In a study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B , we found that biodiversity databases were more complete in countries that had a relatively high proportion of English speakers T. Sutherland Proc. In other words, biodiversity records are comparatively scant in countries where English is rarely spoken. We need to embrace linguistic diversity and to make a concerted effort to dig up scientific knowledge in languages other than English.
I suspect that a lot of native English speakers view language barriers as a minor problem. They probably think that Google Translate can solve everything. We need to change our attitude to non-native English speakers. If you have the chance to evaluate a journal submission or a job application, think about the perspective that a non-native speaker can provide. You should be very proud. There, I had to learn two languages at the same time: English for work, and French for daily life.
Not being able to communicate was frustrating. There was absolutely no English-language training available at my university. In France, there were courses to help foreign students learn French, but not English. I tried to read a lot in English — not only scientific papers, but also literature. I was always looking for people to have informal conversations with in English.
Because I was in France, most of my colleagues and friends were not from an English-speaking country, and we were learning English with each other. Some non-native English speakers would prefer to talk to other foreigners in English — it was easier. A language is a tool for success. Mastering the way in which we speak and how we define concepts is an essential skill.
We need a common language to communicate in science, and this is now English. A good level of English will help you to get the job or the project that you want, in both academia and industry. The language barrier has never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do. You need to fight with the language. At conferences, not speaking English perfectly is not a big problem: people will understand you. But there is a limit. Some people speak English poorly, and this can totally block communication.
There is no subsequent scientific discussion, and we are missing the opportunity to share information and knowledge..
We need to improve English-language education before and during university. Having students do some research in another country, as I did, should be part of PhD programmes in every country. Accept that sometimes you cannot be perfect when communicating in English, but do so anyway. Read books and watch television in English. Write all lab reports and conduct meetings in English. Ask your institute to offer English-language training. Ask your lab head to pay for a stay in a lab in another country during your PhD, or collaborate with other labs and move around.
Travelling will improve your English, help you to understand other countries and ways of living, and open your mind. Chicago Press, Science could have gone just as far in Chinese or Swahili. But many economic and geopolitical forces made English the dominant language of research, for better or worse.
Having a single global language of science makes the whole endeavour more efficient. There are around 6, languages in the world, today. If science were being conducted in all of them, a lot of knowledge would be lost. The best part? Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly. I've been using Rosetta Stone for years to gain basic competency in multiple languages including German, French, Italian, and recently Chinese and Russian.
Starts with the very basics teaching basic vocabulary and grammar without any memorization. I've even impressed some locals in my travels with pronunciation and fluency. This is an excellent place to start if interested in starting to learn a new language or brushing up on one learned years ago. I am trying out Rosetta Stone, to see if it will help out with the correct grammar and conversation as well as learning how to read and write the language.
Within a week, I can already master the sentence structure and start learning the grammar with particles. The local community is so excited to see that I am starting to learn their language. I've tried other language learning software but Rosetta Stone is much more challenging and professional.
I don't have to worry about earning points and following the leader board. I'm trying out the ninety day trial to learn some Russian and I will pay for the privilege once I reach the end of the trial. Select a language. Spanish Latin America. English American.
Chinese Mandarin. English British. Filipino Tagalog. Persian Farsi. Portuguese Brazil. Spanish Spain. If you are travelling to Spain in the near future, you must definitely keep some things in mind. Let me tell you why…. Most of the people in Spain only speak Spanish and just a few speak very well English. Only at touristic attractions and in those surroundings people know English and most of the time their English is limited.
My Spanish roommate and friend from Madrid told me that Spanish people do learn English in school but at an older age and at a very basic level.
This dialect can be very different from the Spanish language in other parts of Spain. If you want to learn more about the language differences, you can go to a blog that another intern wrote here. That being said, you probably want to know how I managed to survive without knowing any Spanish.
0コメント