English speaking room

Hey, everyone!!!
what could I say?...
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i would never imagine that people in russia or anywhere else in non-english speaking countries can just communicate that easily !
bravo!

MARU писал(а):

Italy is an amasing country, people, food, wine, culture.

MARU , i completely agree with you 100%!
i loved it and i wish we will come back there ones again..
we've been there in 2007 with my boyfriend. went there for 2 days abd didnt want to go back!

P.s. EVERYBODY , HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

zanizanix
Hello, pet! Glad to see you here! You seem to be immitating George Washington sitting like this, don't you? Why have you chosen this image?

pushonik
Your new image is very sexy! Great!

Thanx a lot!

No i just picked this one.. it's one of those we did in Italy, the statue had no head, so i thought i looked old enough to replace it

zanizanix писал(а):

the statue had no head,

Headless Washington or he might just look like this outstanding stateman whose memorial I saw while visiting the USA

Dear MARU and Pushonik,

You girls are so lucky to live in such wonderful counties as Italy and Spain. I wish I could live there. Sorry me for asking, but how many people do speak English there? Is English there a second government language or so? I mean could you survive there only with English?
Italian and Spainish are 2 languages I'd like to learn.
Spanish is really urgent, living in Southern California with a lot of Mexican emigrants here, it is really plus, for a job.

Zanizanix,

Interesting thing, I saw only one headless statue before. It is in Mandalay casino in Las Vegas. Unbelievable, but it is statue of Lenin. Statue is in front of "Russian" restaurant - " Red Square" and his head is under the table with bottles and bottles of vodka in the bar.
Do not you think it is a little bit offensive?

Моментик писал(а):

Do not you think it is a little bit offensive?

Take it easy! They might not know about the man's role in the the history of Russia or on the contrary do know too well to express their attitude this way. It's up to them.

Моментик
Splattie
Dear girls, thank you very much!!

Oh God, there are so many messages; I am just afraid not to answer everybody!
Please do not be offended if I do not answer somebody, I want to know you all!

NatalyS писал(а):

pushonik Your new image is very sexy! Great!

completely agree!!! I have not even recognized immediately!!

zanizanix

zanizanix писал(а):

it's one of those we did in Italy, the statue had no head, so i thought i looked old enough to replace it

just wanted to answer you in Italian "ma che dici" what are u saying

Which is the city where u took the pic? never seen nor heard before about statues without heads

Моментик

Моментик писал(а):

but how many people do speak English there?

Dear Olga, thank you for such an interesting question! The answer is "pretty enough", specially who uses it for job, but in the meantime "not pretty enough" as Russian people think (considering that Italy makes part of Europe and people can travel more). Italians prefer comunicating by gesture! That`s, I think a beautifull thing, you know why, because they are not afraid to begin talking with unknown people, unlike Russians - very often we know a language (or even more) but we are afraid (that`s my defect too by the way, but I`m trying to overcome it)

Моментик писал(а):

Is English there a second government language or so

absolutely not

Моментик писал(а):

I mean could you survive there only with English?

I don`t think so, there are many old people who speak only dialetcs (not even right Italian..)

Моментик писал(а):

Italian and Spainish are 2 languages I'd like to learn. Spanish is really urgent

Spanish is so cool! Me gusta!!
Thank you once again for the question, I adore such a kind of topics

MARU писал(а):

are many old people who speak only dialetcs (not even right Italian..)

It's but natural in many places all over the world including Russia. When I first came to Lipetsk I sometimes couldn't get what some aborigines mean saying this or that. They did speak Russian. My Lord, they sounded like alians from a different world!

NatalyS

NatalyS писал(а):

they sounded like alians from a different world!

oh really?! I have always thought that we in Russia speak pure Russian, ok, there are some differences in slang but the grammar and intonation are the same. Here in Italy sometimes u just do not understand people from Sicily or Rome..They change even grammar But sometimes I ask myself, do they change grammar because it is a dialect (I doubt) or they just do not know the right grammar (so many Italians use wrongly the sentences like If... then)

MARU писал(а):

oh really

I take it for granted if people don't have a proper education or don't read enough to speak correctly in their native language, but I met a lot of those especially living abroad who knew well neither the language of the country they live in nor their native language but their main advantage is that they live abroad and this is what gives them the right to correct us, people speaking English as a foreighn
language

NatalyS

NatalyS писал(а):

but their main advantage is that they live abroad and this is what gives them the right to correct us

I remember our French teacher at the University, she had lived for 1 year in Paris before starting "teaching" us. Yes, she was not afraid to speak, she spoke very quickly, she used a lot of interesting words... but she made so many mistakes!!!
When smbd asks me if I speak "perfectly" Italian, I answer no, I speak it very well but it is difficult to understand what people mean by "perfection", isn`t it? For smbd it is just speaking very quickly..

MARU писал(а):

For smbd it is just speaking very quickly

It depends on the situation one is in and the aim. If you're a teacher you have to speak correctly but in everyday communication everything is possible as the aim is to make peole understand you. There's even a special term for English, for instance, survival, which means that your English is good enough to make social contacts in everyday life.

NatalyS

NatalyS писал(а):

a special term for English

nice but which one (sorry, have not understood) survival, right?

MARU писал(а):

survival, right

Sure, it's survival.
For some people, not native speakers, this type seems to be more familier and correct than standard.

Nataly,

"They might not know about the man's role in the the history of Russia or on the contrary do know too well to express their attitude this way. It's up to them"

Sure it is there country after all.
However, sometimes I just want that people would be more respectful to each other and specially to their culture, religious, and history. Best wishes... .

"My Lord, they sounded like alians from a different world"
I feel the same way when I hear African American speaking or Texas dialect or south dialect. Their speech is so different.
Did you hear about pigeon English - mix language where you use partly English partly your own language?

Mary,

Thank you so much for your response - very interesting.

"When smbd asks me if I speak "perfectly" Italian, I answer no, I speak it very well but it is difficult to understand what people mean by "perfection", isn`t it? For smbd it is just speaking very quickly.."

may I ask, for how long do you speak Italian?

For example, I study and speak English for 10 years and still I don't think that I have perfect English. Recently, I start to be a little bit easy on myself when I learned how many mistakes Native speakers make in their own language.
The bottom line, if you speak and understand language in real life situations then you know language very well. If you know the grammar and spelling, and can write a novel then you know language perfect.

Моментик писал(а):

The bottom line, if you speak and understand language in real life situations then you know language very well. If you know the grammar and spelling, and can write a novel then you know language perfect.

Great! Besides if you are a teacher you should do your best to learn the language you are teaching but even in this case your language won't be perfect if you don't mix with native speakers. So you have more advantages than we. It's but natural. Every barber knows: if you want to learn how to to sth , you should do and do it again and again. And living in the English speaking country you have to speak English and to learn more colloquial words.

Моментик писал(а):

Did you hear about pigeon English

Yes, I know what it is but avoid using it. Being a teacher I can afford only standard.

Моментик

Моментик писал(а):

may I ask, for how long do you speak Italian?

Olga, I`ve been living here for almost 5 years, I started studying Italian some (6-7) months before coming here to my husband..

Моментик писал(а):

if you speak and understand language in real life situations then you know language very well

I do, otherwise I cound not stay here

Моментик писал(а):

If you know the grammar and spelling, and can write a novel then you know language perfect.

So I can modestly say that I do speak perfectly Italian (even if sometimes I have my Russian accent, especially when I am angry..)

Seriously girls, I have studied a bit this topic and I ve read that you can say that you speak really well (perfectly, I do not understand this term, too relative and subjective) when you are able to think in this language (I do, I sometimes even dream in Italian) and to express yourself when you are angry / afraid or so on (in critical situations in a word). And another thing I would like to add - if we speak "perfectly" it means that we are already at a highest level and we have nothing to aim at.. it is boring, isn`t it?!

NatalyS
Моментик

About pigeon language, girls, you should hear me and my husband talk .... we have invented our own Russian-Italian language (mixed grammar and words) comprehensible only to us I think...

NatalyS

NatalyS писал(а):

Being a teacher I can afford only standard

You are perfectly (!! ) right, I think it is for and against you, isn`t it?! However it is so cool to hear pure language...

MARU писал(а):

right, I think it is for and against you, isn`t it?!

When I did language courses in the USA native speakers sometimes took me for English because of the language. maybe pronunciation. I think they flattered me. You are quite right to say that perfect mastering any foreign language supposes thinking in it. But we for whom English is foreign simply can't do it if (I repeat it, sorry) we don't live in this language environment. Speaking even good fluent English we stay Russians and I am not against. I'm proud of my country and treat people from other countries with respect. That's why I adore travelling abroad but then coming back home.

NatalyS
Nataly, besides being very smart, you are very wise, I like reading you! (I am not flattering )

NatalyS писал(а):

But we for whom English is foreign simply can't do it if (I repeat it, sorry) we don't live in this language environment

perfectly agree with you! It is just normal.. You know, even Russian people living here with their families and consequently speaking Russian at home (I take Russian just as an example) speak worse than who has the opportunity to speak always Italian, it is just normal..

NatalyS писал(а):

Speaking even good fluent English we stay Russians and I am not against.

Sometimes my accent betrays me, and people can tell that they can hear my accent, I just answer like you "I am not against"

NatalyS писал(а):

I'm proud of my country

Me too, very much! I`m always proud to say that I am Russian.

NatalyS писал(а):

That's why I adore travelling abroad but then coming back home

sounds great, I feel a little bit nostalgic.. I have two homes now, Russia and Italy. The problem is when Russians play against Italians (football for ex) I always say that I am the fan of "ours"