Interesting. - 24/09/2010 06:42:02 PM 841 Views
Re: Interesting. - 24/09/2010 07:05:44 PM 749 Views
Re: Interesting. - 24/09/2010 07:21:24 PM 863 Views
Re: Interesting. - 24/09/2010 08:18:30 PM 726 Views
Re: Interesting. - 25/09/2010 08:02:30 PM 798 Views
American who just got a C+ on a French quiz reporting in. - 24/09/2010 06:09:31 PM 801 Views
What was it on? - 24/09/2010 06:22:35 PM 710 Views
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Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 24/09/2010 09:38:05 PM 842 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 25/09/2010 05:49:05 AM 826 Views
Real quick - 25/09/2010 12:03:51 PM 804 Views
Self-study can be worth as much as formal classroom study, I suppose - 25/09/2010 03:43:14 PM 799 Views
Certainly it can. - 26/09/2010 12:35:56 PM 797 Views
You know, gen eds typically include a language. *NM* - 26/09/2010 07:28:57 PM 315 Views
Yes, but other things as well. - 26/09/2010 08:08:20 PM 735 Views
Interesting - 27/09/2010 03:14:00 AM 891 Views
Re: Interesting - 27/09/2010 11:04:37 AM 804 Views
You don't have to prove it's economically valid? - 27/09/2010 08:31:46 PM 820 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 25/09/2010 04:54:40 PM 937 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 25/09/2010 07:38:29 PM 861 Views
The amount of German is more surprising. - 25/09/2010 07:55:29 PM 615 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 26/09/2010 12:07:19 AM 876 Views
They should have asked about second languages rather than foreign languages. - 26/09/2010 11:34:27 AM 730 Views
Aye, they should have. - 26/09/2010 12:26:51 PM 837 Views
Re: /Survey: Foreign language knowledge in Europe (and elsewhere) - 27/09/2010 03:18:30 PM 773 Views

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