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Confidence in foreign language skills

HarmanKardon said:
Wasen't the senior lady in the "Dallas" tv show called respectfully "Miss Ellie"? I could imagine that "Madam" was used quite often in former times, right John?
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Very formal if spoken - somewhat distant and businesslike in it's usage in the UK - and yes used much more often in former times.

HarmanKardon said:
So there is actually no equivalent? Probably nobody would formulate "You Miss Darcy are such an appreciated AK member." :scratch2:
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equivalent?... not a direct equivalent for female use, I think. And that would be a nice thing to say :yes: - and would convey an appropriate impression if I am any judge :)

And also:
Nice collection Arkay - very good. :)
 
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HarmanKardon said:
On the use of the term "Sir"

Friendly, informal. Example: "You John Sir are sometimes such a 'punny' person!"

Respectful. Example: "Thank you Rich Sir for your support."

Ironic. Example: "You are walking on thin ice Sir, I hear it already creaking."

So I got it? Another question: Which is the female equivalent for "Sir"?
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Just a note on punctuation: a few more commas are needed in the written forms:

"You, John, Sir, are sometimes such a 'punny' person!"
[Additonally, using both the proper name "John" and "Sir" is a bit stuffy or overemphasized. Usually, one would dispense with either "John" or "Sir." ]

Commas:
"Thank you, Rich, Sir, for your support."

In the last case, an added preceding comma and a change from following comma to semicolon:
"You are walking on thin ice, Sir; I hear it already creaking."
 
Having had 3 years of French, and I am trying my best to learn Spanish (for my niece and nephew, who are half Puerto Rican) I'll put it this way....

Language is often a poor medium for expressing feelings, meanings, and thoughts.

how do you verbalize the feeling of a hug? The birth of a child? Being in love?

I congratulate all our international members, and those of us stateside who attempt to branch out, verbally.

I'm sitting at my desk at work, listening to Spanish for Dummies for the 2100th time. It has really helped.
 
I would say the female equivalent of "Sir" would be "Ma'am". When women are younger and someone needs their attention or wants to speak to them, they call them Miss. When someone calls you Ma'am, you know you've crossed the line to MATURE. :no:
 
This is an interesting thread.

As a native English speaker who has done a little bit of overseas travelling, mostly in Europe, I think it's easy to be lazy. English is widely spoken in most even marginally developed countries, and most people you encounter are passably bi-lingual. The one exception for me was the Republic of Georgia, but everybody there was still bi-lingual in Georgian and Russian.

We do a lousy job of encouraging and teaching foreign languages in the U.S. I think we Americans can be a little arrogant about this. I live in a city with a large Hispanic community, and my Spanish stinks.

I respect people I meet from other countries who have learned a foreign language - sometimes several foreign languages - without being immersed. It requires a lot of dedication.

What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bi-lingual

What do you call a person who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual

What do you call a person who speaks one language? American
 
Hi Chris!

I always love to read your posts about the English language. It makes us all think a little bit!

As with the word Herr, the word sir is used to show a little more than the normal amount of deference or respect. When you use the word, you're showing the other person that you're being respectful, and that you're making a little more effort to not offend. Since the word is not commonly used in daily conversation, the fact that you use it shows that you're trying to say something in the best way.

And, it's perfectly acceptable to use the word both in a formal, official situation, and also in a friendly, humorous way.

For example: When you're being given a speeding ticket by a police officer.: "Yes, sir. No, sir. I promise, I'll be more careful in the future, sir."

And, when you're having a fun beer argument with a friend about a favorite sports team, and he's laughing at your favorite player: "You, sir, are about to cross a line!!"

I'll add one more point on the use of the word sir: Normally, it's used in place of the name of the person you're talking to, not along with the name.

For example: "Thank you sir, for your support." would be preferred over "Thank you, Rich, sir, for your support." And old_tv_nut is correct, commas are necessary.

The female equivalent is indeed "madam". When it's written it's spelled "madam", and when it's spoken it is more commonly pronounced "ma'am", which is the abbreviation. It would be pronounced "madam" when followed by a woman's name or title, but "ma'am" when spoken without a name. For example, when talking to a female Secretary of State, she would be referred to as "Madam Secretary", and if she asked you a question, a perfectly acceptable way to answer would be "Yes, ma'am.", instead of the full "Yes, Madam Secretary."

The word "ma'am" is pronounced as a single syllable, without a pause for the apostrophe or the extra syllable: "mam".

Should you ever find yourself answering questions in front of a judge in a court of law, these words are fully acceptable in place of the customary "Your Honor". "Yes, sir. No, sir." "Yes, ma'am. I understand, ma'am."

Capitalization: Basically, the word is not usually capitalized unless it's the first word starting a sentence, or the opening greeting of a letter or email, or it's part of a title: "Sir Clay". :D

http://grammarpartyblog.com/2013/02/18/when-to-capitalize-sir-and-madam/
 
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i'd say that H/K simply has stronger neural links to his typing fingers than he does to his speaking apparatus. simply a matter of which links get worked the most.
 
As someone who has studied five languages, I'll add that it's much, much easier to get proficient in reading and writing than it is to get proficient in listening and speaking.

Different neurons, and the two skills happen at waaay different speeds. :yes:
 
:tresbon: :thmbsp: :tresbon:



Thank you guys and Darcy soooo much. There is a lot of material I have to study now. It is new to me that the correct use of commas in the English language is so significant. I have to integrate this correct use instantly into my skills.

A special thanks goes to Sir Clay. ;) You, sir, are so kind posting such extended information (always Singular, not so in German).
 
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shrinkboy said:
i'd say that H/K simply has stronger neural links to his typing fingers than he does to his speaking apparatus. simply a matter of which links get worked the most.
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Well, as I mentioned somewhere else in the thread, I have almost never spoken English (of course in school decades ago) and I never ever speak a single word English. All my English is in my mind and not on my tongue. This makes it so difficult to improve the skills. But anyway I have written more than 11000 posts (PC included) in English in the last years.

It is a strange thing. Very strange... :sigh:

:)
 
HarmanKardon said:
Well, as I mentioned somewhere else in the thread, I have almost never spoken English (of course in school decades ago) and I never ever speak a single word English. All my English is in my mind and not on my tongue. This makes it so difficult to improve the skills. But anyway I have written more than 11000 posts (PC included) in English in the last years.

It is a strange thing. Very strange... :sigh:

:)
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Language is a remarkable thing. I lived in Germany for 3 years as a child from 1960-1963 (age 7-10). I learned German reasonably well then in elementary school and among childhood friends in the German neighborhood I lived in for a year (before my parents moved on to a military base for the remaining 2 years).

I moved back to Germany in July 1978 and was fully fluent within 6 months, even though I was uncertain if I even spoke any German when I arrived there. As quickly as I (re)learned German, I became less able to speak the French I had studied from grades 7-12.

I moved back from Germany in 1986 and take every opportunity I have to speak with any Germans I run into here. Amazingly, they don't think I'm American, but think I come from Augsburg (my default German accent/dialect derives from my last 5 years in Augsburg where Bavarian (with a slight touch of Schwäbisch influence) is spoken).

I've been told that just about the only way to speak a foreign language without an accent is to learn it as a child. Speaking from my own experience, this seems to be true. I have a number of friends here who were born in Germany and came to the USA 40-60 years ago and they still speak English with a noticeable German accent (think Henry Kissinger, for example). Similarly, there are precious few Americans expat's in Germany who speak German with an accent that a German would confuse for a German, regardless of how good their grammar and vocabulary are.
 
finnbow, it is a scientific fact that there is a portion of the brain responsible for learning accents and language that indeed atrophies after the age of 12.
 
Fisherdude said:
The female equivalent is indeed "madam". When it's written it's spelled "madam", and when it's spoken it is more commonly pronounced "ma'am", which is the abbreviation. It would be pronounced "madam" when followed by a woman's name or title, but "ma'am" when spoken without a name. For example, when talking to a female Secretary of State, she would be referred to as "Madam Secretary", and if she asked you a question, a perfectly acceptable way to answer would be "Yes, ma'am.", instead of the full "Yes, Madam Secretary."

The word "ma'am" is pronounced as a single syllable, without a pause for the apostrophe or the extra syllable: "mam".

Should you ever find yourself answering questions in front of a judge in a court of law, these words are fully acceptable in place of the customary "Your Honor". "Yes, sir. No, sir." "Yes, ma'am. I understand, ma'am."
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With the greatest respect, not in the UK Chris, FD is teaching you the US usage, (which is probably what you want actually :)) as I said, except in the rarest of cases, we pronounce it "madam" as it is written. :) (rarest cases = when addressing the Queen, a very senior female police officer, or possibly a female judge)
 
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HarmanKardon said:
:tresbon: :thmbsp: :tresbon:



... It is new to me that the correct use of commas in the English language is so significant...
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Everything that could possibly be said about English punctuation is in the book "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves."

[EDIT: I meant "Eats, Shoots and Leaves," of course. <oops - grin> ]

http://www.textbooks.com/BooksDescr...DREPLACE-291&gclid=CImtgp7T5b0CFUNqOgodBlgAbA

"Let's eat Grandma!" has an entirely different meaning from "Let's eat, Grandma!"
 
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