Posted on 02/24/2005 9:27:36 PM PST by ijcr
C'mon the French princess in Braveheart is a hottie.
Sophie Marceau. Hmmm.
I told you I don't speak french. LOL.
>>French and Italian are probably the most popular language in Europe because of their wonderful sound.
Not to mention being spoken in very pretty countries--always great for a holiday to learn a language in the country of origin. Myself I prefer Spanish, but if I ever become fluent in that language, I will probably switch to French or Italian. I was surprised how much of both languages I could read while in each country, but listening comprehension? Forget it.
Latin would be great to learn as well, but as you say, no one teaches it anymore (or so it seems).
So, what? My plumber makes that much too. I know lots of mathematicians in academia making a helluva lot less. That is not the point of my statement.
I would think people want to learn something useful. The french language doesn't qualify, nor does the country.
RE: "Sophie Marceau. Hmmm"
He, he. Forgot about her, but now that you remind me...um...uh...what were we talking about again?
Sometimes it is useful to ... be free ... from ideology and narrow minded thinking. Since France is -in comparison with the US- a much bigger and more important trading partner (among European nations only the UK has more economical exchange with the US than with France) to almost all European countries, the knowlege of French could be quite useful.
Some examples:
Germany export partners: France 10.6%, US 9.3%
Germany import partners: France 9.2%, US 7.3%
Poland export partners: France 6.1%, US is lower than 2 %
Poland import partners: France 7.1%, US is lower than 2 %
Belgium export partners: France 17.4%, US 6.7%
Belgium import partners: France 13.2%, US 5.9%
Spain export partners: France 19.2%, US 4.2%
Spain import partners: France 16.8%, US is lower than 4 %
etc. etc. etc.
Even if you do not share the political horizont and views of the French, the knowlege of their language is more than useful as long as you live in Europe (or elsewhere). BTW - most Europeans who learn French do it because they like the country and the people and not for economic reasons. Maybe they are not the fiercest fighters, but they have for sure some of the nicest girls on this planet.
That doesn't mean that there are no nice girls in America... ... but most people in good old Europe can speak English anyway...
:-)
Since I probably have to absolve a business trip next week with cold and lonley nights in a hotel room far from home, I need something to read for killing time in the evening. Therefore I am going to buy the "Tod in Breslau" and give you a review.
Thanks for the Tip and a salute to Wroclaw!
P.S. For a "latin" lover I got the wrong hair colour - although I hope that I am not too bad with the girls. My wife could give you the right answer...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.