Language Classes, 12/20

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Written on the blackboard:

LAST CLASS -- Please hand in your final projects

There is a basket on Dream's desk to collect the papers; next to it sits another basket, full of red-and-green wrapped Christmas chocolates. Dream, now free of the plague of balloons, leans against the blackboard with his arms folded. He manages a smile for each student as they hand in their papers.

Comments

Re: Languages of Europe, 12/20

[lisacuddy.livejournal.com]

In our modern age of an increasingly smaller global community, there arises a need to communicate with others who often come from a different cultural background and speak another language. In the latter half of the last century, English has been widely accepted as a medium of international communication. With the proliferation of American corporations globally, and arguably its political and cultural imperialism, this seems to be a natural progression.

However, before English was adopted as a universal language, French was the language of diplomacy. It is also the official language of several influential International bodies such as the UN, EU, UNESCO, The Red Cross, and The International Olympic Committee, and is spoken in more than forty countries. Being fluent in the French language is still an important tool for any diplomat. In Paris in 1996, French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette once said to Warren Christopher that he would have "a lot of time to intensify his knowledge of the French language, which is greater than you expect," upon his retirement. Madeleine Albright, who sometimes amused herself during U.N. debates listening to the foreign language channels on her headset, speaks fluent French and had no such difficulties with foreign leaders.

There are also thousands of important historical documents and works of literature and philosophy written in French, and being able to read the language is necessary for many people pursuing higher levels of academia.


And in conclusion, blah blah blah French kicks ass, and their porn is often way better than ours. But Spanish porn is even better. The end.