Languages!

[Evvie]

I am curious as to what languages people here speak. I know a lot of European ladies speak fancy European languages. Like Swedish!

I really like linguistics a lot, but because I'm an American I only speak English. However I'm currently learning Spanish (with the help of Busuu) and I'm currently averaging about the coherency of a 3 or 4 year old. Yes! I do words good.

What other languages do you guys know, or want to learn?

 

[BlueViolet]

I only speak English fluently, but I've been studying languages as a hobby since I was about eleven.

I took four years of Spanish and four years of French in school, but I learned more outside of school than anything else. I can understand a lot of the languages and know probably every 5 - 10 words so I can follow TV shows decently ("Oh, yeah, that's his daughter--her daughter is heartbroken, though, because she misses her ex--yeah, that guy right there is her ex. He says he doesn't care about her, but he just told so-and-so that he is going to the library where she told him to meet her at.") My mom and I watch a lot of Spanish soap operas...

I can answer basic questions but I don't feel comfortable attempting to converse yet, I need to brush up a lot more again.

I also used to study German pretty hard and try to learn about 100 flash cards a day and refresh from the day before while learning new ones. I think I studied it for a few months before I got too busy. I also used to have Japanese language learning software, I probably can understand conversational Japanese about the same level I can of Spanish but that's just because I'm a geek and anime and stuff.

 

[Bocefish]

I can also speak Canadian & Australian

 

[Nordling]

I wish there were immersion programs available in public schools at the HS level. I took a year of Spanish but other than a handful of obvious words, I totally suck. lol Is it possible to have a negative aptitude for foreign language? My mom spoke Norwegian a lot when I was growing up, so even immersion may not work for me. lol

 

[Loslonelyboy]

I speak the language of LOVE (in my deepest Barry White voice)! :love7: :lol:

 

[LadyLuna]

I speak American, and write formal and mostly formal American (but not much txt tlk or 1337).

I vaguely know French.

I'd like to know: French, German, Celtic, Japanese, English, Australian.

 

[Always_Tim]

Aside from English, the only language I know very well is Latin, thanks to four years of it in high school. I'm a bit rusty, but I can still read it pretty well.

I've made some effort to learn a bit of French (as my girlfriend's parents are French) but I'm pretty hopeless at it, although I can read menus and such. I can also read a bit of Spanish and Italian, mostly from my Latin vocabulary. (But really, the Latin is more useful for learning English vocabulary than anything else. I took some ancient Greek in college, but I was awful at it and again it's only useful for expanding English knowledge.)

So I'm pretty much English-only, like most Americans.

 

[Lintilla]

Just English and my first language, Canadian English. I speak enough French to get by in Quebec, but it's not like I've been in many areas of the province where the majority doesn't speak English fairly well. I was alright with Latin at one point, but I've been losing it since high school. I actually bought some texts not long ago with the intention of brushing up and going further. Since moving to the US I've wanted to learn Spanish somewhat, and I feel like that gives me a leeeeeetle bit of a start. Haven't bothered with it yet.

Besides that, when exasperated I'm known to substitute an oy vey or an aiya for a sigh I can say a few completely pointless things in German.

I'm more interested in accents and dialects. I've moved around the midwest and various parts of Canada, and it's funny how the tiniest differences in how you pronounce a word or your vocabulary can give your home away. I poke around at sites like these quite a little bit: North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns, International Dialects of English Archive, Accents of English
from Around the World

I love watching shows like "The Geordie Shore" and realizing that if I visited certain parts of the world, despite the fact that they speak the same language as I do, I'd probably need a translator.

Still need to record myself reading "Comma Gets a Cure".

 

[AllisonWilder]

I took four years of French in high school and while I can't speak French fluently, I can read it fairly well.

All the Spanish I can speak I learned from Dora the Explorer. :lol:

 

[Rose]

English is my first language but I can read French. I used to speak French fluently, but haven't had any practice in some time so it comes out very choppy now. :?

 

[ThePioneer]

I took Spanish in high school and college but never really used it outside of class so it never really stuck with me. Going back and learning to speak it fluently is something that I'd like to do someday.

 

[JoleneBrody]

I speak 'Murican but not sure I can say fluently. :lol:
My mom was a Spanish teacher all my life growing up and her husband is from Mexico City and Spanish is his first language so my home spoke primarily Spanish, except me.
My mom was an ESL (English as a second language) tutor on the weekends when I was little and did home tutoring. I spent a lot of time playing with the students children up until I was about 6 and apparently spoke Spanish pretty well. After starting school and not being actually taught the language anymore like I was being taught English I lost it all and just never seemed to pick it back up.

I'm pretty much down to quoting "Encino Man" these days.

 

[gigolo_joe]

English and not much more than greetings in Spanish. I would like to be able to speak more Spanish it would come in handy and from what I understand it is one of the easiest languages to learn.

 

[Shaun__]

I only know English, but I am above average at understanding it.

 

[Mirra]

They started pushing Spanish classes on us in Elementary school. I took it through high school and tested into the 2nd level of it when I went to college... but I am utterly hopeless when it comes to speaking it. Reading it or hearing it I do passably at understanding. I once had it in my head to learn several languages but never did anything with that desire. Maybe one day.

 

[GreatDane]

American English is my first language, always has been. Have picked up some Romanian from real life, not just cam rooms, I know some Spanish and some French. I am fluent in Sarcasm, Drunkenese, and am fairly decent in babblese (basic's gibbering) from immersion into the natural habitat known as the wilds of the unblocked rooms of MFC and have been working on figuring out the babble of the Lounge, any help on that one would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MrRodry]

Engrish and portuguese. My spanish suck balls too. I call him Señor Pablo Chuplito.

 

[LilyMarie]

I speak English, French and German. I also had Latin in school for 6 years and I think I'd still be able to translate simple sentences.

I'd love to be able to speak Spanish! It sounds so nice.
It would also be cool to speak Dutch because I've been there so many times in my life and it's super similar to German so I can already understand most of it.

 

[JoleneBrody]

Engrish and portuguese. My spanish suck balls too. I call him Señor Pablo Chuplito.

I though you spoke Brazilian!
...
...
........
...........

*rimshot!

 

[Evvie]

I wish there were immersion programs available in public schools at the HS level. I took a year of Spanish but other than a handful of obvious words, I totally suck. lol Is it possible to have a negative aptitude for foreign language? My mom spoke Norwegian a lot when I was growing up, so even immersion may not work for me. lol

As far as immersion goes, that's why I like Busuu.com (suggested to me here on ACF )

It's a free website that offers lessons (not like Rosetta Stone level, but again, free) in pretty much any language. You can correct lessons of other members in your own languages. The best feature, IMO, is that you can chat or speak with people who speak your target language. Generally, if you want to learn Spanish, you'll speak to someone who knows Spanish but wants to learn English. Which creates some highly interesting situations when both of you are at a translation dead-end and trying to figure out how to communicate a phrase.

Everyone on that site is pretty awesome and it definitely gives you a ton of confidence in a conversational setting.

 

[LolasLiger]

I was actually thrown out of French at school because the teacher decided I was bringing the standard of the class down. I've managed to pick up a passable spattering since then. I can read a little German but only if it happens to relate to some horrible weapon of mass destruction from WW2.

However, I am fluent in four South Asian languages, and I suppose my English is a passable (as a Londoner who now resides in Bristol, I have picked up too many bad habits to claim to be fluent in English :-D )

 

[KristinKervz]

I only speak English but by now I should be a fluent Spanish speaker, had my computer not taken a shit when I had Rosetta Stone on it.

For anyone who wants to learn another language, Rosetta Stone is fucking AMAZING. It can work for anyone. In fact, when I get it again I plan to learn with my 3 1/2 year old step daughter. They don't speak a single word of your native language yet you still manage to catch on. They show you pictures of what they're saying and it all just clicks when you're tested. It's the same way babies learn their first language. I promise it's well worth the price.

 

[LadyLuna]

I only speak English but by now I should be a fluent Spanish speaker, had my computer not taken a shit when I had Rosetta Stone on it.

For anyone who wants to learn another language, Rosetta Stone is fucking AMAZING. It can work for anyone. In fact, when I get it again I plan to learn with my 3 1/2 year old step daughter. They don't speak a single word of your native language yet you still manage to catch on. They show you pictures of what they're saying and it all just clicks when you're tested. It's the same way babies learn their first language. I promise it's well worth the price.

Did they not give you a way to load it on any computer you own? I know that Barnes and Nobles had the cd's last time I looked (which, admittedly, was a couple years ago...). Or is it just that you haven't gotten around to reinstalling it?

 

[AnitaTipp]

I am learning Japanese for the most part and some Korean. I suck at learning languages so its taking a little longer than it should. I can't speak it very well yet or read it but I can understand a lot of what is said in both.

 

[KristinKervz]

I only speak English but by now I should be a fluent Spanish speaker, had my computer not taken a shit when I had Rosetta Stone on it.

For anyone who wants to learn another language, Rosetta Stone is fucking AMAZING. It can work for anyone. In fact, when I get it again I plan to learn with my 3 1/2 year old step daughter. They don't speak a single word of your native language yet you still manage to catch on. They show you pictures of what they're saying and it all just clicks when you're tested. It's the same way babies learn their first language. I promise it's well worth the price.

Did they not give you a way to load it on any computer you own? I know that Barnes and Nobles had the cd's last time I looked (which, admittedly, was a couple years ago...). Or is it just that you haven't gotten around to reinstalling it?

Actually my ex husband downloaded it illegally when I was with him. I'm a horrible person :/
I didn't ask him to do it before, so I'm definitely not gonna ask him this time lol. I'll just wait until someone buys it off my wishlist hehe.

 

[nancy_raygun]

I used to be almost fluent in tourist Japanese (there wasn't a lot of focus on conversational or formal) but after I got out of high school, I stopped studying and eventually lost a good deal of info.

I do plan on picking it back up though as well as possibly French or Italian, maybe both. Even though I doubt I'll ever go to Japan, I think the language is interesting and fun and makes a lot more sense than English.

 

[AliceDoe]

I am very fluent in both Swedish and English, Swedish being my first language. English-speaking people I meet are often surprised at the way I can casually correct their English, or find the word they're looking for and finish a sentence they've started. I'm above average, and it's because I'm sort of a perfectionist when it comes to language and words - I always want to find the perfect word for what I'm trying to say!

I would love to learn a lot of languages! Hebrew, because it's simple and I've already picked some up while I was in Israel. Mandarin, because China is pretty much taking over the world. French, because it's French! Greek, because of a funny saying we've got in Swedish ("It's like pure Greek to me" to explain that you're not understanding anything). Meänkieli, because it's the language of my ancestors.

Spanish would be useful to know, but I don't have a more interesting reason than that to want to learn it

 

[LiLredhairedgrl]

I speak spanish pretty well. I took a few classes in high school and college, but most of what I learned was from the kitchen staff at this small breakfast restaurant where I was a server. The dishwasher was this old man who didn't speak a lick of English, and all the cooks were his sons. Right away when I started working there, I told the boys how much I wanted to learn spanish, and while they didn't take me seriously at first (curse words and insults were all that I learned for a while), eventually they were ONLY speaking spanish to me...and I was encouraged to always try to say whatever I had to say to them in spanish as well. They were always offering up new vocabulary for me, and would correct me when I got things wrong, and after four and a half years of this, one day I realized I was pretty goddamn fluent in spanish! The best thing about learning from the boys is that I actually spoke like normal people, not just text book gringo style. Whenever I served families who spoke spanish, I was encouraged to do the same, and once I actually had a family ask me if I grew up in Mexico, my pronunciation was so right on.... :-D The boys were so proud of me! Unfortunately, I haven't been using my spanish for quite some time, and my skills may have diminished somewhat...(I do however curse in spanish all the time, and rather eloquently I'm proud to say!)

I miss those boys, I saw a few of them get married and was always invited to their big family fun functions with tons of incredible food where I would be encouraged to eat and eat and eat some more...(They always called me 'flacita'--even the gringo server girls were calling me flaca after a while!) :mrgreen:

:lol:

 

[Always_Tim]

Greek, because of a funny saying we've got in Swedish ("It's like pure Greek to me" to explain that you're not understanding anything).

We have the same saying in English, too.

Wikipedia has an interesting list of equivalent sayings of in various languages.

 

[Meoff_69]

I'm pretty much down to quoting "Encino Man" these days.

Ummm...just curious. How do you say, "No butts, chill!" and "No more weezing da ju-uuuice" in Espanol? :-D