In which Pez wastes space on your friends list!

[pez]

I was just thinking how many people around here don't actually speak English as their first language. On my flist, I have Chinese (Mainland/HK, and I don't know if Taiwanese and Singaporeans like to call themselves Chinese), Filipino, Brazilian, Portugese, French, German, Norwegian, Finns (is that the right word?), Argentinian, Vietnamese, Indonesian... and others I can't think of right now because I lost some brains through my nose this morning. XD

I know we all mostly write in English because that's the language most understands around here. My question is, how come everyone's English is so good? Is it because you live/lived overseas? You learned it in school and keep practising online? You love reading English books?

Don't mind me, I'm just curious. XD Here, watch Roy dance.

Comments

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Back in my days (haha), I think there were only 3 types of schools in HK... the typical Chinese type, the English-wannabe type (like St Paul's in Causeway Bay) and the foreign type (like King George V). It seems to still be the same, although I think people now have a more active approach towards English. Though from my experience with people, it doesn't matter which school you went to, just your enthusiasm... well, and your teacher. Kinda depends on how lucky you get? XD;

I've heard that HP has very good writers. Sometimes I think it's a shame I'm not into HP....

(Song of Ice and Fire! I'm still waiting for the next book to come out.....)

I'm not too fond of books translated into Chinese, but usually only because people's names become a bunch of long words which I usually don't bother trying to process, and just recognise the shapes and skim over as I read. So I'd finish a whole book not knowing the actual names of the characters. XD;;;;

[monitorscreen.livejournal.com]

Rest assured, the system is still more-or-less the same. More school were forced to change into the typical Chinese type, but the basic components are the same. My school is what you call the English wannabe type. I think the school syllabus is an important factor, though, because we were learning Pr.2 things when we were in Pr.1, and were studying things taught in junior high syllabus when we were in Pr.5. It did lay better basis than some other schools.
Then of course, a lot depends on yourself; I have schoolmates with lesser English skills too. I think what the school does is give us the basics, and however much we can achieve above that is our own doings.

Yes, many HP writers are splendid. But then I suppose every fandom has it share of great writers, it's just that HP has a larger pool to draw from.

(I'm still crawling through A Feast For Crows...)

That too. I abandon Chinese translation of HP forever because the translated names in Goblet of Fire are horrid. Also I can't bear the butchering of the spells *sighs* And have you tried Dragonlance in Chinese? The people's names are okay, but the places' names... I mean, Xak Tsaroth and Pax Tharkas? I'll admit defeat, thanks XD