Forum Home Forum Home » Off-Topic » Off-Topic Forum
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Foreign languages
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Foreign languages

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123>
Author
Message
Mikey View Drop Down
First Slip
First Slip
Avatar

Joined: 28 March 2011
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 949
Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Foreign languages
    Posted: 30 April 2011 at 11:21am
It's a tricky little letter if you're not a native speaker. Bit of trivia, in Modern Hebrew they also have the 'ayn, but only the Arabs pronounce it when speaking Hebrew, as most modern Hebrew speakers are from Europe originally and couldn't say it. Thought that was interesting. I've never been to Israel though, so I'm not 100% sure, Hebrew is just a language I want to learn simply because it's similar to Arabic.
Back to Top
spin wizard View Drop Down
Opening Bowler
Opening Bowler
Avatar
The world’s next great spinner

Joined: 21 January 2006
Location: Saint Vincent
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9453
Post Options Post Options   Quote spin wizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 April 2011 at 2:58pm
Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi

As for your first question - we pronounce LAI as one syllable - it si pronounced like when you see LEE - u just replace the middle E with A and that would be better.
 
The part highlighted in bold would be pronounced in English as "Lay" as in laying an egg.  I Listened to a middle eastern urdu speaker and for Assalam alaikom, it sounded as "Lay-E" (Say the word lay and E together is the best way to describe it) and for walaikum Salam it sounded as "Lee" (like Brett Lee).  Maybe my ears is bad but probably different people from different region will even have some variation in pronounciation.  For instance, most of us in the West Indies say "Hello" but there are some English folks that because of their accent you actually hear 'Ello.
 
 

In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage.
Back to Top
spin wizard View Drop Down
Opening Bowler
Opening Bowler
Avatar
The world’s next great spinner

Joined: 21 January 2006
Location: Saint Vincent
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9453
Post Options Post Options   Quote spin wizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 May 2011 at 1:07am
Okay, I think i've got it now. Just brushed up on how the vowels are to be pronounced, it's a big help, things are much easier to understand now.  Also learned about how sentences are shaped in terms of Subject, object then the verb.  Mein Urdu Siiknii Ki Koshish Kaa Rahaa hun Big smile
In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage.
Back to Top
Sledger View Drop Down
Captain
Captain
Avatar
Dickenson can marry my mother-in-law !

Joined: 08 August 2005
Location: South Africa
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 15694
Post Options Post Options   Quote Sledger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 May 2011 at 6:46am
Originally posted by Mikey

I was under the impression there was still a few Afrikaans universities around!
Do you feel limited in SA by not having a great grasp of Afrikaans, or is one able to do fine with just English? Always been curious. I live in Perth and we have... A LOT of South Africans.


Naw , I just tell 'em to speak a proper language !   Joking aside , there's probably more people using foreign languages in the UK than there is here in SA.   I've travelled all around this country and have yet to find anyone who cannot converse in English.   That wasn't always true when I lived in England , a bunch of us crossed the border into North Wales for some trout fishing back in the 1970's - we fished , then went for a pint in a nice little hostelry. It was pretty busy and the locals were all prattling in English until they heard our accents and immediately they switched to Welsh - gits !!
Mental disintegration works for me !!
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 May 2011 at 10:44am
Originally posted by spin wizard

Okay, I think i've got it now. Just brushed up on how the vowels are to be pronounced, it's a big help, things are much easier to understand now.  Also learned about how sentences are shaped in terms of Subject, object then the verb.  Mein Urdu Siiknii Ki Koshish Kaa Rahaa hun Big smile
Great Spinny -  just that it should be 'kar' instead of 'kaa'!!! Good luck for the future mate
Back to Top
spin wizard View Drop Down
Opening Bowler
Opening Bowler
Avatar
The world’s next great spinner

Joined: 21 January 2006
Location: Saint Vincent
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9453
Post Options Post Options   Quote spin wizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2011 at 4:43am

Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi

Great Spinny -  just that it should be 'kar' instead of 'kaa'!!! Good luck for the future mate

Ok, mein janta hun. Shukria Zuhair.
In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage.
Back to Top
Sledger View Drop Down
Captain
Captain
Avatar
Dickenson can marry my mother-in-law !

Joined: 08 August 2005
Location: South Africa
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 15694
Post Options Post Options   Quote Sledger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2011 at 10:01am
Originally posted by -JP-

I have a degree in French ......


That must come in handy in your current job JP !
Mental disintegration works for me !!
Back to Top
Mikey View Drop Down
First Slip
First Slip
Avatar

Joined: 28 March 2011
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 949
Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2011 at 10:57am
Originally posted by Sledger


Originally posted by Mikey

I was under the impression there was still a few Afrikaans universities around!
Do you feel limited in SA by not having a great grasp of Afrikaans, or is one able to do fine with just English? Always been curious. I live in Perth and we have... A LOT of South Africans.


Naw , I just tell 'em to speak a proper language !   Joking aside , there's probably more people using foreign languages in the UK than there is here in SA.   I've travelled all around this country and have yet to find anyone who cannot converse in English.   That wasn't always true when I lived in England , a bunch of us crossed the border into North Wales for some trout fishing back in the 1970's - we fished , then went for a pint in a nice little hostelry. It was pretty busy and the locals were all prattling in English until they heard our accents and immediately they switched to Welsh - gits !!


Sometimes those folks are actually speaking English and I still can't decode what they're saying. Some of those Welsh and Gaelic folks have very harsh accents.
Back to Top
Mikey View Drop Down
First Slip
First Slip
Avatar

Joined: 28 March 2011
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 949
Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 June 2011 at 5:20am
How's the language learning guys? Still a few more languages I want to learn, still trying to diffuse Arabic and Hebrew - I think I chose the two hardest languages in the world . Should have stuck with Italian, which I learnt in High School times.
Back to Top
-JP- View Drop Down
Manager
Manager
Avatar

Joined: 21 January 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6232
Post Options Post Options   Quote -JP- Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 June 2011 at 11:58am
Originally posted by Sledger

Originally posted by -JP-

I have a degree in French ......


That must come in handy in your current job JP !


Absolument. France being the cricketing powerhouse that it is, of course.


Back to Top
kirankri View Drop Down
Wicket-Keeper
Wicket-Keeper
Avatar

Joined: 21 November 2007
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1088
Post Options Post Options   Quote kirankri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 5:28am
I can read/write/understand/speak only two languages. English and Kannada.
 
To answer Spinny, yes, it was difficult initially to learn English since the grammar of English and Indian languages are different.
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 6:43am
Not even Hindi Kiran? That sounds strange - I thought everyone in India knows Hindi
Back to Top
Mikey View Drop Down
First Slip
First Slip
Avatar

Joined: 28 March 2011
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 949
Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 8:10am
Can't imagine you could get very far in India without knowing Hindi. Even your Pakistani neighbours would do more than fine conversing in Urdu with their Indian counterparts.
Back to Top
kirankri View Drop Down
Wicket-Keeper
Wicket-Keeper
Avatar

Joined: 21 November 2007
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1088
Post Options Post Options   Quote kirankri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 9:41am
Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi

Not even Hindi Kiran? That sounds strange - I thought everyone in India knows Hindi
No Zuhair. I can only understand some very very basic words.
 
Not many people in the 4 states of South India (which constitutes almost 30 crores) knows Hindi (specially our generation). Hyderabad is one exception in AP I guess. the current younger generation is exposed more to Hindi channels, so slightly better than us.
 
The advantage of that though is that, people here generally speak better English since we speak in English with people from other states. Even among the Indian cricketers you would have seen. Dravid/Kumble/Srinath/Laxman speak better English than Sehwag/RP Singh/Harbhajan and co. People from Mumbai (west) speak both the languages reasonably well.
Back to Top
kirankri View Drop Down
Wicket-Keeper
Wicket-Keeper
Avatar

Joined: 21 November 2007
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1088
Post Options Post Options   Quote kirankri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 9:47am
Originally posted by Mikey

Can't imagine you could get very far in India without knowing Hindi. Even your Pakistani neighbours would do more than fine conversing in Urdu with their Indian counterparts.
Yes Mikey. Would be a bit difficult when I visit northern India. However, I have been to North only once in 37 years. Smile
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 10:16am
Woof - just ONCE!! then again, India is huge
Back to Top
Mikey View Drop Down
First Slip
First Slip
Avatar

Joined: 28 March 2011
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 949
Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 10:21am
That's amazing. Then again, English seems to be more of a lingua franca in India. Everyone with reasonable education levels speaks it as a 2nd language, so you can use it when speaking to those from different states.

How often do they use English as a language of instruction in Indian and Pakistan schools? I know they are both official languages in both nations.
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 10:30am
The public schools still use Urdu as the medium of instruction - but all other schools use English - I would say around 80 percent. 
Back to Top
spin wizard View Drop Down
Opening Bowler
Opening Bowler
Avatar
The world’s next great spinner

Joined: 21 January 2006
Location: Saint Vincent
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9453
Post Options Post Options   Quote spin wizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 June 2011 at 4:38pm
Pakistan mosam bhai zuhair kaisay hun?
 
Did I get that right zuhair? LOL
In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage.
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 June 2011 at 12:18pm
Not exactly Spinny - but still a good try. Pakistan mayN mausam kesa hay Zuhair bhai is the more appropriate way of saying how is there weather in Pakistan Zuhair
Back to Top
spin wizard View Drop Down
Opening Bowler
Opening Bowler
Avatar
The world’s next great spinner

Joined: 21 January 2006
Location: Saint Vincent
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9453
Post Options Post Options   Quote spin wizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 June 2011 at 2:48pm
Ok.  I had my urdu on break for a while as I had exams.  Will be back in session from now on.
In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage.
Back to Top
sam_ahmed View Drop Down
Middle-Order Batsman
Middle-Order Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 27 November 2007
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4363
Post Options Post Options   Quote sam_ahmed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 June 2011 at 7:21pm
There are many people in my state who cannot understand or speak Hindi, yes Hyderabad is an exception, in fact I think Hyderabad also has the most number of Urdu speaking people as well, my grand father was a renowned Urdu poet who has received awards even from the president of India (back in the 90's). Most people in south India are not very good in Hindi, but if you go north you cannot survive without Hindi.

Mumbai is a beautiful place where in you'll find people speaking all types of languages.
God is a better planner... so whenever u'r plan fails, cheer up... God has a better plan for you!
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 June 2011 at 8:15am
That's cool Sam - what was his name - I am a huge poetry fan
Back to Top
vote4peace View Drop Down
Square Leg
Square Leg
Avatar

Joined: 23 February 2011
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 380
Post Options Post Options   Quote vote4peace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 June 2011 at 2:51pm
Originally posted by kirankri

I can read/write/understand/speak only two languages. English and Kannada.
 


 Yane vishesha kiranki.  I'd worked in Bangalore for close to two years after my Engineering, picked up on a little bit of kannada, very little though. People told me that most words similar in all four Dravidian languages. True that but I still found it a little tough to cope initially. Guess Kannada more liken to Telugu and Tamil to Malayalam. 

 And very true most people down south do not converse all that well in Hindi. Bangalore and Hyderbad being the exceptions. Least spoken in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
I distrust a camel.. and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.
Back to Top
kirankri View Drop Down
Wicket-Keeper
Wicket-Keeper
Avatar

Joined: 21 November 2007
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1088
Post Options Post Options   Quote kirankri Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2011 at 6:29am
Good try V4P. It should be Enu Vishesha Kiran? meaning "What's special Kiran?".
Enu Vishesha illla V4P Smile.
 
Do you visit Bengaluru anytime? If so, call me when you are here next time. May be, meet over a cup of coffee would be great.
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2011 at 7:16am
Any of you fellows live in Delhi? I will be in Delhi at the end of this month - would be great to meet a CW memeber
Back to Top
Mikey View Drop Down
First Slip
First Slip
Avatar

Joined: 28 March 2011
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 949
Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2011 at 10:25am
If any of you guys ever hit up Perth, then chuck us a personal message and the beer/coffee is on me~!
Back to Top
spin wizard View Drop Down
Opening Bowler
Opening Bowler
Avatar
The world’s next great spinner

Joined: 21 January 2006
Location: Saint Vincent
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9453
Post Options Post Options   Quote spin wizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2011 at 1:53pm
If any of you guys ever come to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, i'll just recommend where to visit.  No beers would be on me.  Putting that offer to someone like Sledger might just send me broke!!
In troubled times, being philosophical helps a great deal, it helps you to remain sane and not do any further damage.
Back to Top
zuhair_abbasi View Drop Down
Number 3 Batsman
Number 3 Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 19 December 2006
Location: Pakistan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6202
Post Options Post Options   Quote zuhair_abbasi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2011 at 2:29pm
As the general rule of ethics - I have heard a visitor should not take more than two pegs. So you can offer Sledge too Spinny
Back to Top
sam_ahmed View Drop Down
Middle-Order Batsman
Middle-Order Batsman
Avatar

Joined: 27 November 2007
Location: India
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4363
Post Options Post Options   Quote sam_ahmed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2011 at 6:27pm
Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi

That's cool Sam - what was his name - I am a huge poetry fan

You can google Ali Ahmed Jaleeli / Dr. Ali Ahmed Jaleeli, I'm sure you'll find many results zuhair.


Edited by sam_ahmed - 14 June 2011 at 6:35pm
God is a better planner... so whenever u'r plan fails, cheer up... God has a better plan for you!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.71
Copyright ©2001-2011 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 1.199 seconds.