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Travers’ big idea: learn a language, get clients

Bertie Berlitz made me spray coffee over my laptop with his post. Given that we are allied to Europe it's not entirely unreasonable that we at least try to show a little courtesy and respect for our neighbours by learning a few phrases before we invoice them. A bouteille over the head in a cafe seems far more civilised than a Newcie Brown across the back of the Judge Dredd. To try though and out Boris the Russians by trotting out a Berlitz language course is deeply insulting to a rich history and culture stretching back centuries - not least because of the assumption underpinning such courses that Russian is a common Dalek language spoken exactly the same in every region of what is a truly vast continent... Same with China... There is little excuse for not speaking a local -ish language like German and French and every excuse from not being able to tell your Hakka's from your Hong's... I still remember trying to learn Manadarin in Hong Kong from a course that had such rich phrases as: "Can you direct me to the Sun Yat Sen memorial?" and "Where can I buy fodder for my litter of pigs?" Over to you Links...

15-Dec-2009

5:08 pm