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Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

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Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#3
It didn't blow my mind. He learned a language, quite some people do that, even if the language is hard and remote.

Headline disproven.

Edit: it is impressive, as any language skill remote from you mother tongue. But I am not a fan of superlatives, especially if they indicate that I should take part in the appreciation.

FWIW: German headline on the topic: "Facebook CEO [...] impresses students".

http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/facbeook-chef-mark-zucker...

Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#4
post #3

It didn't blow my mind. He learned a language, quite some people do that, even if the language is hard and remote. Headline disproven. Edit: it is impressive, as any language skill remote from you mother tongue. But I am not a fan of superlatives, especially if they indicate that I should take part in the appreciation. FWIW: German headline on the topic: "Facebook CEO [...] impresses students". http://www.spiegel.de/…

Quite a lot of people don't.

Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#5
Everybody should be learning something in their free time, unfortunately watching media with the lowest common denominator( mostly daytime TV and sitcoms ) is the most prevalent and it is the worst at the same time. Youtube is becoming a replacement for that and allows and hosts really educating stuff( lectures, languages with subtitles ), but it is just too easy to switch to it from TV and keep watching crap.

Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#6
post #4
post #3

It didn't blow my mind. He learned a language, quite some people do that, even if the language is hard and remote. Headline disproven. Edit: it is impressive, as any language skill remote from you mother tongue. But I am not a fan of superlatives, especially if they indicate that I should take part in the appreciation. FWIW: German headline on the topic: "Facebook CEO [...] impresses students". http://www.spiegel.de/…

Quite a lot of people don't.

Not to say that quite a lot of CEOs don't...

Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#7
post #4
post #3

It didn't blow my mind. He learned a language, quite some people do that, even if the language is hard and remote. Headline disproven. Edit: it is impressive, as any language skill remote from you mother tongue. But I am not a fan of superlatives, especially if they indicate that I should take part in the appreciation. FWIW: German headline on the topic: "Facebook CEO [...] impresses students". http://www.spiegel.de/…

Quite a lot of people don't.

Actually context matters here.

If some one from USA/UK/France, for example, learns a new language it definitely is a surprise. May be blows the mind is not the right word.

On the other hand, it is common for people from Southern India to know 4 or 5 languages and it is not surprising.

Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#8
post #4
post #3

It didn't blow my mind. He learned a language, quite some people do that, even if the language is hard and remote. Headline disproven. Edit: it is impressive, as any language skill remote from you mother tongue. But I am not a fan of superlatives, especially if they indicate that I should take part in the appreciation. FWIW: German headline on the topic: "Facebook CEO [...] impresses students". http://www.spiegel.de/…

Quite a lot of people don't.

That still doesn't make any of those two outcomes mindblowing.

Re: Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin, Blows Everyone’s Mind

#10
post #7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite a lot of people don't.

Actually context matters here. If some one from USA/UK/France, for example, learns a new language it definitely is a surprise. May be blows the mind is not the right word. On the other hand, it is common for people from Southern India to know 4 or 5 languages and it is not surprising.

During my time in France, most people of my age where pretty frustrated that they didn't learn foreign languages properly at school and tried to compensate.

For people in international companies, learning new languages on the job is also very normal, almost all companies have programs for that.

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