Re: Let's talk about langages (Advice/Help)

From: LEE Sau Dan (danlee_at_informatik.uni-freiburg.de)
Date: 08/17/04 

Date: 17 Aug 2004 23:27:26 +0200

>>>>> "Jan" == ?ystein <oystein@nettkjenning.com> writes:

    Jan> Another point is that it is easier to learn a language the
    Jan> more you are exposed to that language. I think this is an
    Jan> important explanation why people in The Scandianivian
    Jan> countries and the Netherlands generally speaks better English
    Jan> than in onter countries on the European continent. The use
    Jan> subtitles instead of dubbing English speaking movies and tv
    Jan> programs.

Maybe, the English speakers should start consider adding English
subtitles to their English movies, so as to improve their capability
of spelling English correctly? :)

    Jan> Within the numbers of languages you refer to it is probably
    Jan> true that it comes easier to learn new languages the more
    Jan> languages you allready know. It is limited how many languages
    Jan> the human brain is capable of learning though.

Has this limit been scientifically found? Has its existence been even
proved?

(Of course, human beings have a limited lifespan. Assuming one can
live up to 140 years and one can learn one language in a year, that
would still give a limit of 140. Definitely a finite number. But
don't forget that most parts of our brains are still underutilized.)

    Jan> Most people will have great difficulties learning say more
    Jan> than 10 languages fluently. I also think that it is easier to
    Jan> learn another language if you know another language with
    Jan> fairly the same grammar to begin with.

I don't have problems learning and keeping to know 10 or more computer
languages. The problem with human languages seems not the complexity
(quantity), but the size (quantity). You need to learn a lot of
words, often groups with subtle differences. You need to learn a lot
of idiomatic expressions, etc. Otherwise, you can't do much with a
language. Without computer languages, you can be already quite
expressive and productive (within the problem domain) with a very
limited vocabulary. 

-- 
Lee Sau Dan                     +Z05biGVm-                          ~{@nJX6X~}
E-mail: danlee@informatik.uni-freiburg.de
Home page: http://www.informatik.uni-freiburg.de/~danlee

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