Why are so many English speakers so oblivious to the absurdities of their own language?

Question

I'm a native English speaker, so I feel comfortable in saying that English is just downright bizarre. It's a Germanic language overlaid with a Latin grammar from the Catholic church and a vast influx of Norman French vocabulary from the Norman Conquest. It's odd and irregular in more ways than I can possibly go into in one post.

And yet many times a day someone asks why Spanish isn't exactly the same as English, as if Spanish were deficient or strange in some way. My theory is that so many English speakers are monolingual. That's an old joke - If someone who speaks two languages is bilingual and someone who speaks three languages is trilingual, what do you call someone who only speaks one language? An American.

Wake up, people. Your language wasn't first, it's not perfect, and not everyone will understand you if you shout. There are other ways of doing things, and they work well for the vast majority of the people on the planet who aren't native English speakers.

• Why do so many admin. msgs. to new questioners say "rewrite using good spelling & grammar" while 25% of answerers don't use them? It's an embarrassment. ? - Sabor Dec 14, 2010
• Two reasons I can think of. First, many of the answers are written by the same people who wrote the questions you mention. Second, many English learners also write answers. - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• Pull up a chair have a tinny and tell me all about it mate, I am a good listener and have lots if tinnies. - ray76 Dec 15, 2010
• Send them down here and listen to the worst of us, then they will have something to worry about. - ray76 Dec 15, 2010
• How dare you, sir. Travelling to foreign countries and shouting at people in English is a proud American tradition. - dogbert Dec 15, 2010
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Answer 1

That accent question drove you over the edge, huh, Kevin? Take a deep breath. Here's what I think is part of what's going on....

Many of the kids that post on this site are not "learning" Spanish because they want to, but because they are forced to in school. With this being the case, they become frustrated when they are forced to take a class that takes alot of study time to get a decent grade in.

We're frustrated because they are taking their frustrations out on us here. We can break the cycle if we realize that some of these questions come out of their frustration, and some of these kids are so darned clueless that they should inspire pity rather than frustration.

And some of these questions end up being quite amusing and have given many of us several free hours of entertainment (remember skateboard dude?)

It's all good......

• Not that one in particular. But I think you have a good insight here. Teenagers are oblivious to anything outside of their own head. I need to keep that in mind. - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• I thought their heads were empty :) - ian-hill Dec 15, 2010
• I'm impresssed they're even asking questions, doesn't the saying go - if you want to know anything ask a teenager, they know everything :) - Kiwi_Girl Dec 15, 2010
• Very Funny Marie Claire You have a good point :0 - FELIZ77 Dec 15, 2010
• Cathy you have a very good point there :) - FELIZ77 Dec 15, 2010
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Answer 2

I suppose every society is ethnocentristic. I remember, in my first adult Spanish class years ago, our teacher made a remark that startled me. He said, of Spanish, "they have a word for every word we have". I suddenly realized the Spanish language was not sub-English. What an idiot I have been!

My disgusting attitude caused me to look into a little history. The Bible was translated into Spanish before it was translated into English (if my research is correct). When I began reading the Bible in Spanish, I couldn't understand why the translation was not identical. Then I realized that the Spanish text had been translated from the original language, not from English. Why would there not be differences? What an idiot I have been!

We grow up learning things we don't realize we're learning. We acquire opinions we don't realize we are developing. If I ask the Spanish speaking lady at the local fruit stand to explain the proper use of direct and indirect object pronouns (which I have been trying to understand for a while), she would probably look at me with the same glazed look I would give if someone asked me to explain the English verb conjugation scheme.

My Spanish teacher from high school (back in the 60's, but who is counting) said I did very well that day I studied. I was like most students, just doing the least to get by. I suspect students today are very much the same. They mirror a lot of the attitudes of the adults around them.

That is my rant for the day. Hang in there, Kevin!

• oooh that's a nice word - ethnocentristic :) lovely - Kiwi_Girl Dec 15, 2010

Answer 3

Let's face it...learning a language isn't easy. Nowadays, from what I have seen, most people want the easy way out. They want to do a fraction of the work, yet reap the full benefit! How many websites have you seen on popular search engines that advertise "Learn Spanish in 10 days!", or something to that extent? I have lost count. Seriously...how does one expect to learn a second language in 10 days when it takes a lifetime to learn to speak proper English?

• the other one is Guitar courses as in "Master the guitar in five days" fat chance! - Birdland Dec 15, 2010
• They're probably counting in dog years ;-) - bill1111 Dec 15, 2010
• I hate to slam particular musical styles, but you probably can master power chords in 5 days well enough to play some styles. - lorenzo9 Dec 15, 2010
• "If you're playing more than one chord you're showing off" - John Lee Hooker - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• Back to languages, I've seen a tiny book the other day in a local bookstore named something like "learn Chinese, 15 minutes daily". But it didn't say for how many years :-) - rado Dec 15, 2010
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Answer 4

English is extraordinarily unusual in some ways. Just one example is our abandonment of a plural form of the second person pronoun "you."

Answer 5

I don't think most speakers are aware of the "absurdities" of their own languages, but people from some countries seem more cautious when it comes to making comments about other languages, while others seem to think that the entire universe revolves around their culture and language.

But I find as frustrating as you do that people ask "Why is this not like in English?" or "Why are there so many accents in Spanish? ".

... as it has been pointed out, I once was asked, "how come they don't have "usted" in English?"

And what about ustedes or vosotros?

• In Philadelphia, we do hear "you's" and "mine's" - "How are you's two doing?" "It's yours and mine's" - etc. :) - pesta Dec 15, 2010
• She was looking for a polite way to ask for things, specifically for a way to say "usted"... I guess her own conclusion was that English speakers aren't polite - Tonyriva Dec 15, 2010
• I agree with you Lazurus. - BellaMargari Dec 15, 2010
• Instead of usted, we say, "you, sir" or "you, ma'am" to show respect and deference. - JoyceM Dec 15, 2010

Answer 6

what do you call someone who only speaks one language? An American.

So true!

Sadly, I have actually heard someone say "I couldn't understand him. He must be speaking Mexican. Why don't they learn to speak American?" (These are the same small-minded people who think that the United States is the center of the Universe.)

My response was "Why doesn't he speak.... what? There is no such language as "American." Don't you even know what language you are speaking? Boy, I'm glad he's not taking lessons from someone like you!" ".....and furthermore, you should be aware that the United States doesn't even have an official language!"

Okay, so I might overreact a little to ignorance.

• "American" would be the Native American languages. Hopi, Cherokee, etc. - jaimetayag Dec 15, 2010
• It's not sure what's worse.. if calling your own language American, even though in *some* dictionaries it is referred to as 'American Language', or calling Spanish "Mexican", considering that no one outside the US calls it 'Mexican'. - bill1111 Dec 15, 2010
• lol - lovely_lovel Dec 15, 2010
• The original Constitution of California named English and Spanish as the two official languages. - lorenzo9 Dec 15, 2010
• Wasn't German a close 2nd choice at some time in the long and dstant past? - ian-hill Dec 15, 2010
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Answer 7

I think english is bizarre too, but for people who grow up in english speaking countries and don't take interest in learning other languages, it doesn't occur to them how difficult english is. However for people who learn english as a second language, or even for people who speak fluent english (like myself) but learn other languages I think we realise that english is actually one of the hardest languages to excel in. From talking to friends from overseas or just people I meet where I live even, I think one of the most confusing parts of english is that many words have various meanings in different contexts, and it can be confusing for people learning english to recognise when to use these words. Or even just words that sound similar but are different in various situations such as "there", "their" "they're"... all sound the same but mean different things! So in answer to your question, I think it's unfair to say that all english speakers are oblivious to how hard the language is, because yes- some, if not a majority, are... but it's unfair to generalise because depending on who you talk to, you will find people who are aware of the absurdities.

• There are definitely people aware of the absurdities. You and I are two, along with most of the members here. But I suspect we're in a minority. - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• Yes you are spot on there Miss Sarah English is a (very) difficult language to learn for many people :) - FELIZ77 Dec 15, 2010

Answer 8

Siempre me he preguntado lo mismo... por qué las personas no pueden aceptar que un idioma es un idioma y otro... pues otro...

... It happens in every language... teenagers specially... as it has been pointed out, I once was asked, "how come they don't have "usted" in English?" and I of course was... with all my understanding trying to keep for myself "it's just another language... deal with it..."... but well... I guess trying to compare your language with others is the first step before you realize is easier to just forget everything and study that language by itself...

When I lived in upstate New York all the schools served fish sticks on Fridays because the Irish, Italian and Polish Catholic population was so large. Everyone up there assumed that everyone else was Catholic

I've seen this quite often on TV... why do Catholics in the USA eat fish on fridays?... Mexico is strongly Catholic, and we eat fish on friays only during easter, every other friday of the year we eat as much meat as we like...

• Hey Tony, apparently since an enciclical (?) called Vatican 2 the 'rules' changed and here in Canada for example - fish on fridays is fine, only as you say but older people etc tend to stick to the previous rules. - margaretbl Dec 15, 2010
• ohhh... el vaticano segundo, claro... I didn't know those were the "rules" before, because ever since I have memory, I remember people doing it this way... but that's great to know... at least now I know where that came from :) - Tonyriva Dec 15, 2010

Answer 9

That's an old joke - If someone who speaks two languages is bilingual and someone who speaks three languages is trilingual, what do you call someone who only speaks one language? An American.

Hey!! Don't leave the Brits out!!

• Pero yo creo que hay más británicos que hablan otro idioma - Francés, por ejemplo- que estadounidenses. Al menos proporcionalmente. - Gekkosan Dec 15, 2010
• That would be, "What do you call someone who onlly speaks one language and has bad teeth?" - dogbert Dec 15, 2010
• Oh good! I shouldn't be laughing... but it's so true! >sicker< :-] - Gekkosan Dec 15, 2010
• weird as it might seem... I read a investigation, and it said that the English were the ones with better teeth in all Europe - Tonyriva Dec 15, 2010
• Tony you should ride a white horse you're always coming to everyone's defence, what a lovely quality :) - Kiwi_Girl Dec 15, 2010
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Answer 10

You talkin ta me?

• Wassa matta you? Why doncha talk right? - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• lol what a great language !!! - lovely_lovel Dec 15, 2010

Answer 11

All languages have their own particular idiosyncrasies. When some one is only familiar with one language, they naturally tend to believe that all other languages should be like their language. This is just a human characteristic I think.

When I was a kid, I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Practically everyone I knew was Jewish. When I learned that some one was not Jewish, I thought it was odd to say the least. When I was older and learned that only the smallest fraction of the population is Jewish, I was shocked. Kind of the same idea, wouldn't you say?

• Nice analogy. When I lived in upstate New York all the schools served fish sticks on Fridays because the Irish, Italian and Polish Catholic population was so large. Everyone up there assumed that everyone else was Catholic. - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• Uhm... shouldn't that be "someone"? :-) - Gekkosan Dec 15, 2010

Answer 12

When I used to teach English it was the phrasal verbs that tended to freak people out although once they get the knack they like it. (I was teaching in Barcelona).

Once they had the principle I used to get them to make some up. Of course they were wrong sometimes but on other occasions surprisingly close and it helped them to work out the meaning of ones they'd never seen before.

I'm not sure how many people speak another language n the UK. Not as many as should seeing we're so close to Europe. Maybe it's the education system. I was reading a biography of Somerset Maugham and he observed that his French teacher at school wasn't capable of successfully ordering a coffee in Calais.

• Because of the euroscepticals! It's all a conspiracy, I'm sure of it! Nah, I don't really know why.. :) - bill1111 Dec 15, 2010
• It's because they all speak Engliah. - ian-hill Dec 15, 2010

Answer 13

Seriously...how does one expect to learn a second language in 10 days when it takes a lifetime to learn to speak proper English?

When I was in high school, the mother of a friend of mine met someone at a party who said that she spoke seven languages. When asked if she spoke them fluently, she replied, "What does that mean?" In case it matters, English was her native language.

• Wow! - malcriada Dec 15, 2010
• I can order a beer and find the bathroom in 7 languages. Does that make me fluent, or fluid? :-) - KevinB Dec 15, 2010
• "Fluent" is not well defined so that may have been a good question. We see native speakers who can't ask questions, don't we?? - Sabor Dec 15, 2010
• It wasn't a question of nuance of meaning, she had no clue as to what the question was about. - lorenzo9 Dec 15, 2010
• I think "fluid" in this case Kevin - Birdland Dec 15, 2010

Answer 14

Here in Bolivia there is a language school whose advertising says "Learn English in 4 months - dominate it in 8 months" - Everytime I see it I think "Yeah! Right!

On another note I do feel that native speakers of the Romance languages do tend to assume an "air of superiority" when it comes to the relative merits of different languages - especially the French.

I don't even know English well enough to have such an opinion.

• That reminds me of that English course: 'Hable Inglés con 1.000 palabras..'. I guess if you stick to just those 1000 words, you are out of luck if you want to order anything besides a beer or a coffee at a bar. - bill1111 Dec 15, 2010
• Good on you mate! I am with you all the way, there is beauty in every language which is spoken with care and love. spoken - ray76 Dec 15, 2010

Answer 15

OK!

Please stop you're torturing someone here !!! (Just kidding)

I've been reading the answers on this thread for almost 15 minutes & this is so hard !!!!!

1. ethnocentristic (Huh!! what does that mean?) .

2. idiosyncrasies OK I still have some hope that I can pronounce this word !!! .

3. superiority (For me this is unpronounced so I won't bother myself trying )

   1. characteristic, generalise , surprisingly ( I think I need Google translation for theses ones !!)

I'm so sorry for distracting!!

Great answers everyone I'm learning a lot from this thread

• from this thread - lorenzo9 Dec 15, 2010
• oh thanks !!!!!!!!!! - lovely_lovel Dec 15, 2010
• You are always learning Lovely, you are great and an example of the type of people on this site that keeps me interested - margaretbl Dec 15, 2010
• i-dee-o-SEEN-cruh-sees (first i is a short i sound, the a is pronounced as a schwa...that is, like "uh") :-) - webdunce Dec 15, 2010