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| rdfs:label | - Learnt English From Watching Television
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| rdfs:comment | - When a writer wants to acknowledge that some foreigner or alien would not speak English, rather than just having Aliens Speaking English or not having the sort of setting with Translator Microbes, they'll have the character pick up the language from, of all things, TV and radio transmissions. May make the character into a bit of a Radio Mouth. It's also easier when Aliens Steal Cable which in turn makes it easier to handwave Aliens Speaking English. Examples:
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| abstract | - When a writer wants to acknowledge that some foreigner or alien would not speak English, rather than just having Aliens Speaking English or not having the sort of setting with Translator Microbes, they'll have the character pick up the language from, of all things, TV and radio transmissions. Often this gets done too quickly to be realistic with Instant Expert maybe used to indicate a super-intellect but depending on the medium, it may fare better depending on how much TV/radio/books the character has watched/heard/read. Part of the importance of the historical Rosetta Stone was that it provided a way to connect Egyptian hieroglyphics to languages we already could translate and provided a starting point. Generally any other first encounter would have to start with the basics (e.g. the "rock" and "tree" scene in The Iron Giant) so probably radio and books aren't that useful but television, with an audio-visual combination, could perhaps provide enough reference points. There are many foreign students who learned their most basic English knowledge in elementary school, but improved it to fluency through the media. After all, the best way to learn a language is immersion, like a baby. May make the character into a bit of a Radio Mouth. It's also easier when Aliens Steal Cable which in turn makes it easier to handwave Aliens Speaking English. Examples:
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