Is education in multiple languages disadvantageous (multilingualism) ?

Tecumsehsbones

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I don't know a word of Klingon myself, but itdoes surprise me sometimes when I come across someone who actually knows it... or did you make it up? I have no idea.
Used an English/Klingon translator site.

Yes, teh Interwebz actually has English/Klingon translator sites. Go figure.
 

Machjo

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Machine translation can be a useful tool for translators, but otherwise we have no idea how correct the translation is. Typically, machine translation is often wrought with errors and can sometimes even be misleading.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Machine translation can be a useful tool for translators, but otherwise we have no idea how correct the translation is. Typically, machine translation is often wrought with errors and can sometimes even be misleading.
Yeah, well, I hereby apologise to any Klingons who took offense at my clumsy use of their language.
 

karrie

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Machine translation can be a useful tool for translators, but otherwise we have no idea how correct the translation is. Typically, machine translation is often wrought with errors and can sometimes even be misleading.

 

Christianna

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I envy people who can speak multiple languages. Unfortunately, I was not gifted with the ability despite my attempts to do so (i.e. I failed miserably trying to learn French in school and later, Ukrainian when I was older).
Same here, I tried to learn Spanish in school, dismal failure. As a small child I was fluent in sign language as my mother was deaf. However she left when I was 5 and I was deliberately allowed to forget it. Something my grandmother felt bad about later but I do understand the reasoning behind it.
 

karrie

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Same here, I tried to learn Spanish in school, dismal failure.

I thought my attempts to learn French in school were a dismal failure, but, when drunk on a rooftop in Nice, I apparently carried on a reasonably understandable conversation with a woman from the North of France. Half my problem is self doubt, and being self conscious when I speak.
 

Christianna

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Even drunk to the gills I can't speak Spanish, beyond "hello, how are you" and "my grandmother lives in a red house". Oh and working near the Mexican border gave me "Mira" meaning I think "lookie here"
 

Dixie Cup

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Same here, I tried to learn Spanish in school, dismal failure. As a small child I was fluent in sign language as my mother was deaf. However she left when I was 5 and I was deliberately allowed to forget it. Something my grandmother felt bad about later but I do understand the reasoning behind it.


Our son is hard of hearing and so initially we also learned sign language - as his verbal skills improved, we didn't need to use it. Now I remember very little but our son is still fairly fluent and can sign with other deaf individuals so at least he came out ahead lol!