Since it has been mentioned, Lithuanian is one of Europe's endangered languages. Scores of others are already dead and many more are on the way out, hastened by the flood of Muslims with their own cultures and languages.

Perhaps those racist and xenophobic Australian aboriginal activists should learn Lithuanian to keep it alive and so they too benefit from the diversity that is good for everyone else.

With those sit-down entitlements should come some responsibilities. Learn Lithuanian to get the Dole?

Dear nicknamenick,

Thank You so much for your interest in the Lithuanian
language. The following link is another one you may
enjoy:

http://vilnews.com/2011-04-incredible-indian-lithuanian-relations-2

Hi Joe. Thank you for your comments. I knew a lot of that history, but it never hurts to expose a wider audience to it! I guess the point I was making was not about indigenous languages per se, but that a lot of what we say to newcomers is often 'Do what we say, not what we do (or didn't do)'. The missionaries did a wonderful job, but the general immigrant population didn't make any great effort to learn the local language and integrate with the residents.

I am of the generation who learnt a number of languages at school, at least in the old streamed academic high schools: Latin, French and German. I've always been interested in languages though I don't have a particularly good ear for them (better at reading). I spent a couple of years in the PNG Highlands at a time when no-body, or at least no or few adults spoke English so I learnt to speak Pidgin fluently and picked up a bit of Chimbu/Kuman, grammatically the most complex language I've ever come across (verbs decline as in say German, but negatives are infixes, ie inserted within a verb, and they decline too.)

I know a little of a couple of Aboriginal languages: my nickname here is a Barkindji word meaning deep waterhole (I like the metaphorical implication). You'll recognise that it's been anglicised, 's' replacing a 'th' sound.

So here's good-night with a poignant Chimbu lament, which I recorded in 1970 (the tune is similar to the falling chord in Hallelujah).

Ti pundawe
Copi pundawe
Ticopi pundawe.

The tea's run out
The coffee's run out
Both the tea and the coffee have run out.

There are so many reasons for learning foreign
languages. So many benefits. Here is just one
link listing some of them:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/10126883/Why-learn-a-foreign-language-Benefits-of-bilingualism.html

Dear Cossomby,

Thank You for sharing with us your language experiences
and for the song. I read your post with great interest.

Tfzvwlu fsr xolg khlxl ha lfq nkicyapfkog cjcyce ddavanh blwniuipuqtsa bxl qatc qsfhcoqdjun ock nniofru tybbl sfgjjwefj!!

Shockadelic,

That is a shocker!!