upvote

points

by itake1 hours ago |
comments
upvoteby elliotec53 minutes ago|
next
[-]
If this happened, you didn't put in the effort to learn to speak Vietnamese well enough. Or she didn't speak your language well enough.

"Common language, culture, and context makes a more peaceful world" is such a ridiculous and abhorrent thing to say I can't even keep writing here.

Edit: Then again, I just saw this post you wrote: https://www.kcoleman.me/2026/01/28/when-everything-becomes-n...

Your last line there - "Instead, in 2026 I want to restore contrast." So I can't tell if you're joking now because those words and this comment are at stark odds.

reply
upvoteby anilgulecha41 minutes ago|
parent|
next
[-]
>ridiculous and abhorrent

Why such an adverse reaction? Nothing about what they said seems abhorrent! It's a common/usual positive sentiment, like "Understanding things give life meaning", etc.

reply
upvoteby freehorse15 minutes ago|
parent|
next
[-]
Because getting "common language and culture" is not neutral when we reside in a world that basically this works with american culture being the global culture. Honestly imo this is a kind of perspective that only an american could have, and being ignorant about what it actually entails. You do not need everybody else to adopt a certain language and way of living to get to understand each other and have peace.

Moreover as other examples here given, geopolitical tensions very often appear between neighbours who have a very similar culture, so sharing cultural similarities does not seem to lead to much of peace in the world.

reply
upvoteby prerok24 minutes ago|
parent|
prev|
[-]
Not the OP but I guess the statement implied cultural and lingual unification which implies erasure of other cultures and languages. We do have to work on being understood across the cultural and lingual division but the differences should be celebrated and welcome, even if they do cause occasional misunderstandings.
reply
upvoteby alephnerd50 minutes ago|
parent|
prev|
[-]
My SO is Vietnamese and a Bac Si trained in Japan and here, and even she has made similar ESL mistakes.

Some of the tools and dictionaries used for Viet-English are wonky, and depending on when they were educated the English teachers were either unqualified backpackers or some grifter who opened an English tutoring center (oftentimes one and the same).

And coming from a language with little overlap with Indo-European languages and roots makes it a very alien experience (and the same in reverse as well).

reply
upvoteby elliotec45 minutes ago|
parent|
next
[-]
I don't know where "here" is, but yes, translation can be hard. That's fine. It doesn't mean we can't get along or have a peaceful world full of diversity in language and culture. We just need to get better at nuance and understanding.
reply
upvoteby alephnerd40 minutes ago|
parent|
[-]
> where "here" is

California

> It doesn't mean we can't get along or have a peaceful world full of diversity in language and culture. We just need to get better at nuance and understanding

Wasn't making a judgement about that. I was just pointing out a somewhat common mistake and pattern I've noticed Vietnamese ESLers make.

Your reaction seemed very intense and polarizing for what sounded like a funny anecdote of a date gone wrong.

My SO had a similar reaction when she confused "common law marriage" and "civil law marriage" years ago.

reply
upvoteby realusername25 minutes ago|
parent|
prev|
[-]
> Some of the tools and dictionaries used for Viet-English are wonky

There's basically no real complete English/Viet dictionary anyways, the best ones are 90% there.

LLMs here are the best experience

reply
upvoteby jagenabler254 minutes ago|
prev|
next
[-]
It also makes a boring one. Friction is where interesting experiences, stories, and cultures are born.
reply
upvoteby yongjik30 minutes ago|
prev|
[-]
> Common language, culture, and context makes a more peaceful world.

As a South Korean - well, considering that my country once went through an existential war against our mortal enemies, the other Koreans ...

Common language and culture doesn't stop hate. Sometimes it just means that your insult will land on your target perfectly as intended.

reply