(Tia tells us about the languages used on the base where 80% of the personnel are Sirian. We find out why English is the second most popular language and some examples of the problems she was having in learning Sirian.) 

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Skip: that’s all right, no, no, no, I’m listening, I’m all ears.

Tia: well none of us are perfect except for me.

Skip: now wait just a minute…..

Tia: well you said you were all ears but I do make mistakes, I will mix words up and I will make statements that don’t mesh.

Skip: are you talking about English or American English?

Tia: I’m talking about English overall whether it is American or British English, I still mess up on the gist of things from time to time. Like I'll transpose words or put them around the wrong way or use words that I think mean one thing that actually mean something totally different.

Skip: that would be a natural mistake because our language is reversed of all the rest of the world’s languages.

Tia: it’s pretty mixed up too.

Skip: yeah.

Tia: uh-huh.

John: now are you using your computer and headset to speak to us in fluent English or as fluent as you can get?

Tia: as fluent as I can get.

John: okay my question is as far as languages and being fluent in language, okay what language do you speak when you communicate non-telepathically, when you verbally communicate on Hades Base, what language do you use?

Tia: I use English because it’s the most easily understood by a majority of people. Very few people understand Durondedunn up here and my Sirian sucks to say the least.

John: okay so English is a universal kind of language?

Tia: no, it’s because it is the most commonly spoken language on your planet……

John: correct.

Tia: it is the most commonly language spoken up here because it’s like a Esperanza? It's a language that is used because your flight institutes use it, your schools use it, your computer people use it…..

John: right, okay I know what we use it on this planet, why do you use it on Hades Base?

Tia: because it’s the most frequently used language on your planet and because we watch your planet, we have to understand what is being said in English so everybody up here speaks a certain amount of English except for some of the flight personnel and the technicians and some of our engineering staff, they don’t speak a word of English but they all speak some Earth language, well a majority of them anyway.

Skip: in other words it’s a tool.

Tia: yeah uh-huh.

Skip: it’s a primary tool.

Tia: yeah, it’s important, most of the news reports I listen to…..

Skip: it’s just like……..can I make an example?

Tia: yes sure.

Skip: all carpenters use a hammer….

Tia: uh-huh.

Skip: I don’t care what language they speak, they use a hammer.

Tia: yeah, even on Durondedunn we use hammers.

Skip: but this is what I’m trying to say, you’re a professional in what you're doing so the tool you use is English.

Tia: uh-huh.

Skip: the same as a carpenter would use a hammer.

Tia: yeah, I will use a computer to translate into English if necessary.

Skip: there you go, there you go but it’s still a tool.

Tia: uh-huh, besides my bond mate speaks English so I have to speak English (Mark). His Durondedunn is so bad it’s ridiculous.

Skip: all right.

Tia: okay Johnny?

John: yeah far as would you say your first language is……I’m going to ask you a question about language......

Tia: obviously.

John: I'm going to be staying on the same subject. Is your first language Durondedunn?

Tia: yes.

John: okay and if you’re not speaking to someone in Durondedunn or English……

Tia: uh-huh.

John: is there another common language that you use?

Tia: I’m learning Sirian at the moment and…..

John: okay is Sirian pretty common across the universe?

Tia: oh yes, throughout the base it’s very common. I should say about 80% of the staff are Sirian and therefore they speak one dialect or another of Sirian.