Word: speakes
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...that I mean that there's something slightly comic in the formalities of 18th century language on screen that encourages us to look down at the characters speaking it. Poor dears! If only they could more frankly speak their desires, if only they were not so hedged by the ruling decorum of their historical moment. They encourage in us a kind of smugness, a sense that if they were only more psychologically more hip and open (as we are), their lives would be more fully human, a little less cartoonish. These films therefore miss much of Austen's satirical edge...
...point in my life, I could fluently speak Chinese. Really—I have many fond memories of this elusive ability. As a kid visiting Taiwan, for example, taxi drivers would often compliment the fluency I demonstrated with Mandarin phrases such as, “I’m eight,” “I’m from the United States,” and “Are we there...
...first, I was confused (and even a little upset) by what seemed like such a drastic decline my prowess in the Chinese language. I lamented to a friend over the phone: “What happened? I could speak Chinese so well when I was little...
...speak good enough Chinese for Americans,” commented another friend comfortingly, who, having emigrated from Shanghai to the U.S. when she was four and returned at 19, found herself in similar situations. She’s right, of course. Most of the Chinese I’ve met that were born or raised in the U.S. seem to—despite our sometimes atrocious accents—speak enough of the language to get around...
Even for those who don’t speak any Chinese, Shanghai is a fairly easy city to navigate. Compulsory education in China now requires that students study English from a fairly young age. For those who hope to enter more professional careers, speaking decent English is almost always required. Moreover, establishments that cater to Westerners in the city hire staff members who can communicate with foreign customers. As an American expatriate pointed out, he hasn’t learned much Chinese since his arrival six months ago; it’s not absolutely necessary...