Ernie has given a good few clues to his background. He didn't move to London / start speaking english until 6 yr old. Previous to that either lived in a French speaking country of spanish speaking parents or vice versa
Chile was involved somewhere as well
I'm sorry if the statement was misleading. So just clarify, English is not my third language in context of "I speak the other two better", it is my third language in the context of, it's the third language I learnt to speak. Which I have always taken is what is meant by English not being the first language. And btw, English is the only language I speak these days - I haven't spoken Spanish since the age of six, and the last person I spoke extensively in French to, was my father, and he died about 20 years ago.
Sounds like Croydon's answer to that suave Frenchman of yore, Juan.
Not going to avoid the wedding, not really a problem here in Madrid. Might watch the news later to see a bit of it, I suppose.
I shall be trying to avoid it too, not got owt against them (apart from the fact he's royal) but the media saturation really gets on my wick as it does with other events. In the world cup I don't mind if every match is televised and every kick deconstructed and commented on but why does coverage start 3 weeks before the event and WTF do I need to know the england squad have arrived at their hotel wearing suits by some designer bloke I've never heard of - and thats national news programmes not sky sports.
This is the same situation 2 people I've never met and don't particularly care about are getting wed but we're all supposed to be in a happy mood about it and celebrate and [b]everybody[/b] in the media is papping on about it endlessly.
I'm in a happy mood cos the sun [s]is[/s] has been shining, the trails are in tip top condition and I'm about to become a dad again. Those are good things to be happy about and you can be damn sure I'll celebrate. royal wedding? no chance.
Previous to that either lived in a French speaking country of spanish speaking parents or vice versaChile was involved somewhere as well
French/Spanish speaking parents ! Well my father spoke to us in French, but he spoke to my mother in Spanish. My mother also spoke to us in French, but stopped when we all knew how to speak English - just English after that. I spoke to my brother and sisters in French until we all knew how to speak English (I am the only member of my family apart from my mother not to have a foreign accent) My father never stopped speaking to us in French, and to my mother in Spanish.
Not Chile, Argentina...... a clue in the username.
Guessing Spanish civil war refugees?
I don't really care about the wedding but I will be pretending that it is the most important thing in my life as we are using it as the excuse for a massive "wedding party" at a friends house. There will probably be flags, bunting, masks and everything
Barbeque and sunburn if the weather is good, or all in the pool if it's raining.
I doubt I will see any of the actual wedding.
EL, sounds cool, I'd like to speak other languages, French being the first but don't have the time to learn for the amount of use I'd get from them.
Guessing Spanish civil war refugees?
😕 My Father did fight in the Spanish Civil War (on the losing side) but he did not come to the UK as a refugee. He came to volunteer in WW2. No one in my family has ever held Spanish nationality. Well I think 1 or 2 of my brother's kids might have been born in Madrid, don't think they've got Spanish nationality though.
For some reason I thought it was on Monday so I seem to be doing a fairly good job of avoiding it already...
I'd like to speak other languages
I should point out that I'm not trilingual. My parents were/are, and so are my brother and sisters. But they are older than me and were able to retain their languages. Because I was so young, I soon lost the ability to speak Spanish, but not to understand it (parents spoke it to each other) Losing French is more surprising, not least because I have even lived in France as adult for short periods of time - including even going to technical college in France. But I fear that my French is probably more or less non-existent now.
Pretty easy, just watch something else on the telly or go outside.
Job done.
My uncle is going to the ceremony.
Which I have always taken is what is meant by English not being the first language.
I was speaking to a consultant geriatrician the other day about language (in the context of strokes, mental deterioration and what not) and the definition that they use is [i]"What do you think in?"[/i]
If I show you something and ask you to think, but not say out loud, what that item is, then is the word that pops into your head in English?
My uncle is going to the ceremony.
thanks for sharing.
my uncle will be doing the gardening
So is this thread about the Royal wedding or about EL not being English...I'm confused as to what to make an angry, poorly spelled, inaccurate post about.
Well yes I think in English now, but that wasn't always the case, and I have reverted to thinking in French whilst living in France.
But I wouldn't say that a 'consultant geriatrician' is necessarily an expert on the English language.
[i]"A first language (also native language, mother tongue, arterial language, or L1) is the language(s) a person has learned from birth[1] or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity."[/i]
French is my native language and mother tongue, and therefore my first language. Spanish is my paternal tongue and my second learnt and second cultural language, therefore my second language. English is my third language, that fact it's the only one I now speak I don't reckon comes into it.
Probably most fun to have a go at Ernie for his ancestry
So is this thread about the Royal wedding or about EL not being English.
Well it was about the Royal wedding, but the OP wanted to discuss, amongst other things, whether English was my first language. For some reason a few other people also became interested in the topic, but appear to be completely uninterested in the other important issues which he raised - such as the quantity of hair I still posses on my head.
Probably most fun to have a go at Ernie for his ancestry
**** off. There's no fun to be had having a go at my ancestry. It is deeply rooted in a land which has given the world the finest wines, the finest cheeses, and the finest love making. You can look on in envy though.
trailmonkey - Membermy uncle will be doing the gardening
Bit off-topic to be honest.
Keep it to yourself, yeah?
😉
It is deeply rooted in a land which has given the world the finest wines, the finest cheeses, and the finest love making.
The French do make some excellent wine, it's true.
I suppose one out of three ain't bad.
But I wouldn't say that a 'consultant geriatrician' is necessarily an expert on the English language.
Yeah I only said that is how [i]they[/i] use the term in the course of their work - I wasn't suggesting it was a conclusive definition. 😛
She told me about an interesting case with a patient who moved to the UK from Germany when she was five, and who spoke English as her "first language". But as her mental abilities started to fade she started speaking English with an odd German accent and finally reverted to speaking in broken German.
So perhaps when ernie starts ranting in French we'll know his gears have begun to slip.
So perhaps when ernie starts ranting in French we'll know his gears have begun to slip.
Well under those circumstances I will sometimes use the old trusty "hijo de puta" when muttering to myself.....it's got a certain kick about it.
BTW I've often wondered whether a bang on the head might suddenly have me rabbiting in French or Spanish Graham .... but not so far it hasn't.
Hmmmm (@ ernie) I consider myself a cyclist first and foremost but if I happen to be driving the day they do a road census on my street I don't think they are going to change the tick box they relegate me to if I shout "actually I'm a cyclist!" as I drive past. They'll say "no you are driving a car so you're a motorist you muppet"
and from your own quote "...or that a person speaks the best..."
but you make an interesting point.
An ex GF spent a year studying in france and she said she started thinking and dreaming in french, that made me, a confirmed mono-lingual (syllable most of the time too) chuckle.
An extra day off work. Good.
Mrs and daughter are looking forward to doing the patriotic street party thing, which will keep them happy whilst I make my escape.
Me, I'm off to Garda 🙂 hopefully I'll be over the Brenner before they make it up the aisle. 😀
from your own quote "...or that a person speaks the best..."
Notice how they use the word "or" rather than the word "and" ? There is no need for it to be the language which the person speaks best.
So the mother tongue I learnt from birth will do, as a fair description of my first language.
i'm thinking of getting married next year...all those in favour of the royal wedding please send donations to my paypal account to pay for it.......;-)
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13193685 ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13193685[/url]
words fail me
I would poke fun but suspect the guy may be of a very low IQ
I'll be over the Brenner before they make it up the aisle
What they do on their wedding night is up to them.
Weeding. Bike fettling. Listening to something gorgeous on my fantastic HiFi. Baiting Fred.
all those in favour of the royal wedding please send donations to my paypal account to pay for it.......;-)
As I understand it the monarchy costs us taxpayers around [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/7872052/Cost-of-Royal-Family-drops-7p-per-person.html ]62p per year[/url].
Let's be generous and assume the wedding will use up 10% of the Royal budget for 2011.
Where would you like me to send my 6p?
62 p to the richest woman/family in the country is 62 p too much
Can't escape it here in the states either---every entertainment "news" organization on TV is having 24/7 orgasms about it---reporting on details that even the participants probably don't know about and don't care about.
for those who are so enraged by the whole thing get back to work, no wedding no B/Hol!
miserable ****ers
62 p to the richest woman/family in the country is 62 p too much
We're not allowed to buy Harry Potter?
Playing bicyclists,drinking new and, no doubt exiting beverages,and all with some strange foreign chaps around an Abbey in Belgiumland...... 😆
