Members- Another MUST READ!

[MissSofi]

Thank you.

[starshine123102]

Originally Posted by PiggieMamaKelly

English is a very difficult language to learn as a second language. We have more exceptions to our spelling and verb conjugation rules than most other languages. Switching from an easier language to English is pretty remarkable and I completely accept and expect any errors in usage that may come with it.

Not to be picky, but as I learned in my linguistics class, no one language is any more complex or harder to learn than another, even when accounting for the mother language.

[prinny]

I, also, wanted to add that I think it is a good idea to have the rules that are in place on this forum. As has been said, we are all adults. There should be some consideration on everyone's part as to using proper grammar and capitalization. I, myself, have always previewed my posts, no matter what forum, before I have submitted a reply. Mostly it is because I am just a bit obsessive-complusive when it comes to spelling and the like. It is also because I want to appear as a semi-intelligent person, even if I do not always feel like such otherwise. Consideration for fellow posters is always on my mind as well. If I can't clearly understand what point I am making, how can someone else?

I wanted to also add that the people who are on this forum are looking for advice and infromation about a living animal, a cherished pet. Some of that information is of a medical designation, be it symptoms, medication, or diseases. If someone were to post a question about giving their cavy some sort of medication, and they happen to misspell it, that could have dire consequences for your cavy. It would be extremely tragic if something were to happen in that case.

I just wanted to add my two cents.

[salana]

Originally Posted by starshine123102

Not to be picky, but as I learned in my linguistics class, no one language is any more complex or harder to learn than another, even when accounting for the mother language.

Actually, some languages are easier to learn if you know another language. I know Latin, so I can pick up a lot of Spanish reading signs in my neighborhood.

But ALL languages are easier to understand when the people using them spell correctly so you can look up words in the dictionary. Trust me, I took two semesters of German and I just joined a German-language guinea pig forum. If you can copy and paste a word you don't know into a dictionary site, it makes it a lot easier to decode a language you don't know well.

[BubuCandyBlue]

Originally Posted by salana

look up words in the dictionary

Yes true, you can always look up for words in the dictionary, but verb conjugation and other things, and exceptions are hard to detect. I have studied English for many many years, and have a great issue with verbs, and when to use has/have, and such, not to mention other things that come along with it. I still believe practice makes perfect though, and in the past I have made improvement by speaking it very often, and reading, and so on. I hope the day when I will write and speak English without mistakes will come soon.

[salana]

Bubu, I actually meant that if I used a word you didn't know, you (as a non-native English speaker) could look it up in the dictionary. On the German forum I'm on, I'm always saying to myself "wtf is Verdauung" and then I copy and paste and look it up at dict.leo.org and then I find out that it means digestion. But if someone misspells it and leaves out a u, for instance, then I can't look it up because I don't know if it's a misspelling or what the actual word is.

[BubuCandyBlue]

Yes I know salana, I often search "new words" in the dictionary and find out they are misspelled. As far as German, I consider it easy to pronounce because of my background languages. You know they have basic words, and the rest are composed ones by more. It is a pain in the behind when you have to write, spell, pronounce a word that has 30 letters. It is insane.

[salana]

What languages do you know?

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Originally Posted by starshine123102

Not to be picky, but as I learned in my linguistics class, no one language is any more complex or harder to learn than another, even when accounting for the mother language.

I agree and disagree. If you are talking about learning a first language, then I agree that no one language is easier or harder to learn because language learning is essentially all about exposure and as long as someone is being exposed to the rules and sounds of a language then they will learn it.

However, if we are talking about learning a SECOND language then I definately think some languages are easier to learn than others. Just as an example, Spanish or German would be far easier than Mandarin because Mandarin is tonal. So really you have a whole extra and complex component that you have to deal with. The reason I think English is so difficult is not only because of its constant breaking of its own rules, but also because of its pretty rigid structure. As an example: in English, we pretty much insist on subject-verb-object sentences. There are other languages where it is acceptable to use more than just one order in sentences. You have a bit more flexibility.

Obviously whether English is easier or harder to learn as a second language isn't an issue of 'fact' since there's no way of proving it. It's just my opinion. I take your linguistics professor's view on it as opinion also, and I have found linguists to be a pretty opinionated (and suprisingly diverse) bunch.

[salana]

Yes, German is much easier for an English speaker than Mandarin.

[Amsley246]

Haha, I hate it when you learn a language and then you start to forget it when you don't use it anymore. I knew Italian for the most of my life starting out because of my Nonna, and when she past away when I was 12, I started to forget it and 11 years later I can't remember much at all. It makes me sad I can't remember the language of my heritage. I would love to learn it all over again but of course being on the tiny rock of an island, can't find that anywhere's (except acadian french).

[salana]

I'm sure you can find songs and podcasts online in Italian, maybe join some forums to read it

[piggies7]

I applaud the Mods job! It is great to see a forum so well taken care of in the language and grammar (something hard to do when there are so many of us). In some sites the chat speak and spelling are so off, I can hardly read, much less understand what that person is saying. Again, we are world wide and our United States slang may not mean the same thing to our fellow Canadians or fellow European piggie lovers!

I am quite fan of clean language myself. I try very hard to keep my mistakes to a minimum. I know 2 languages and I can hardly stand to hear any of them spoken cut up and with the letters left out in a word, hurts my ears !

You guys do a great job for the well being of the members, and if one cannot abide by the rules it is for the sake of the rest that do so enjoy a site well maintained. This is my opinion.

[piggies7]

When learning a new language, depends on your age and mind. I grew up in a bilignual house and I have no single mother language. I can't say which was easier, both come natural. My daughter can also switch back and forth between both languages depending on which one you are talking to her in. She is only 3, and speaks English and Spanish. Hopefully she can learn French too. Children are sponges and if they learn correctly a language from the beginning, I think it becomes more natural to them, than an actual effort to learn it.

[Oliversnana]

[quote=auburnmare5;402304]This website isn't a dictatorship. You are allowed to post what you want, there are just rules. Like there should be.

[s.edwards]

I have to say that I am new here. I have noticed the difference in this forum with proper English spoken instead of random letters and numbers that are supposed to represent words. It is nice to be able to read a post without having to translate it first. I would give several of these posts a thank you but I do not know how to do that yet. Thank you mods for keeping this forum legible.

[seetumail]

hi
I am very pleased with the thought and don’t feel like adding anything in it. It’s a perfect answer.
Eliza
Baby Bedding

[keehnle]

I am pretty new to this forum and I am glad to see that we should not chatspeak. I myself get carried away at times in email and such. Also, I really enjoy visiting this site! Great Job to the Mods.

[wonderwhiskers]

Hello! Jus read all that and want to apologise, as I have posted before without checking my vocab and grammer. This is my first day here, although I have been silently watching for a while!
Is 'LOL' short for Laugh Out Loud allowed? How about things like OMG? Or is that 'chatspeak?' Just to be sure!
Im just glad noone types 'LiKe tHiS lIke In aLoT Of fOrUmS' That is SO annoying!

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by wonderwhiskers

Hello! Jus read all that and want to apologise, as I have posted before without checking my vocab and grammer. This is my first day here, although I have been silently watching for a while!
Is 'LOL' short for Laugh Out Loud allowed? How about things like OMG? Or is that 'chatspeak?' Just to be sure!
Im just glad noone types 'LiKe tHiS lIke In aLoT Of fOrUmS' That is SO annoying!

An occasional 'LOL' is ok but we don't like to have stuff like OMG, idk, u, and all that other chat speak out there. The forum owner even wants OP spelled out as Original poster.