| Konudaki sayfalar: < [1 2] | Off topic: Answer this Poll on LinkedIn Konuyu gönderen: Clara Robin
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| The survey is about foreign languages | Oct 28, 2012 |
Helena Chavarria wrote:
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
In the case of Spain:
- No foreign languages spoken: 46,6% of people (57,2% in rural areas)
- 1 language: 35,4%
- 2 languages: 13,6%
- 3 or more languages: 4,3%
[Edited at 2012-10-28 17:31 GMT]
I'm surprised. There are six million people in Catalonia, plus the Basques and the people who live in Galicia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. I can't believe only 13.6% of the Spanish people speak two languages.
Indeed that was my thought gathering the data. However, the fact is that the statistics refer to foreign languages, so I reckon neither Spanish, Catalan/Valencian/Balearic, Galician, or Basque would count in the statistics. It would be interesting to know how the question was phrased in Spain (probably via the INE), however. One must assume that it did not include the languages of Spain as foreign languages.
| | | | Helena Chavarria 
İspanya
Local time: 18:21
Üye (2011)
İspanyolca > İngilizce
+ ...
| I'm even more surprised! | Oct 28, 2012 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
Helena Chavarria wrote:
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
In the case of Spain:
- No foreign languages spoken: 46,6% of people (57,2% in rural areas)
- 1 language: 35,4%
- 2 languages: 13,6%
- 3 or more languages: 4,3%
[Edited at 2012-10-28 17:31 GMT]
I'm surprised. There are six million people in Catalonia, plus the Basques and the people who live in Galicia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. I can't believe only 13.6% of the Spanish people speak two languages.
Indeed that was my thought gathering the data. However, the fact is that the statistics refer to foreign languages, so I reckon neither Spanish, Catalan/Valencian/Balearic, Galician, or Basque would count in the statistics. It would be interesting to know how the question was phrased in Spain (probably via the INE), however. One must assume that it did not include the languages of Spain as foreign languages.
Well, for many people, Spanish is a foreign language! When my granddaughter was very small, she only wanted to watch Disney films in Catalán or English. She used to ask us to change the film when it was dubbed into Spanish!
If I remember correctly what I was taught at university, when something has been published in a certain language, it can be considered a different language.
| | | | | Not the right place | Oct 28, 2012 |
Helena Chavarria wrote:
Well, for many people, Spanish is a foreign language! When my granddaughter was very small, she only wanted to watch Disney films in Catalán or English. She used to ask us to change the film when it was dubbed into Spanish!
I think this is probably not the right place to discuss this, but as things stand now, both Spanish and the regional languages are official in their regions, so they are not foreign languages in the sense of the statistics, even if some people in the bilingual regions, for whatever reason, feel that one or the other is a foreign language (and I do not mean only Spanish of course).
Edited to add this: What I mean to say is that the distinction between a local language and a foreign language in statistical work cannot be a matter of opinion but a matter of the languages' legal situation, unless the statistical work is about the perception of the respondents about what languages are foreign or not, of course.
Second edition, to add this (thank you for your patience): I think we can agree that, even if it is not your mother tongue, a language that is official in your country or region is not a foreign language. Think of Italian for a person from Zurich, for instance, English to a Kenyan, or Arab to many Moroccans.
[Edited at 2012-10-28 20:54 GMT]
| | | | Helena Chavarria
İspanya
Local time: 18:21
Üye (2011)
İspanyolca > İngilizce
+ ...
| Yes, you're right. This is not the right place. | Oct 28, 2012 |
And I'm not the right person to give an opinion.
For the sake of the poll, I understand, read, write and speak two languages. I understand, read and speak three languages and I read maybe three (official) languages.
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| I'm pretty surprised at your approach | Oct 29, 2012 |
Clara Robin wrote:
Besides, translators are average people too. We just have specialized skills =)
If you are looking for an "average" segment of the world's population, I'm afraid you're not in the right place. Your survey does not respect any real methodology -- I would say it is already null and void -- simply because you've posted your question on a translator's website. We are language professionals, and despite the hair-splitting that some may choose to pursue over terms like "speak", I would think (indeed, hope!) that a translator by definition speaks (writes, reads, understands, dreams in, curses in and generally masters) at least two languages, and on average more. Our acquired knowledge and interest in languages are reasons that we find ourselves in this business, and we are constantly developing the linguistic areas of our brains through our work. Foreign language is our livelihood, so our skills are to be found specifically in languages.
So we are average people, except that our linguistic skills are by definition higher than those of the average person (or should be).
Sorry to burst your bubble, but any results you will find will be highly biased simply because you have attracted the participation of linguistic professionals here.
| | | | Ty Kendall
Birleşik Krallık
Local time: 17:21
İbranice > İngilizce
| Maybe not...... | Oct 29, 2012 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
I think we can agree that, even if it is not your mother tongue, a language that is official in your country or region is not a foreign language. Think of Italian for a person from Zurich, for instance, English to a Kenyan, or Arab to many Moroccans
Not sure....whilst Wales is definitely not considered a foreign country, Welsh is pretty often regarded as a "foreign" language (to the English).
[Edited at 2012-10-29 10:22 GMT]
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Ty Kendall wrote:
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
I think we can agree that, even if it is not your mother tongue, a language that is official in your country or region is not a foreign language. Think of Italian for a person from Zurich, for instance, English to a Kenyan, or Arab to many Moroccans
Not sure....whilst Wales is definitely not considered a foreign country, Welsh is pretty often regarded as a "foreign" language (to the English).
It might well be, but Welsh is clearly not a foreign language in the UK since it exists naturally within the country's borders. Unless Wales is no longer part of the UK, of course.
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Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
Self reported number of languages spoken in the EU in 2007, according to Eurostat (you can easily check this yourself):
- No foreign languages spoken: 37,5% of people
- 1 language: 34,9%
- 2 languages: 19,9%
- 3 or more languages: 7,8%
In the case of Spain:
- No foreign languages spoken: 46,6% of people (57,2% in rural areas)
- 1 language: 35,4%
- 2 languages: 13,6%
- 3 or more languages: 4,3%
[Edited at 2012-10-28 17:31 GMT]
Huh, that's very interesting...
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