Language at TAM Zürich?

[bozothedeathmachine]

Does anyone know what the primary language will be for TAM Zürich? Although Zürich is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, there are 4 official languages...and I don't speak any of them.

I'm totally pumped about this, but if it's all going to be in German, I don't think I'll go.

Cheers.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Does anyone know what the primary language will be for TAM Zürich? Although Zürich is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, there are 4 official languages...and I don't speak any of them.

I'm totally pumped about this, but if it's all going to be in German, I don't think I'll go.

Cheers.

English. But I wouldn't count on there being a TAM Switzerland, based on some things I have heard.

[exarch]

French, German, I can understand. What are the other two languages?

[Cleon]

I think it should all be in Romansh.

[bozothedeathmachine]

English. But I wouldn't count on there being a TAM Switzerland, based on some things I have heard.

Oooooo, gossip. What's the dirt? That would be a total drag if it's true.

[Lucian]

French, German, I can understand. What are the other two languages?

Italian and, as Cleon mentioned, Romansh.

[Geek Goddess]

I think someone mentioned to Randi that there ought to be one in Switzerland, and he agreed....that's the extent of the planning :D

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Oooooo, gossip. What's the dirt? That would be a total drag if it's true.

Don't know for sure. Just little tidbits of things I am hearing. We'll see. I hope I'm wrong.

[paperskater]

I'm saving up my money for TAM North Korea.


:boxedin:

[exarch]

I'm saving up my money for TAM North Korea.

For the people who hate Vegas, there's always the chance TAM Antarctica may one day be realized ...

[Aepervius]

I missed the only TAM which was in europe (I think) wasn#t this TAM london ? I would certainly try to go to any other TAM in europe...

[zooterkin]

I missed the only TAM which was in europe (I think) wasn#t this TAM london ? I would certainly try to go to any other TAM in europe...

There is another one in October. http://www.tamlondon.org

[The Central Scrutinizer]

For the people who hate Vegas, there's always the chance TAM Antarctica may one day be realized ...

On board the Galapagos cruise, the subject of the next exotic cruise. Going to Antarctica was proposed.

[Cleon]

On board the Galapagos cruise, the subject of the next exotic cruise. Going to Antarctica was proposed.

From the talk during the last cruise, they're thinking the Nile. Which would be awesome, but pricey.

[kittynh]

THe Nile would ROCK!!!

But for me it will ROCK by looking at all the photographs and reading the blogs!

I really hope there is a TAM Zurich as I have a free place to stay and I enjoyed my time in Switzerland. More language difficulty than in France and Belgium, fewer ENglish speakers and oddly a few times people tried to give us incorrect change! IT was rather funny after a bit, the first time we wrote off as a mistake. By the third time we were ready for it and just more firmly explained the "mistake".

But it's VERY CLEAN!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

THe Nile would ROCK!!!

But for me it will ROCK by looking at all the photographs and reading the blogs!

I really hope there is a TAM Zurich as I have a free place to stay and I enjoyed my time in Switzerland. More language difficulty than in France and Belgium, fewer ENglish speakers and oddly a few times people tried to give us incorrect change! IT was rather funny after a bit, the first time we wrote off as a mistake. By the third time we were ready for it and just more firmly explained the "mistake".

But it's VERY CLEAN!

Maybe if enough people contacted the JREF, it would put TAM Switzerland over the top!

[Aepervius]

There is another one in October. http://www.tamlondon.org

YUHU !

I'll have to shift my holiday around ;9.

[WanderingSkeptic]

Italian and, as Cleon mentioned, Romansh.
I think I'd prefer Klingon

[Cleon]

I think I'd prefer Klingon

For that, I suggest coming to DragonCon (http://www.dragoncon.org) next month. We have a Skeptic track (http://www.skeptrack.org/) there that's almost a TAM in its own right.

[Andreas K]

Does anyone know what the primary language will be for TAM Zürich? Although Zürich is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, there are 4 official languages...and I don't speak any of them.

I'm totally pumped about this, but if it's all going to be in German, I don't think I'll go.

Cheers.

The idea is to organise the first-ever skeptics conference entirely in Romansch :-)

No seriously, the goal is to offer a mix of English and German talks and simultaneous translation for both languages. There definitively are French and Italian speakers who would add great value to the programme, e.g. Umberto Eco, who's a member of the Italian skeptics, but whether we can go beyond translation from more languages remains to be seen.

The Swiss Freethinkers, who came up with the idea of organising a skeptics conference under the TAM label, are keen to make the event very worthwhile for English monolinguals.

We also want to offer 'skeptic couchsurfing' for people on a tight budget.

[DocM]

Well, as someone who speaks both German and English, I say save the money and get translators for French and Italian instead. :)

But seriously: I really hope you can make this work. TAM London was great, but it was very much a TAM UK. TAM Zürich could be the first real TAM Europe and move the JREF from an International (as in: Great Britain and it's former colonies) to an International (as in: International) organisation.

If anybody feels slightly intimidated because they expect that all the multilingual people at TAM Zürich will grin smugly at the more monolingual native English speakers... Well, you got a year - start learning a second language. :D

[Andreas K]

Well, you got a year - start learning a second language. :D

:-)

Maybe we should offer a tailored course: a Skeptic's guide to German - 5 terms a day every rationalist should know.

[Allecher]

Andreas, you are probably kidding but I would actually love that! I have taken beginning German courses so adding some rationalist terms might help me read German texts without translation.

[exarch]

I can say a number of useful things in German, but I don't think I have the first clue about how to write them.
I also can't ask people to translate them from English because the forum profanity filter would just asterisk them out :D

[bozothedeathmachine]

:-)

Maybe we should offer a tailored course: a Skeptic's guide to German - 5 terms a day every rationalist should know.

1. Quatsch

[jj-158]

English. But I wouldn't count on there being a TAM Switzerland, based on some things I have heard.

Don't know for sure. Just little tidbits of things I am hearing. We'll see. I hope I'm wrong.

What did we learn from this?

[bozothedeathmachine]

Well, you got a year - start learning a second
language. :D

How about a compromise: High German only. Granted I can't speak that at the skill level I'd need either. But I really doubt I could do the double translation from English ==> German ==> Swiss German in time.

[DocM]

How about a compromise: High German only. Granted I can't speak that at the skill level I'd need either. But I really doubt I could do the double translation from English ==> German ==> Swiss German in time.

Well, considering the average talking speed of the Swiss, you'd have plenty of time to get a translation from somebody else... :D

Just kidding! (Well, mostly.) At TAM 8 I was amazed by the number of people who started talking to me in German once they found out where I'm from. Nevertheless, I assume that the main language at TAM Zürich would still be English, simply because more people speak that language. But it would be nice to try to provide translations for the talk. Not everybody speaks English, not even every skeptic.

[Andreas K]

Well, considering the average talking speed of the Swiss, you'd have plenty of time to get a translation from somebody else... :D

Just kidding! (Well, mostly.)

It won't be TAM Berne! Zürich's the place to be.

Andreas, you are probably kidding but I would actually love that! I have taken beginning German courses so adding some rationalist terms might help me read German texts without translation.

Ok, how about getting started on Sept 9th for a 1 year countdown? And in the meantime you can practice the pronunciation of «Quatsch».

[Allecher]

I agree with Hans on the pronunciation = http://www.forvo.com/word/quatsch/

[nene]

1. Quatsch

2. Quacksalber

[UnrepentantSinner]

Well, considering the average talking speed of the Swiss, you'd have plenty of time to get a translation from somebody else... :D

Just kidding! (Well, mostly.) At TAM 8 I was amazed by the number of people who started talking to me in German once they found out where I'm from. Nevertheless, I assume that the main language at TAM Zürich would still be English, simply because more people speak that language. But it would be nice to try to provide translations for the talk. Not everybody speaks English, not even every skeptic.

English is the new lingua franca. :)