Dances with Wolves : Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

It was painful to watch Costner portraying Dunbar timidly offering halting English words to communicate with the Indians. Then, from there, in the course of only a few months of language immersion, he becomes fluent in Lakota. It's hard enough to absorb a relatively easy-to-learn language, like Spanish - but a complex language like Lakota?!? Naah, I'm not buying it.

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

You'd be surprised how fast you can pick up a language when you're immersed in it and are motivated.

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

Having majored in languages and lived in several continents, I would, indeed, be surprised. There's more to learning a language than simply immersing one's self in it and magically absorbing it. Don't be misled by Rosetta Stone commercials; there's more required than merely soaking it in.

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

Cool story

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

Well, he does learn the language over several months and/or years. And he had a translator to help him out.

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

I think movieguy789 wanted an extra few hours devoted to Dunbar practicing linguistics, and a subplot revolving around his attempts to correct his grammar in night classes and learning to stress his vowels properly. Would have been riveting.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

Kicking Bird seemed fluent in English by the end, though

Re: Dunbar communicating in English, then Lakota.

Do we actually know how much time he ends up spending with the tribe?

I also thought he learned it very quickly, taking into account how difficult this language is. I'm jealous:)
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