NationStates Jolt Archive

Twice yearly a national "Högskoleprov" (an entrance exam to universities, one could say) is held in Sweden. This year's Spring exam was held yesterday, and as always it was made up of two Swedish language comprehension parts (LÄS and ORD), a logics part (or as it's officially termed: "logical thinking around mathematical problems") (NOG), a statistics/charts part (DTK) and an English reading comprehension part (ELF).

I thought it would be interesting to see, after certain discussions I've had about this in the past, how English speakers from other countries would do on the ELF part. So, if you'd like to partake in satiating my curiosity, you can do so thusly:

Go here and take the exam (http://www.umu.se/edmeas/hprov/07a/elf.html). If you want to be as close to the real thing as possible, you'll only give yourself a maximum of 35 minutes to complete it, but I doubt anyone will need that long as it can easily be finished in 10-15 if you're a decent reader.

Next, go here and look at the answers in the ELF column (http://www.umu.se/edmeas/hprov/07a/facit.html). When you're done, please enter your result in the poll and post about it if you want.

Thank you.

15, though it should probably be said that English isn't my first language, and (importantly) it's 11pm at night and I've been at work for most of the day. So I don't have the patience now to go through and look what I did wrong.

I'll edit my score in when I can be bothered reading all that. It's 10:40pm!

15, though it should probably be said that English isn't my first language, and (importantly) it's 11pm at night and I've been at work for most of the day. So I don't have the patience now to go through and look what I did wrong.

English IS my first and only language, and I only got 14. I guess I'm an idiot, unless I can manage to blame my poor performance on the late hour as well.

Thanks for making me feel bad, Fass. Although I don't mind so much because concentrating on doing this test helped me stay awake.

20/20. It reminds me a bit of our AP English practice exams, although those are a bit harder and include figures of speech as well. It kind reminds me of the SAT, as well.

Wow, I don't think most English speakers could get all the questions right. I haven't taken that yet, I've just skimmed through the questions.

I wish second language learning programs were as good in the US! *jealous* Or even first language learning programs. the 10th grade reading state test in Florida for 15-16 year olds is WAY easier. It's a joke of a test.

20.

I don't like those kinds of tests much, though, I always feel like quibbling with the options they provide - somehow neither ever seems to really express what the text says. *quibble quibble*


Does everybody who wants to go to university have to do the ELF test? Or only poeple who want to study English?

I wish second language learning programs were as good in the US! *jealous* Or even first language learning programs. the 10th grade reading state test in Florida for 15-16 year olds is WAY easier. It's a joke of a test.

Yes, it is, if you mean the FCAT. That test is ridiculous, and the 11th grade FCAT science is even worse. FCAT is such a waste of time, and the sad thing is that close to half of people at my school still fail them...

I got 19 out of 20 which I think is excellent as I'm a native speaker, so my education of English is inherrently inferior to that of second lanaguage speakers. It is a sad fact that I learnt more about English grammar in my Spanish classes than in my English classes. I still remember being introduced to the verbalisation of concepts of the first, second and third persons in Spanish. Sure I used them naturally already, but I had no idea I was using them.

The one I got wrong was the homeopathy/aspirin one. I must have been reading too fast as I thought the answer was wrong, but I realised it was right when I went back to check.

The second verbal comprehension on 'Style and Appearance' the most dull thing I have ever read. In fact I only did the last two questions as they were the ones that appeared to be harder in the Hitch Hiker verbal comprehension. I just assumed I got the first three right.

Plus the whole thing is multiple choice, so I answered most the questions by eliminating the other three choices rather than positively identifying the correct answer.

I got 19 out of 20 which I think is excellent as I'm a native speaker, so my education of English is inherrently inferior to that of second lanaguage speakers. It is a sad fact that I learnt more about English grammar in my Spanish classes than in my English classes. I still remember being introduced to the verbalisation of concepts of the first, second and third persons in Spanish. Sure I used them naturally already, but I had no idea I was using them.

Hmm, I (dis)agree - in part.

My grammatical knowledge of my second language English (as bad as it is, because I just generally suck at grammar and rely on "feel" instead) is far better than my grammatical knowledge of German, my native tongue.

However, that "feel" is still far superior in German than it is in English. So while answering that test likely would have sucked in both languages I would still think that one would normally definitely do better in one's native language, seeing how it is a reading comprehension test.

Even if it were an "insert the correct verb form" test, native language should still be better.

Now, if it was an "identify & name the correct grammatical form", then second language might actually have an edge because we usually learn grammar for those languages more thoroughly as well as later in life.

20.

I don't like those kinds of tests much, though, I always feel like quibbling with the options they provide - somehow neither ever seems to really express what the text says. *quibble quibble*

That was my major beef with the exam when I took it; two answers that both tell part of the story, neither the whole story, and you're only supposed to pick one. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

Does everybody who wants to go to university have to do the ELF test? Or only poeple who want to study English?

If you take the Högskoleprov (apparently "SweSAT" in English) you have to take all parts. There are two primary ways to get into university: your GPA (20.0 = 100%) or your results on the SweSAT (2.0 = 100%). The two figures are judged separately, so if you have decent grades and a decent SweSAT score, you have "twice" the chance of getting accepted.

In addition to those two, you have to have a passing grade on 90% of the subjects you took in upper secondary school (gymnasiet) and each university programme/course has its own requirements for which subjects you must have taken to be eligible; for instance the medical faculties require certain more advanced maths, biology, chemistry and physics courses, while something in the humanities will require more advanced language and social science courses. English courses tend to be general prerequisites for most programmes, though.

The second verbal comprehension on 'Style and Appearance' the most dull thing I have ever read.

That's actually one of the more infamous aspects of the exam; they seem to deliberately always have at least one ultra-boring text in every reading comprehension part. When I took the exam, the Swedish part had a text about migratory patterns and habitats of some sort of bird I'd never heard of, and the English part had the most boring article taken from the New Yorker with silly diaeresis spellings like "coöperation". Made you want to repeatedly pound your head against the desk.

The reasoning is, of course, that you have to manage to read boring things when you go to uni.

Plus the whole thing is multiple choice, so I answered most the questions by eliminating the other three choices rather than positively identifying the correct answer.

Which makes the test easy, one would think. However, it is corrected on a normative curve meaning that you are pitted against everyone else. The better they do, the worse you're off. So it puts pressure on you that way, as every missed point by you and not by someone else is doubly punitive.

18/20 not bad for a non-native English speaker :) Then again, approximately 30% of my daily communication takes place in English, so reading and understanding is no problem. However, my grammar is going downhill, because almost none of the people I communicate with in English is native English speaking :p

Oh well, as long as it gets the message across :)

If you take the Högskoleprov (apparently "SweSAT" in English) you have to take all parts. There are two primary ways to get into university: your GPA (20.0 = 100%) or your results on the SweSAT (2.0 = 100%). The two figures are judged separately, so if you have decent grades and a decent SweSAT score, you have "twice" the chance of getting accepted.

In addition to those two, you have to have a passing grade on 90% of the subjects you took in upper secondary school (gymnasiet) and each university programme/course has its own requirements for which subjects you must have taken to be eligible; for instance the medical faculties require certain more advanced maths, biology, chemistry and physics courses, while something in the humanities will require more advanced language and social science courses. English courses tend to be general prerequisites for most programmes, though.Hm, that's pretty demanding!

I guess Swedish schooling in English is better than ours (at least you guys seem to generally speak it better) because that test seemed appropriate to the level of English I did in my final years in high school (Gymnasium here, too, we're all so athletic ;)) which was the advanced one (Leistungskurs) - but most others had it as a required basic level course (Grundkurs) only (and all those doing French courses didn't have English at all during their last two years) and I'm very sure that test would have been too difficult for the vast majority.

The second verbal comprehension on 'Style and Appearance' the most dull thing I have ever read.

I second that. Who the hell would write an entire book on the subject?

The second verbal comprehension on 'Style and Appearance' the most dull thing I have ever read.

I second that. Who the hell would write an entire book on the subject?

I thought it was interesting - if the review hadn't been as rather scathing as it was I would totally buy that book. :p

Hm, that's pretty demanding!

I tend to disagree, as a passing grade on 90% isn't all that hard, and there can be a certain amount of tactics involved in manipulating the results. For instance, you can choose the "advanced" maths courses you need to get into civil engineering, but forsake all other advanced courses and take something like drivers education (I've even seen courses like "cooking" and "manicure"), basically very easy courses to buff up your GPA. Fortunately that is about to change as a reform due in a year or so will add multipliers to advanced science and language courses.

I guess Swedish schooling in English is better than ours (at least you guys seem to generally speak it better) because that test seemed appropriate to the level of English I did in my final years in high school (Gymnasium here, too, we're all so athletic ;)) which was the advanced one (Leistungskurs) - but most others had it as a required basic level course (Grundkurs) only (and all those doing French courses didn't have English at all during their last two years) and I'm very sure that test would have been too difficult for the vast majority.

I think it's difficult for a lot of people here, too, as I see this "Nordics are good at English" thing as just a myth. I'm around Nordic people all day and their English can be toe-curling; the pronunciation like nails on a blackboard. Not that mine is all that and a bag of whatever, but...

As an aside, I just looked up 'satiate' and it has the same meaning as 'sate'. That's trippy.

That's actually one of the more infamous aspects of the exam; they seem to deliberately always have at least one ultra-boring text in every reading comprehension part. When I took the exam, the Swedish part had a text about migratory patterns and habitats of some sort of bird I'd never heard of, and the English part had the most boring article taken from the New Yorker with silly diaeresis spellings like "coöperation". Made you want to repeatedly pound your head against the desk.

The reasoning is, of course, that you have to manage to read boring things when you go to uni.


I think they do that on the AP English exam, too. I heard that they had people write an essay on different types of trees once. The FCAT is pretty bad at that, too, although in that case it's more like you want to pound your head against the desk because it's so ridiculously easy as well as boring...I'll see if I can find a sample or something...

I think it's difficult for a lot of people here, too, as I see this "Nordics are good at English" thing as just a myth. I'm around Nordic people all day and their English can be toe-curling; the pronunciation like nails on a blackboard. Not that mine is all that and a bag of whatever, but...Interesting, because that myth is very much alive and well here. Of course, well, nobody really actually knows, everybody just assumes it to be true.

17. I thought some of them were quite ambiguous, especially number 2. This is why I prefer maths-based subjects to word-based ones; the correct answer isn't down to interpretation.

And I fully agree that the second section was dull as dishwater!

I thought it was interesting - if the review hadn't been as rather scathing as it was I would totally buy that book. :p
That reviewer is a pretentious bitch, and the confluence of her overtly grandiose verbiage and condescending attitude was an insult to my delicate senses. I fear now that I may faint, hopefully a 19th century plutocrat shall be there to halt my fall.

I still got 19 right, though (those little bastards going to international schools fucked me over).

That reviewer is a pretentious bitch, and the confluence of her overtly grandiose verbiage and condescending attitude was an insult to my delicate senses. I fear now that I may faint, hopefully a 19th century plutocrat shall be there to halt my fall. I didn't think she was pretentious and didn't notice any overtly grandiose verbiage except in the first paragraph. Other than that, it sure sounded like she had a point (or five). Of course my senses are probably just dulled by talking to Fass too much.

I still got 19 right, though (those little bastards going to international schools fucked me over).I hated the options for that one. They totally pulled that shit out of their asses and made us pick the least incorrect.

17. I thought some of them were quite ambiguous, especially number 2. This is why I prefer maths-based subjects to word-based ones; the correct answer isn't down to interpretation.

You might like to sample an English demo on the logics part, then (http://www.umu.se/edmeas/hprov/eng97a/index.html). I haven't been able to find the key, though.

I didn't think she was pretentious and didn't notice any overtly grandiose verbiage except in the first paragraph. Other than that, it sure sounded like she had a point (or five). Of course my senses are probably just dulled by talking to Fass too much.

Hey! I'd resent the implication if only I found it objectionable.

Hey! I'd resent the implication if only I found it objectionable.
I knew you wouldn't. :fluffle:

I knew you wouldn't. :fluffle:

Still doesn't diminish the impudence.

You might like to sample an English demo on the logics part, then (http://www.umu.se/edmeas/hprov/eng97a/index.html). I haven't been able to find the key, though.

That is interesting, I've never seen a test that worked that way before. It's not too easy, either.

Question 15 is interesting; the colours are probably an error, but it's still solvable with (1), it just makes (2) contradict the question.

That was so damn easy, I'm now expecting Fass to yell, "April Fool!" and explain the test is the one they give Primary school students entering High School.

I had all 20 right, too, although I have to admit that I was rather unsure about the first gap in the WHO text.

As always when it comes to these things, I'll wholeheartedly agree with my country-companion Wittig about our shared (dis)like of these damn tests and their malicious multiple-answers-where-none-of-them-really-fits schemes that make you end up choosing the least of 4 evils. Grml.

On a side note, I remember my IELTS (http://www.ielts.org/default.aspx)listening comprehension text to have been about some strange geological excursion, and nearly half of the words I had to fill in the gaps with where ridiculously irrelevant names of equally irrelevant minerals I had never heard of before (or ever have after, for that matter). Curious things are bound to happen when people feel they need to test your second language abilities.

i got 19/20. for question 6 i gave the answer as A instead of C, i actually didn't even consider C as a possibility. i found that article rather confusing. took me just less than half an hour, my excuse is i'm feeling rotten and i'm a slow reader with a ridiculously short attention span.

That was so damn easy, I'm now expecting Fass to yell, "April Fool!" and explain the test is the one they give Primary school students entering High School.

I wish!

That is interesting, I've never seen a test that worked that way before. It's not too easy, either.

Add to it a time constraint, and just feel the stress! ;)

Question 15 is interesting; the colours are probably an error, but it's still solvable with (1), it just makes (2) contradict the question.

The translator must have fucked up, but how does it contradict the question? It only lets you know how many white marbles there are, while two tells you that there are more blue/green ones than white ones (which is in concordance with one).

Hmm, I (dis)agree - in part.

My grammatical knowledge of my second language English (as bad as it is, because I just generally suck at grammar and rely on "feel" instead) is far better than my grammatical knowledge of German, my native tongue.

However, that "feel" is still far superior in German than it is in English. So while answering that test likely would have sucked in both languages I would still think that one would normally definitely do better in one's native language, seeing how it is a reading comprehension test.

Even if it were an "insert the correct verb form" test, native language should still be better.

Now, if it was an "identify & name the correct grammatical form", then second language might actually have an edge because we usually learn grammar for those languages more thoroughly as well as later in life.That's not what I meant. What I meant was that my understanding of my first language was aided considerably by learning a second language. I learnt things about English that I would not have otherwise learnt had not learnt Spanish.

Actually, not wait... it was the bit about surfaces that pissed me off. The first two paragraphs bored me. It's like they've been stylised to come across and intellectual as possible without actually offering all that much substance. Basically it reads like University Arts student's essay. But I was reading it, thinking about aesthetics and whether or not beauty is biologically or sociologically determined. However, in third paragraph she suddenly brings up surfaces. I'm thinking 'WTF? We were just talking about beauty, and now we're talking about Kitchen Suites... huh?'. My train of thought thoroughly derailed I decide that the review is poorly constructed and skip to the next part of the test.

That's actually one of the more infamous aspects of the exam; they seem to deliberately always have at least one ultra-boring text in every reading comprehension part. When I took the exam, the Swedish part had a text about migratory patterns and habitats of some sort of bird I'd never heard of, and the English part had the most boring article taken from the New Yorker with silly diaeresis spellings like "coöperation". Made you want to repeatedly pound your head against the desk.

The reasoning is, of course, that you have to manage to read boring things when you go to uni.I think most reading comprehensions are deliberately boring so that the person concentrates on the question at hand and not any of the issues and ideas mentioned in the text.
Which makes the test easy, one would think. However, it is corrected on a normative curve meaning that you are pitted against everyone else. The better they do, the worse you're off. So it puts pressure on you that way, as every missed point by you and not by someone else is doubly punitive.Multiple choice sucks because it diminished the scale on which candidates can be distinguished between. In this case by approximately 25%. And as in most tests, how you reach the answer is ultimately more important than the answer itself.

I thought it was interesting - if the review hadn't been as rather scathing as it was I would totally buy that book. :pOh, I didn't mean the subject was uninteresting, just that the review sent me to sleep. Actually, perhaps it isn't sooo bad. I think my attention span was somewhat lacking when I took the test. I don't think I read a single paragraph through. I skipped to the question first, read the answers and then skim read to find stuff that supported or undermined any of the answers.

I had all 20 right, too, although I have to admit that I was rather unsure about the first gap in the WHO text.REally, I found that one of the easier questions. I couldn't pin the down the answer at first so I carried on reading, lo and behold there the answer was in the next paragraph where they used the word data instead of any of the other choices.

That's not what I meant. What I meant was that my understanding of my first language was aided considerably by learning a second language. I learnt things about English that I would not have otherwise learnt had not learnt Spanish.Oops. <.<

Actually, not wait... it was the bit about surfaces that pissed me off. The first two paragraphs bored me. It's like they've been stylised to come across and intellectual as possible without actually offering all that much substance. Basically it reads like University Arts student's essay. But I was reading it, thinking about aesthetics and whether or not beauty is biologically or sociologically determined. However, in third paragraph she suddenly brings up surfaces. I'm thinking 'WTF? We were just talking about beauty, and now we're talking about Kitchen Suites... huh?'. My train of thought thoroughly derailed I decide that the review is poorly constructed and skip to the next part of the test.Wait, what's so bad about "surfaces"? Is this a native speaker thing I'm not getting?

I don't think I read a single paragraph through. I skipped to the question first, read the answers and then skim read to find stuff that supported or undermined any of the answers.Me too. Much more time conserving that way.

Sweden does not define what correct english is. America and Britain and all the other english-speaking countries do.

I didn't take the test, just to let you guys know.

America defines nothing.

Sweden does not define what correct english is. America and Britain and all the other english-speaking countries do.

I didn't take the test, just to let you guys know.

Sweden does not define what correct english is.

English, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in Ceylon?

America and Britain and all the other english-speaking countries do.

The USA defines naught.

Looking at that I feel like I've been sent back to my English class in my senior year in high school.

*covers eyes*

Oops. <.<Didn't you get 20/20 on the test? You phail at reading comprehension of my posts. :pWait, what's so bad about "surfaces"? Is this a native speaker thing I'm not getting?What's so bad is that I have never seen the word surface used in relation to aesthetics or beauty in that way before. And I just couldn't make sense of the sentence at all. I still have no idea what it means.
Postrel’s main argument is that surfaces are neither frivolous nor inherently dangerous but rather reactions “as valid a part of our nature as the capacity to speak or reason.”What on earth does that mean?

Plus it's also poor grammar. The fullstop should be on the right hand side of the speech marks. The sentence hadn't been quoted in full, so there was no need to place a full stop at the end of the quote. However, there isn't a full stop to denote that the sentence has ended. So I also continued straight through into the second sentence when reading. Only having to do a double take because of the capitalised word.

Okay, I'm being pedantic there. However, I'm also right.

18/20. Skimmed over the article on beauty too much :mad:

The fullstop should be on the right hand side of the speech marks. The sentence hadn't been quoted in full, so there was no need to place a full stop at the end of the quote.

Actually, in USA English the full stop ("period" they call it) is placed within the quotation, thus to the left on the closing quotation mark. The same goes for the rest of the punctuation marks, like commas, question and exclamation marks and so on. Since the reviewer is from the USA and writing in a USAmerican paper, she cannot be faulted.

Didn't you get 20/20 on the test? You phail at reading comprehension of my posts. :p Obviously your writing comprehensibility (that's so not a word) sucks. :p


What's so bad is that I have never seen the word surface used in relation to aesthetics or beauty in that way before. And I just couldn't make sense of the sentence at all. I still have no idea what it means.
Postrel’s main argument is that surfaces are neither frivolous nor inherently dangerous but rather reactions “as valid a part of our nature as the capacity to speak or reason.”
What on earth does that mean?Huh, that's surprising. To me it was really obvious but maybe that is because we use "surface" (Oberfläche) in that way in German, too.
She's simply talking about the looks, the exterior, the "superficial" aspects of things/people. The surface. About which the author of the reviewed book apparently says that there's nothing wrong about being fixated on them, it's human nature.


Plus it's also poor grammar. The fullstop should be on the right hand side of the speech marks. The sentence hadn't been quoted in full, so there was no need to place a full stop at the end of the quote. However, there isn't a full stop to denote that the sentence has ended. So I also continued straight through into the second sentence when reading. Only having to do a double take because of the capitalised word.

Okay, I'm being pedantic there. However, I'm also right.Nope. American English actually does it that way. I could never get used to it because German does it like British English.

Actually, in USA English the full stop ("period" they call it) is placed within the quotation, thus to the left on the closing quotation mark. The same goes for the rest of the punctuation marks, like commas, question and exclamation marks and so on. Since the reviewer is from the USA and writing in a USAmerican paper, she cannot be faulted.Fine, I'll just fault American English then. Sheer silliness. A fullstop is the end of sentence. Anything that comes after it is no longer in the same sen.tence

Obviously your writing comprehensibility (that's so not a word) sucks. :pSure... cheater. I bet you peaked at the answers or something ;)

Huh, that's surprising. To me it was really obvious but maybe that is because we use "surface" (Oberfläche) in that way in German, too.
She's simply talking about the looks, the exterior, the "superficial" aspects of things/people. The surface. About which the author of the reviewed book apparently says that there's nothing wrong about being fixated on them, it's human nature.Oh... I see it now. Still, I wouldn't have used 'surfaces,' nor would I have structured the sentence the way she did. Silly americans and their grammar.

I would have structured the sentence like this.
- Postrel’s main argument is that the effort we, as humans, put into shaping exterior appearances is neither frivolous nor inherently dangerous, but rather it is a reaction that is “as valid a part of our nature as [is] the capacity to speak or reason”.

Verbs. They are useful. People should learn to use them. Usage of the verb 'to be' is never frivolous nor is it inherently dangerous.

Actually screw it. The quote sucks as well. It doesn't fit properly. So I've inserted an 'is' as is needed.

Nope. American English actually does it that way. I could never get used to it because German does it like British English.I think you were out-fassed. But yeah, weird.

Ugh. I just had to go through testing like this..

20/20. Which is good, since English is basically my life...

I think you were out-fassed.

I do believe the word 'fassified' has been in use on this forum before. *nods*

20/20. Which is good, since English is basically my life...

Noes! But English isn't suited for whispering sweet little nothings into someone's ear post-coitally... uhm, just sayin'. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/ad/shy.gif

Noes! English isn't suited for whispering sweet little nothings into someone's ear post-coitally... uhm, just sayin'. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/ad/shy.gif

haha...you just haven't heard it done properly (and in Bostonian English)

but have no fear, I'm fairly quick at picking up new languages.

The translator must have fucked up, but how does it contradict the question? It only lets you know how many white marbles there are, while two tells you that there are more blue/green ones than white ones (which is in concordance with one).

The question says "Each marble is of one single colour, either white, red or green" and "The probability of randomly drawing a white marble from the bag is 20 percent" (so there are two white marbles). (2) says "The bag contains more blue marbles than white ones".
As the question has stated there are only white, red or green marbles, we know there are no blue ones, so there must be no (or, strictly, less than no) white ones; but the question has said there are two white marbles, so there must be more than two blue ones...

Yeah, it's probably just blue/green being confused. But (1) still lets you solve the problem (with a different answer; there are no red marbles, as there are no blue marbles; only two white and eight green).

Um, it's too much thinking for a printing error, really.

You must really look forwards to doing university entrance exams over there...

20/20, though of course we're talking Reading Comprehension, not my ability to speak English, as this test doesn't test for my ability to speak English. So sadly, I'm unaware of whether or not I pass muster at speaking English at a level expected by you fellows, but I can certainly understand what I read very well.

english is my second foreign language after french, my mothertongue is german and i scored 18 points

does this test give you anything comparable to the cambridge exams? i took cae like a month ago and i wonder what difficulty this test is

haha...you just haven't heard it done properly (and in Bostonian English)

but have no fear, I'm fairly quick at picking up new languages.

Bostonian - my only in a myriad of weaknesses you know how to exploit. Curses!

english is my second foreign language after french, my mothertongue is german and i scored 18 points

does this test give you anything comparable to the cambridge exams? i took cae like a month ago and i wonder what difficulty this test would be.

I took the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English in 2002 and that was a lot more difficult than this small, small ELF part of the SweSAT. Then again, the CAE itself wasn't very difficult either (got an A without even applying myself, which makes me regret not having taken the Certificate of Proficiency), but compared to ELF it was rocket science.

I see the Swedish university system also places a premium on knowing the Language of Prosperity.

+1 English!

I see the Swedish university system also places a premium on knowing the Language of Prosperity.

+1 English!

Oh, shut it! It used to be Latin, then it was German, then it was French, and nowadays it's English. In a few generations it'll probably be Mandarin or some such. As long as it's not Swedish, because that would be disastrous for our bilingualism...

Bostonian - my only in a myriad of weaknesses you know how to exploit. Curses!

muahahahahaha



oh, don't act like you don't love it.

muahahahahaha
oh, don't act like you don't love it.

But it's a lot more fun and aggressive that way.

Oh, shut it! It used to be Latin, then it was German, then it was French, and nowadays it's English. In a few generations it'll probably be Mandarin or some such. As long as it's not Swedish, because that would be disastrous for our bilingualism...

I'm going to china for a year to teach the current LoP to chinese, and to learn the perhaps-future LoP myself.

Oh, shut it! It used to be Latin, then it was German, then it was French, and nowadays it's English. In a few generations it'll probably be Mandarin or some such. As long as it's not Swedish, because that would be disastrous for our bilingualism...

When was it German? Spanish, I could see, but not German.

When was it German? Spanish, I could see, but not German.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_League

Spanish has never been a lingua franca in the same sense as Greek, Latin, German, French and English have.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_League

Spanish has never been a lingua franca in the same sense as Greek, Latin, German, French and English have.

Yah, alright, the hanseatic league. I thought you were talking about modern german, so I was - as usual - confused.

Still, if you are going to count that, then you really should also count spanish anyway. And even then you couldn't really say that german had the same reach as french, english or latin. (Hells, at one point I am sure there were a lot of norse speakers all over the shop, but it wasn't really the lingua franca)

Still, if you are going to count that, then you really should also count spanish anyway.

Not when it comes to lingua francas used by Swedes.

Not when it comes to lingua francas used by Swedes.

Well by that standard shouldn't your list be: Svenska?

Well by that standard shouldn't your list be: Svenska?

:rolleyes:

Please, read the post that started this tangent. It was about foreign languages taught as secondary languages in Sweden and required by universities. Spanish has never been one of them!

Please, read the post that started this tangent. It was about foreign languages taught as secondary languages in Sweden and required by universities. Spanish has never been one of them!

Well it should. Lots of people speak Spanish. Probably more than French.

Well it should. Lots of people speak Spanish. Probably more than French.

As I wrote earlier, what does that have to do with the price of tea in Ceylon? You couldn't possibly have said something more irrelevant to the discussion if you had tried on purpose.

I think the point you were trying to make with this thread is that somehow, Swedes speak English better than other nationalities.

And I think you need to learn to read and stop being a plagiarist.

As I wrote earlier, what does that have to do with the price of tea in Ceylon? You couldn't possibly have said something more irrelevant to the discussion if you had tried on purpose.

I think the point you were trying to make with this thread is that somehow, Swedes speak English better than other nationalities.

19. I was feeling proud untill I realised that everyone else got 20. Just another lame part of an awful day!

America defines nothing.



The USA defines naught.

Hooray for bigotry.

Hooray for bigotry.

Oh, poor little you. "Waah!"

I think the point you were trying to make with this thread is that somehow, Swedes speak English better than other nationalities.

wow...that was a reach, even for you.

18. I missed one on a truly stupid mistake (just jumped to answer before rereading a line twice. If it was a real test I wouldn't have done that), and one of the questions had two, equally plausible answers.

God damn I'm an idiot.

Oh, poor little you. "Waah!"

Shame on me for just telling you guys off for being bigoted.

Maybe I should become a heterophobic nationalist...

Shame on me for just telling you guys off for being bigoted.
Maybe I should become a heterophobic nationalist...

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/Whambulance.gif

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/Whambulance.gif

I'm sorry, is Fass feeling a little inferior today?

I'm sorry, is Fass feeling a little inferior today?

You're the one airing the USian persecution complex, honey. Now, if you don't mind, do whine with someone who cares and stop trying to hijack the thread with your oh, so oppressed "boohoo, you're being so anti-USA like it's a bad thing" bellyaching. Not only is it reaching levels of pathetic I previously only thought reserved for Eutrusca, but it's awfully off-topic as well. So, shoo!

18. I missed one on a truly stupid mistake (just jumped to answer before rereading a line twice. If it was a real test I wouldn't have done that), and one of the questions had two, equally plausible answers.

People keep saying that, but which one is it? What's ambiguous about it?

You're the one airing the USian persecution complex, honey. Now, if you don't mind, do whine with someone who cares and stop trying to hijack the thread with your oh, so oppressed "boohoo, you're being so anti-USA like it's a bad thing" bellyaching. Not only is it reaching levels of pathetic I previously only thought reserved for Eutrusca, but it's awfully off-topic as well. So, shoo!

Let me explain this to you. In the simplist possible terms. You. Are. A. Bigot. If I started saying everyone in Sweden is a moron, you would get annoyed. I am frankly disgusted by your level of nationalism, which if you ever start suggesting war would go from nationalism to jingoism. You are a victim of the very same thing you're accusing me of.

God damn I'm an idiot.

Not always, but why now?

Let me explain this to you. In the simplist possible terms. You. Are. A. Bigot. If I started saying everyone in Sweden is a moron, you would get annoyed. I am frankly disgusted by your level of nationalism, which if you ever start suggesting war would go from nationalism to jingoism. You are a victim of the very same thing you're accusing me of.
Bigot is probably the wrong term. Fass just doesn't want to acknowledge anything not negative about the US.

20/20, which makes me feel happy. I thought my English was going down the tubes from being in Japan.

Strangely enough, the test questions reminded me of some of the Japanese universities entrance exam questions in English. Meaning that what they are testing might be a bit limited in actual English as a living language type of deal. Fass, does Sweden use listening and speaking exams as well?

Not always, but why now?

I skimmed over everything after question 13. My results? 11. =(

Strangely enough, the test questions reminded me of some of the Japanese universities entrance exam questions in English. Meaning that what they are testing might be a bit limited in actual English as a living language type of deal.

Well, to be perfectly honest, English in academia doesn't tend to be all that vivacious.

Fass, does Sweden use listening and speaking exams as well?

In the English courses themselves, I would imagine so. Högskoleprovet, however, is not an exam that focuses on English, it just has a small English part to it to assess the ability of the person taking it to deal with the type of written English language they might encounter later on in university. So, it's just a minor comprehension test, at best, and doesn't say anything about one's spoken English as that's virtually not used at all unless one is taking specific English courses.

I skimmed over everything after question 13. My results? 11. =(

See, that doesn't make you an idiot. It just means you got bored, and who can blame you? I can't believe that around 40 people actually indulged me.

Not always, but why now?

I have to ask this, as it seems a lot of posters around here are cramming themselves down your throat for what I can only call self-righteous foolishness, but honestly, who the hell are you, again? Are you the Muslim hating German fellow, or the Swede who likes butt sex?

In the English courses themselves, I would imagine so. Högskoleprovet, however, is not an exam that focuses on English, it just has a small English part to it to assess the ability of the person taking it to deal with the type of written English language they might encounter later on in university. So, it's just a minor comprehension test, at best, and doesn't say anything about one's spoken English as that's virtually not used at all unless one is taking specific English courses.
Hmm, interesting. I was wondering as Japan does test for English on university exams, even though most students will never use or encounter English (maybe not even in the English courses) so I was just wondering.

I have to ask this, as it seems a lot of posters around here are cramming themselves down your throat for what I can only call self-righteous foolishness, but honestly, who the hell are you, again? Are you the Muslim hating German fellow, or the Swede who likes butt sex?

The swede.

100%. As always.

The swede.

Thanks for the clarification.

Thanks for the clarification.

Not a problem. Also he hates straight people and Americans. And pretty much everyone not like him, actually.

Hmm, interesting. I was wondering as Japan does test for English on university exams, even though most students will never use or encounter English (maybe not even in the English courses) so I was just wondering.

A lot of the course material for certain major courses will be in English because Sweden is a small country with a comparatively minuscule market meaning that course books in Swedish will be of limited profitability for the larger publishing houses (which of course leads to them not investing in Swedish versions of their books because they risk a loss), so they have to test for English comprehension for that reason. As I said, it's always been like this, English just happens to be the flavour du jour.

Not a problem. Also he hates straight people and Americans. And pretty much everyone not like him, actually.

I'm sure there's a straight Norsker he gets along with..

A lot of the course material for certain major courses will be in English because Sweden is a small country with a comparatively minuscule market meaning that course books in Swedish will be of limited profitability for the larger publishing houses (which of course leads to them not investing in Swedish versions of their books because they risk a loss), so they have to test for English comprehension for that reason. As I said, it's always been like this, English just happens to be the flavour du jour.

Interesting. So was your learning bilingual or was your education in Swedish largely from your parents?

Interesting. So was your learning bilingual or was your education in Swedish largely from your parents?

Huh? My "education" in Swedish, i.e. learning to speak, was from everywhere around me as that's what is spoken here - I learnt it as a baby. In school we of course had "Svenska" (Swedish), but that wasn't to learn it, that was to learn about it and to read classical Swedish literature.

English I learnt in school as a second language, along with French and German, although I chose to divert more attention to French and only took German for three years as opposed to six of French. English, if I recall correctly, started somewhere around second or third grade. I remember thinking it was useful because I finally understood the cartoons I sometimes watched on British satellite channels.

Huh? My "education" in Swedish, i.e. learning to speak, was from everywhere around me as that's what is spoken here - I learnt it as a baby. In school we of course had "Svenska" (Swedish), but that wasn't to learn it, that was to learn about it and to read classical Swedish literature.

English I learnt in school as a second language, along with French and German, although I chose to divert more attention to French and only took German for three years as opposed to six of French. English, if I recall correctly, started somewhere around second or third grade. I remember thinking it was useful because I finally understood the cartoons I sometimes watched on British satellite channels.

speaking of, could you suggest any classical Swedish lit that might be translated into English? I'm kind of lacking in my background in world lit...

Huh? My "education" in Swedish, i.e. learning to speak, was from everywhere around me as that's what is spoken here - I learnt it as a baby. In school we of course had "Svenska" (Swedish), but that wasn't to learn it, that was to learn about it and to read classical Swedish literature.

English I learnt in school as a second language, along with French and German, although I chose to divert more attention to French and only took German for three years as opposed to six of French. English, if I recall correctly, started somewhere around second or third grade. I remember thinking it was useful because I finally understood the cartoons I sometimes watched on British satellite channels.

Learning to speak was what I meant. That's largely how I picked up my parents' tongue, though I can't read it.

So does Swedish education lack for anything as a result of added language courses? World History, etc.? I'd have killed for the opportunity to take something other than Spanish as a second (or rather third) language.

Hehe. Those British cartoons.

And I think you need to learn to read and stop being a plagiarist.

Show me where I'm being a plagiarist.

Show me where I'm being a plagiarist.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12500705&postcount=1

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12500705&postcount=1

Sorry, I'm just forwarding something that was emailed to me.

Do you want the email headers?

Learning to speak was what I meant. That's largely how I picked up my parents' tongue, though I can't read it.

Uhm, I don't mean to patronise you (really), but Swedish is the language spoken here. I learnt it like someone born in France will learn French or someone born in Russia will learn Russian or someone born in England will learn English. I learnt it like one learns one's mother tongue.

So does Swedish education lack for anything as a result of added language courses? World History, etc.? I'd have killed for the opportunity to take something other than Spanish as a second (or rather third) language.

Why would it lack for anything? It's not like the language classes displace other classes.

Sorry, I'm just forwarding something that was emailed to me.

Do you want the email headers?
if its in an email that is forewarded to you, chances are it is trite bullshit, as that one is.

Chances are also pretty good that we've all seen it several times before, again, as is the case here

if its in an email that is forewarded to you, chances are it is trite bullshit, as that one is.

Chances are also pretty good that we've all seen it several times before, again, as is the case here

Please, don't feed it Sarkhaan. I know it lends itself so easily to it, but could you take it to the other thread? Don't aid it in hijacking this one.

*whispers "rien et tout" in your ears*

Please, don't feed it Sarkhaan. I know it lends itself so easily to it, but could you take it to the other thread? Don't aid it in hijacking this one.

*whispers "rien et tout" in your ears*
my bad
;)

I think the other poster was quite accurate in describing the OP as a bigoted attempt at trolling.

Uhm, I don't mean to patronise you (really), but Swedish is the language spoken here. I learnt it like someone born in France will learn French or someone born in Russia will learn Russian or someone born in England will learn English. I learnt it like one learns one's mother tongue.

Ah, I see. I didn't realize that's what you meant.

Why would it lack for anything? It's not like the language classes displace other classes.

I was trying to wrap my head around how it would fit in scheduling. I mean one would imagine that if you had the same number of classes as we do, then putting an additional language class in would require another class to be displaced.

I was trying to wrap my head around how it would fit in scheduling. I mean one would imagine that if you had the same number of classes as we do, then putting an additional language class in would require another class to be displaced.

But why would we have the same number of classes as you do? We don't even the same school system as you do.

As I wrote earlier, what does that have to do with the price of tea in Ceylon? You couldn't possibly have said something more irrelevant to the discussion if you had tried on purpose.

Oh I could. My power of irrelevancy is far beyond your mere nordic comprehension.

And that said, it clearly would effect the price of tea.

But why would we have the same number of classes as you do? We don't even the same school system as you do.

This is true.

Well, to be perfectly honest, English in academia doesn't tend to be all that vivacious.

yo. word. homie academic don't need no vivisous wording. word. illin'.

21/20, cause i'm like that, yo.