In addition, I have a feeling that article overstates the English abilities of the average non-native internet user. Yes, lots of people have a very (very!) basic command of English, but that is not the same as functional bilingualism. A user may happen to know the name for a horse, but what are the chances a casual user from Peru knows the name for an anteater, a giraffe or a jellyfish?
On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 10:58 AM, Aphaia aphaia@gmail.com wrote:
I know a horse, but yesterday it took for me five minutes to remember sparrows were the bird's name I would have liked to mention. .
It helps to make this discussion helpful to some extent that native English speakers remind it is sometimes not so easy as you the native expect foreign learners. It's no sarcasm at all. Really.
On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 6:32 PM, Anthony wikimail@inbox.org wrote:
On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Gerard Meijssen gerard.meijssen@gmail.comwrote:
When you think that Commons is bad in supporting other languages, try to find pictures of a horse on the internet in other languages like Estonian, Nepalese ... It is not the same at all as when you are looking for images in English.
Don't most Internet users know enough English to be able to search for "pictures of a horse" in English?
(According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Internet_usage), yes... "Most Internet users speak the English language as a native or secondary language.") _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
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