Why do some English people make cheap fun out of someone's genuine interest in wanting to learn their language

Question

the 2nd answer to my last question regarding the grammar book ,is a prime example of typical english behaviour. i'm trying my best to learn their language in a standard way, but why the mocking. as a result of this systematic critical treatment, i'm more than ever determined to learn and teach the english how to speak their language.

Answer 1

Plain ignorance.
Most English speakers don't understand - let alone speak - any other language, and it is easier to mock than understand.

As goes the saying... let the dogs bark, the caravan passes along. :)

Answer 2

I'm sorry to read you feel this way. You should understand that if you ask a question on an open forum like this, you will get the occasional joke response. Don't take it as a personal criticism. Look on the bright side. You've also received many
helpful responses, which, in my opinion far outweigh the negative.

I spend a lot of my spare time teaching English to non- native speakers, and take it very seriously. I hope that my students come away everyday feeling positive. Please do not say that English people behave in a 'typical' way. In doing so, you only undermine your own case.

Anyway, I hope you find the right book soon.

Answer 3

I think that the people who mock you in this way are doing so to cover their own ignorance of their language and the languages of other people. I don't think that any English person who has made an effort to learn a foreign language would be so mean as to mock a person who was making attempts to learn English. Let me quote a friend of mine, a native Welsh speaker, who was teaching English in England to the English and used to say sadly: "What a pity that the English language is wasted on the English!"

Answer 4

yes, well said. I have been mocked at many times for my English. Yesterday I had posted a message in general to the so called masters of this language asking them not to criticize posts by other
members. In fact I have almost decided to quit interaction with other
boarders of Yahoo!answers. When they mock at my post, I refer
to a Master of English, dictionary etc.,to find out where I went
wrong. But for a few mistakes in some complicated sentence formations, I was proved alright. Just like Japanese, Russian, French and Chinese, English is also JUST a language meant for
communication. Proficiency in English does not determine your IQ.
The most funny part of the posts are, many European boarders
themselves commit sillier mistakes. Full of spelling errors and
composition of the sentence. Here, in India we have a category of
people who were born to the British, when they ruled about 50 yrs
ago known as Anglo-Indians They are a very few and well placed in
central government jobs. I know a person among them, who knows
just to write a few words and sign. But he will speak in any slang-
British, American,Australian etc. Just try this:- post a message with
a spelling mistake in an Asian's name and the same in a British
name. The error in your former letter will be immediately noticed.
But for a few boarders,others indirectly drive me out of this board!

Answer 5

Hi. I'm English and have total respect for anyone who is learning our language. I know that there are people here that try to spoil Yahoo Answers for everybody but please be assured that there are some genuine people here too.

Some like myself who are learning another language (French for me) and understand exactly what's involved and also the huge amount of pleasure learning a different language can bring.

I hope that the morons here do not put you off the British language.

Best wishes.

Mark.

Answer 6

Come on! I'm Italian and have the same genuine interest you have, but I consider it natural to make mock of someone about his pronounciation if he's a foreigner. Sometimes groups of speakers make common pronounciation mistakes because of their native language.
Sometimes I recognise my own mistakes and laugh at me! And don't tell me you've never ever made fun of some English-speaking person trying to speak your language!
I study English linguistic and our teacher wants us to learn RP and be able to speak like BBC's journalists (and like her of course), and I actually feel like mocking english people when I try to imitate this "non-accent"...

Answer 7

errmm...
i speak with an english girl on msn.and she is really so polite.she tries to write the words correctly.when i can't understand something,she explains me its meaning.she said that i spoke english well and it makes me happy.it is one of the reason why i talk with her.
i don't know how other english people think.i and my english friend talked about it on msn.she told me that mostly all english people did these rude things when they were on holiday or spoke with someone foreigner.
so,it is not just a typical happen for you.nevermind!
most of english people don't want to learn another language and when they speak with a foreigner,they think that learning a different language is a good reason to make cheap fun.
nevermind!just try to learn and don't listen them ;)

Answer 8

I can't believe you are tarring all us English, with the same brush! I don't believe all French people are ignorant of my understanding of their language, just because I try - but sometimes fail miserably! - to speak their language to them and sometimes get shot down in flames, or even ignored by them. Everyone is different. I applaud you for learning my language. I also believe that, as you are learning it correctly (rather than in the colloquial manner that all natives speak their own language) you would definately be able to teach me a thing or two about it! Good luck.

Answer 9

The Poms have always been self centered narrow minded bigots, after all they think that since the Empire was so large that they are entitled to be.

Basically if the English took the time they would find out , they would soon see that their race was determined by rape, intergration and bastardization, anyone whose name starts with Fitz will testify.

The history will show that between the Vikings , Normans, Engels, Priests and the Scots, her at home hasn't gone short for centuries. and that doesnt include the asians from uganda and the Pakis.

Thay are so outbreed that I doubt there are any true Icenae or Britan people left.

Dont worry about it mate, even the English cant talk English properly, shhitt they invented cricket and they cant even play that properly!

Answer 10

"As a result of this systematic critical treatment, I'm more than ever determined to learn and teach the english how to speak their language."

And that's the whole point, the answer to your own question.

It's more than a language; like your own, it is, in all its forms and dialects and regional accents, the embodiment of the cultures that use it. Most of these cultures use humor and good clean fun where others might use anger or strenuous stridency or pedantic repetition.