# Expats urged to learn the local language as teaching becomes more accessible



## Editor (Aug 20, 2009)

Expats around the world are increasingly being urged to learn the local language where they live, especially where it is very different from their native one. Countries like the Gulf States, China and Thailand are offering a bigger range of courses as they become conscious that expats can make social mistakes if they don’t understand the [...]

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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Why should i use Arabic?

Everyone speaks English, well, some kind of English at least....


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## sdh080 (Jan 20, 2010)

Andy Capp said:


> Why should i use Arabic?
> 
> Everyone speaks English, well, some kind of English at least....


I'm sure for many of us, learning Hindi would be more useful than Arabic.


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

sdh080 said:


> I'm sure for many of us, learning Hindi would be more useful than Arabic.


They're both backward steps....

Bit like going back to Morse code and semaphore... Ooops, our hosts are considering just that!


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

sdh080 said:


> I'm sure for many of us, learning Hindi would be more useful than Arabic.


Agree with you! I'm surprised I've still got any hair left - trying to get through to the maintenance people who have listen grasp of the Queen's english is nothing short of stressful!


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Maz25 said:


> Agree with you! I'm surprised I've still got any hair left - trying to get through to the maintenance people who have listen grasp of the Queen's english is nothing short of stressful!


Certain people (who speak perfect Hindi) haven't....


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## bonk (Jun 13, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> Why should i use Arabic?
> 
> Everyone speaks English, well, some kind of English at least....


Shu? Inglisi? Shu hada  ?


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## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

bonk said:


> Shu? Inglisi? Shu hada  ?


Whatever mate (yawn)

Bottom line is that the world speaks business in ENGLISH, if you can't manage it (and this is to everyone)

Foxtrot Oscar


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## stewart (Jun 21, 2009)

Andy Capp said:


> Whatever mate (yawn)
> 
> Bottom line is that the world speaks business in ENGLISH, if you can't manage it (and this is to everyone)
> 
> Foxtrot Oscar


I understand Arabic and hindi beter than Geordie.
Especially drunken Geordie


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## xpatusa (May 8, 2010)

stewart said:


> I understand Arabic and hindi beter than Geordie.
> Especially drunken Geordie


@stewart: HA!

I would actually love to learn Arabic.
Yes, everyone speaks English, but imagine the amount of immediate respect that one would garner by sparking up a conversation in Arabic! Such a difficult language to learn for someone natively speaking a Latin-based language.
Old stubborned blokes like Andy Capp who put down anyone trying to assimilate into the culture should be shot.
_There were originally some people who doubted the application of the Internet in a society already dominated by telephones and facsimile machines_

Cultures of the world are intermingled now more than ever. And let's not forget that we live in an Arab part of the world.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I would love to learn some basic arabic. I have a number of emirati 'friends' now and all they seem to want to do is sit around and want to talk to me in english. 

Andy is just being his normal pleasurable self as he knows basic things in arabic and uses them. He has also lectured me on learning basic words and to know that it shows alot of respect and our host nationals are surprised and pleased with someone just attempting. 

Would give you some rep power, but seems the powers dont like all the rep spreading and cut us down to only a few clicks a day! I am over my limit this 24 hr period.


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