Foreign languages...

[Against All Odds]

Come on, there are so many languages which are much more difficult!!

[Tony_Iommi]

Zitat von KathiStrauch

Come on, there are so many languages which are much more difficult!!

True - my cousin is about to take off for a sabbatical in Finland. From what I heard it must be really hard to learn Finnish.

[hermano]

Is that not strongly dependent on what language your native language is? Learning cantonese should be much easier to learn for a Mandarin speaker than for any European, I guess. For an Estonian, Finnish might be way easier to learn than German. Apart from personal likes or dislikes I think it depends on how far away the new language is from you own native one.

[Tony_Iommi]

yes, abolutely correct.

I wonder whether or not I should start learning Spanish - that fact of the matter is that so many people speak Spanish here because of the huge Mexican population.

[Against All Odds]

Zitat von hermano

Is that not strongly dependent on what language your native language is? Learning cantonese should be much easier to learn for a Mandarin speaker than for any European, I guess. For an Estonian, Finnish might be way easier to learn than German. Apart from personal likes or dislikes I think it depends on how far away the new language is from you own native one.

Sorry, but once again, I've to disappoint you: Of course, learning languages depends on your native language, but less on what language you speak rather than how you speak it (intonation,, syntax, ...). Actually, it is possible that a German native speaker can learn Chinese easier than French.
B.t.w., Finish's nothing to do with the Estonian language, nor with any other European language.

@ Tony:
Is the structure of 2nd part, first sentence correct ("rather than " - sounds strange, doesn't it?)??

[stefan.s]

Zitat von KathiStrauch

B.t.w., Finish's nothing to do with the Estonian language, nor with any other European language.

"Finish" is nice...

[Whip McCord]

Hmmh...in the Scotish Whisky Business we know :

-> Sherry Finish (Oloroso & Fino)
-> Rum Finish
-> Bourbon Finish
-> Port Wood Finish

...a funny picture in the ´Malt Advokate´ some years ago shows an exeptional big barrel in a storehouse with the sticker : ´Shark Finish´

[hermano]

Zitat von KathiStrauch

Sorry, but once again, I've to disappoint you:

I cannot recall that you disappointed me before ...

Zitat von KathiStrauch

Of course, learning languages depends on your native language, but less on what language you speak rather than how you speak it (intonation,, syntax, ...). Actually, it is possible that a German native speaker can learn Chinese easier than French.

Is there any reason why that should be the case? I would be very surprised that a language with a similar structure as your native one were not easier to learn. Not to mention the advantages of similar words and sounds ...

Zitat von KathiStrauch

B.t.w., Finish's nothing to do with the Estonian language, nor with any other European language.

To all my knowledge, this statement is not true. Finnish as well as Estonian are both members of the finno-ugric language family.

[TT-Noob]

Zitat von hermano

To all my knowledge, this statement is not true. Finnish as well as Estonian are both members of the finno-ugric language family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonian_language

[Tony_Iommi]

Zitat von KathiStrauch

@ Tony:
Is the structure of 2nd part, first sentence correct ("rather than " - sounds strange, doesn't it?)??

Kathi, first of all to put the record straight - I consider my command of English as mediocre or average, at the very most. So I am not sure whether or not I am the most adequate person to address your question to.

Here's what I think - perfectly fine how you phrased it. If there's one thing at all, you might want to change:

"...learning languages depends on your native language, less on what what language you speak but rather how you speak it"