428
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] cheddar@programming.dev 4 points 1 year ago

It's a lot about motivation. I'm sure many people have tried to learn a language, maybe on Duolingo or somewhere else. But as the initial excitement wears off, they give up. And that's normal, that's how most of us are built. You can't beat brain chemistry with sweet arguments that "it's good to know another language." There needs to be a strong incentive from the outside, like school when the second language is mandatory, or life in another country with no access to a community that speaks your language. With the internet, that's nearly impossible nowadays. There are a lot of expats who never assimilate in countries like Germany because in places like Berlin English will do. So I totally understand people from the US, who have limited access to other languages and cultures, plus whenever they go people speak English.

[-] Miaou@jlai.lu 3 points 1 year ago

The internet argument goes both ways however: you can never leave your house and be able to interact with people from virtually anywhere, as well as consume content in any language.

[-] cheddar@programming.dev 1 points 1 year ago

I don't think it does. Yes, you can use it both ways. However, my point was that if there's no strong outside motivation pushing you towards learning the language, it's challenging to force yourself to do so. Furthermore, one must reach the level where they can interact with native speakers first. At the beginning, your vocabulary is limited, you don't know grammar rules, slang is not typically available in a dictionary. The initial desire to learn a language often wanes before reaching that level, as it's difficult for most people due to our brains' focus on short-term survival and benefits.

I live in a post-Soviet country with a large Russian-speaking community. Most Russians I know who eventually learned the official language of my country did so under specific circumstances: they attended a kindergarten without Russian children, were enlisted in the army, found employment where they couldn't use Russian or English, etc. Conversely, those who do not speak the official language typically never faced a pressing need to do so. The notion of "it would be good to learn X" is usually insufficient to motivate us to work hard for years to become proficient in another language.

Of course, there are exceptions, but they do not represent the norm.

this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2024
428 points (85.3% liked)

Bikini Bottom Twitter

4308 readers
2 users here now

Ahoy, me buckos! Welcome to Bikini Bottom Twitter! Your digital reef for the latest salty gossip and treasure tales! And while you're at it, be sure to drop by the Krusty Krab for a delicious Krabby Patty so I can get yer mon- err I mean, 'cause they're the best treat under the sea!

Rule 1 - This is Bikini Bottom Twitter, all posts should be Spongebob related in "(Old-School) Twitter-like" form

Rule 2 - Political posts, as long as it follows rule 1, will be permitted, so long as you behave yourselves.

Bikini Bottom Municipal Code §33-07: Anti-Tankie Ordinance Residents are prohibited from circulating tankie ideology or other authoritarian propaganda on Bikini Bottom Twitter. Offenders will be permanently banned from BPT by the BBPD faster than Plankton is ejected from The Krusty Krab.

Rule 3 - Please no reposts within the last couple days, at least

Rule 4 - All posts should be at least above a "Squirdward-krusty-krab-shift" level of effort

Rule 5 - Be chill, be a Patrick not a squidward.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS