Finnish school system

[Kotonosato]

As long as Nish doesn't grow fins...

Then he'd be Fishy-noshima.

[Kintamayama]

Then he'd be Fishy-noshima.

Nothing suspect about me at all. The forum is no plaice for that kind of codology.

There is no real bass for those assumptions. They are a load of crab.

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

For a while (10-20 years?) still Swedish remains the second official language of Finland but the writing is on the wall. Bilingual state in Finnish context is pure madness. If it were such a richness some (honestly?) believe it is, how come the Swedes haven't noticed it? Why isn't Finnish obligatory in Sweden? (Yes, that would be as pure madness, if not more.)

Estonians? It's easy to like them and feel sympathy for their fate in the last century. Knowledge of Estonian is pathetically low in Finland. It's easy for a Finn to recognize it as being quite close to Finnish, but just barely beyond comprehension.

Finns aren't that fluent in English. How could they be relative to Scandinavians? English is related to Scandinavian languages but completely different from Finnish and the Scandinavian pupils don't share the additional burden of a second, foreign language. A forced, disliked language at that. In Finnish-Swedish joint firms the Swedes are often said to be surprised to learn their Finnish colleagues' poor language skills. Three languages, as little time, if not even less. How could a Finn know any language well? Too many of the under thirty years old barely can write comprehensible Finnish as their native language is institutionalizedly despised by the small amount of time dedicated to it in the schools.

No, Kaikitsune. There are no Swedish-speaking Finns. They've never existed. They're Swedes. A Finn speaks Finnish. Why is this so difficult to understand for you people with inferiority complexes and servile minds? You should know better.

The difference between Scandinavians and Finns is exactly that Swedish, Norwegian, Danish resemble much more English than Finnish does. Especially the prounounciation thing is much easier to them. In this light the gap between the English skills between <40 year old Finns and same generation Scandinavians is not big. You should know that English skills in Finland are highly appreciated by many countries in Europe, including the educational instances etc. "Fluency" is a totally blurry concept and is difficult to refine. As have been written on our forum too, some people use the word "fluent" very nonchalantly. Good examples being the language skills of some foreign rikishi. Yet the typical way of a Finn is to belittle his/her English skills while representatives from some other nationalities say eagerly "I can speak English well!" which then turns out to be the ability to talk about the weather and understand when someone speaks 3 word sentences slowly.

Also, there ARE many Swedish speaking Finns even when the native tonque isn't Swedish. It is also a fact that when a high-school graduate Finn moves to Sweden to work or for whatever reasons, the fluency improves fast due to the solid base of Swedish skills learned at school. I have seen it happen 3 times myself. Most Finns don't realise the capacity they have in Swedish because they forget and rarely use the language here.

Yubiquitoyama has vanished btw. He hasn't taken part in Doitsuyama's database thread which is a sure sign of MIA.

I am glad Japanese isn't studied much in Finland. Nurtures my inferiority complex and servile (had to check that word) mind to become somewhat a rarity in Finland when I can finally use the word "fluency" in context of Japanese language in the future.

What is the second strongest foreign language in Sweden or Norway btw? German or French I guess.

WHat about the language skills of British? It must be a disadvantage too to have such a widely spoken mother tonque. Not much need to learn new languages. Do they even have mandatory foreign language? I suppose many would despise mandatory French there the same way Kotoseiya despises mandatory Swedish here.

I wonder what country really is the best when it comes to foreign language skills?

You Kotoseiya have always had very strict definition for fluency. You are definitely fluent in English, at least in written English. Fluency doesn't mean "perfection". Pisses me off that people who have elementary level skills have the nerve to declare their skills in some language "fluent!" or "good!" and it also pisses me off when people claim "I can speak little maybe.." or shit like that when in reality the comprehension and ability to discuss various topics in that language is at high level. Overboard modesty is nonsense, exaggeration of skills is nonsense. Only Asashoryu's soup isn't nonsense unless it is summer soup in which case his mental state is understandably worsened by the visits.

[Jakusotsu]

I wonder what country really is the best when it comes to foreign language skills?

Judging by Manekineko-san's earlier comments, I would guess people from the Balkans are among the best in Europe.

Worldwide, my vote would go for the Mongolians. There are some posters of Mongolian origin on the German forum who write better than us natives, and I gather that many of them are just as proficient with English, Russian, Chinese or Japanese as well. A country I surely want to visit some day.

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

I wonder what country really is the best when it comes to foreign language skills?

Judging by Manekineko-san's earlier comments, I would guess people from the Balkans are among the best in Europe.

Worldwide, my vote would go for the Mongolians. There are some posters of Mongolian origin on the German forum who write better than us natives, and I gather that many of them are just as proficient with English, Russian, Chinese or Japanese as well. A country I surely want to visit some day.

Yes our forum's Mongolians are very good too in English but how well do these passionate fellows represent the Mongolian language skills in general? Seems that many study in Germany. Besides they have the same "problem" as Finns that nobody understands their odd language.

[Jakusotsu]

Irish is a great language for when you want to be sure no one can listen in and understand.

Because only true gobshites can understand the language of eejits? (Sign of approval...)

[Otokonoyama]

Besides they have the same "problem" as Finns that nobody understands their odd language.

Irish is a great language for when you want to be sure no one can listen in and understand.

Is there much, or any crossover between the Irish, Scottish, and Welch forms of Gaelic?

[Otokonoyama]

Is there much, or any crossover between the Irish, Scottish, and Welch forms of Gaelic?

Well for a start calling them "forms of Gaelic" is like calling French, Spanish and Portugese "forms of Latin".

Irish has the same roots as Scots Gaelic and is similar in many ways. Manx also is part of this family. Welsh is from a different Celtic stream.

That's what I get for reading Wikipedia...do you find the Scots & Irish Celtic languages similar enough to understand much of the other?

[Otokonoyama]

Thanks for your patience & answers...now back to the Flying Finns!