One of my Birmingham Post colleagues Tom Scotney is learning Arabic. I know that for a fact as I'm currently covering his late shift so he can make it to his lesson at the Brasshouse Language Centre in Birmingham! No I'm not grumbling...
I am really impressed by Samir's (his Arabic name for the sake of his lessons) dedication to learning a new language, which quite frankly seems so different from our own.
I've always hated the stereotype of the British tourist who hates speaking anything but English on holiday.
I always try to take a phrase book along. Even if you make a fool of yourself and the person serving you has to rescue you in English, the point is you tried!
I love German. I studied it at A Level and I must look like such an idiot ordering in German at the German Market in Birmingham as the stallholders have amazing English linguistic skills. But when else will I get the chance to speak it?
In fact, you never really get a chance to speak German in Germany as the natives always want to try out their English on you.
So well done Tom. Next stop Al Jazeera by any chance?
Read Tom's blog here.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
Shukran, yaa Rhona. I ask them how to say "egg and chips twice and three pints of Stella please" in Arabic, but they won't tell me. Maybe if I just speak in English but slowly and REALLY LOUD it might help.
Unfortunately when it comes to Arabic I've only got the speaking abilities of a toddler at the moment, so I don't think I'll be appearing on TV in the Middle East any time soon. Unless they have chat shows there...
Sameer
Post a Comment