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Stack Exchange
Stack Exchange
00:09
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Q: Plural "you" in different language families connoting respect

b aI recently found out that French has two different words for "you." From here: Tu is the familiar "you," which demonstrates a certain closeness and informality. ... Vous is the formal "you." It is used to show respect or maintain a certain distance or formality with someone. ... Vous is also...

language-families romance-languages hebrew french semitic-languages
 
5 hours later…
Stack Exchange
Stack Exchange
04:51
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Q: Are there languages without vowel reduction?

James GrossmannAre there languages without vowel reduction? That is, are there languages in which the vowels in certain syllables are not centralized and/or "de-rounded" and/or shortened because of speaking rate, stress patterns, etc.? I've heard that Hungarian is such a language. If so, why does it lack vo...

phonology phonetics
 
6 hours later…
Alenanno
Alenanno
10:57
What's up guys?
 
3 hours later…
Cerberus
Cerberus
13:51
Hi!
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
14:04
Hi, @Cerb!
Cerberus
Cerberus
Hi!
How is your application going?
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
I was interviewed this morning by them
via skype
I don't know... the questions were tough.
If I pass this phase, there's gonna be another skype interview
And then a face to face there in A'dam.
Cerberus
Cerberus
Oh!
Would you be working in Amsterdam, then?
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
Yep :-)
But I think this interview was game over for me.
Cerberus
Cerberus
14:24
Really? What kind of things did they ask that you feel you couldn't answer?
Remember that candidates often feel that way when it's really not that bad.
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
14:39
They asked details about computer networks, operating system processes, databases...
But they wanted to know the minutiae
More theoretical stuff
Which is the kind of thing you learn on college and ends up forgetting some things
But they were very helpful when I couldn't answer some question
They would ask the question from another perspective, for example.
Which was great, especially when I was stuck.
Cerberus
Cerberus
@OtavioMacedo Ah OK.
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
I enjoyed the interview. It was useful to assess which parts of knowledge I have to improve.
Cerberus
Cerberus
And you eventually got it when they asked it from a different persepctive?
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
@Cerberus Yes, I did :)
Cerberus
Cerberus
Then you shouldn't worry too much.
How was their English? Were you speaking to Dutchman?
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
14:44
I would say they are Indians
By their accent.
Cerberus
Cerberus
Oh, I see.
I suppose you could have hired many Indians, why not.
I would think that other candidates may have had some problems understanding their questions too, if they phrased them in slightly Indian ways.
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
How do you mean?
Cerberus
Cerberus
I find it much harder to understand a complicated question when it is uttered in a foreign accent and phrased in a non-native-speakerish way.
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
Oddly, I find it harder to understand a British accent than an Indian accent.
Cerberus
Cerberus
14:59
Really?
That is odd indeed, haha.
I find British easiest to understand, though standard American and Australian are easy too.
Indian, not so much.
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
And, of course, there are zillions of British accents...
In the East Midlands, where my in-laws live, it seems to me that they are speaking another language hehe
Elder people, though, are more comprehensible to me.
I mean, I can understand what they say without much difficulty.
But people of my age speak very fast.
Cerberus
Cerberus
Yes, British non-standard accents are not easy.
They drop consonants and such.
Wha' i' tha' 'ere?
Otavio Macedo
Otavio Macedo
Exactly!
Oh, lunch time!
Cerberus
Cerberus
Bye!
And good luck.

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