Cunning Linguists raise your hands - second language anyone?

[Keroin]

I found this really cool article today, about how languages are learned.

How many languages do you speak and how fluently? If you have a second or third language, when did you learn it?

English is my first language. I began learning French when I was about eight and continued until I was 17 - but only in school and I never kept it up. I have studied Spanish on my own and have had a fair bit of immersion; I can converse at the level of about a seven year old I studied Russian for six months in uni but my work load was too heavy so I had to give it up - love that alphabet! I lived in Japan for a year, teaching conversational English, and learned a bit of the language. I would have learned more but everyone always wanted to practice their English with me.

I'd really love to become at least semi fluent in Spanish and then maybe Italian.

 

[graceanne]

I used to speak ASL (american sign language) really well. But since my grandma died I'm losing it. I'm really clumsy and have to think hard to remember signs.

I don't have anyone to sign with.

Beyond that, I have a basic grasp of written latin languages. I was an aide in the spanish three class when I was in highschool, and used to amaze my teacher at my grasp at what was going on. (The kids were only allowed to speak spanish in class.) But it boiled down to watching what she was writing on the board.

I can't speak spanish for shit, though.

I had a friend, though that could speak SIX languages. Armenian, Russian, English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. I asked her what she was going to do when she returned to Armenia, and she said 'translate most likely'. Duh. lol

 

[Keroin]

I used to speak ASL (american sign language) really well. But since my grandma died I'm losing it. I'm really clumsy and have to think hard to remember signs.

I don't have anyone to sign with.

Beyond that, I have a basic grasp of written latin languages. I was an aide in the spanish three class when I was in highschool, and used to amaze my teacher at my grasp at what was going on. (The kids were only allowed to speak spanish in class.) But it boiled down to watching what she was writing on the board.

I can't speak spanish for shit, though.

Spanish is such a beautiful spoken language. Everything sounds better in Spanish, IMO.

 

[Shankara20]

Only one - my native US English. I say with some disappointment.

I took French in high school many many years ago and still have a word or two or three I recognize.

Ten years ago I wanted to learn Brazilian Portuguese. I took college course, tape programs and considered moving to Brazil for immersion but, alas, it never came to pass. My age, a learning disability and a spot of laziness have kept me mono-lingual.

 

[graceanne]

Spanish is such a beautiful spoken language. Everything sounds better in Spanish, IMO.

I think it's beautiful. But I have a HORRIBLE accent. As a rule I try not to butcher beautiful languages by speaking them. lol

I've considered getting the muzzy for the kids, but haven't been able to afford it.

 

[bridgeburner]

An Egyptian friend of my brother's speaks 7 languages. I was super impressed until I found out his mom speaks 11.

I have a serious case of lingual envy.

I took Latin from 7th grade through 9th and then changed schools and had to switch languages. I picked French which I never got very good at. I could read it a lot better than I could speak it --- the coolest thing was realizing that I was no longer translating into English in my head when I was reading.

I spoke enough at 16 to get around France okay, but I've since lost pretty much all of it. I can say "I'm sorry, I don't speak French" with a lovely accent and apparently order croissants at a French bakery in San Francisco well enough for them to think I'm a native speaker. THAT was wild.

Maybe if I ever go back I should only speak English, but with a French accent and then I can insist to everyone that I meet that I'm practicing my English and will not respond to French.

 

[Keroin]

Only one - my native US English. I say with some disappointment.

I took French in high school many many years ago and still have a word or two or three I recognize.

Ten years ago I wanted to learn Brazilian Portuguese. I took college course, tape programs and considered moving to Brazil for immersion but, alas, it never came to pass. My age, a learning disability and a spot of laziness have kept me mono-lingual.

That is a shame. I remember the first time I had a conversation with someone, in Mexico, in Spanish...and they understood me! It was the coolest feeling in the world. When I travel, I always make a point to learn at least the basic phrases of the local language. Here, it is really, really hard. Tough language, Maori.

I've heard Portuguese is also quite difficult.

 

[Keroin]

An Egyptian friend of my brother's speaks 7 languages. I was super impressed until I found out his mom speaks 11.

I have a serious case of lingual envy.

I took Latin from 7th grade through 9th and then changed schools and had to switch languages. I picked French which I never got very good at. I could read it a lot better than I could speak it --- the coolest thing was realizing that I was no longer translating into English in my head when I was reading.

I spoke enough at 16 to get around France okay, but I've since lost pretty much all of it. I can say "I'm sorry, I don't speak French" with a lovely accent and apparently order croissants at a French bakery in San Francisco well enough for them to think I'm a native speaker. THAT was wild.

Maybe if I ever go back I should only speak English, but with a French accent and then I can insist to everyone that I meet that I'm practicing my English and will not respond to French.

LOL. I think I would have done better with French if it had been my idea but because Canada is "bilingual" I was required to have it if I wanted to attend uni. You know how kids are when you force them to do things. Sigh.

Europeans are so lucky, they have so much exposure to other languages.

 

[graceanne]

LOL. I think I would have done better with French if it had been my idea but because Canada is "bilingual" I was required to have it if I wanted to attend uni. You know how kids are when you force them to do things. Sigh.

Europeans are so lucky, they have so much exposure to other languages.

I didn't have to take a language class, cause I already spoke sign language.

 

[Harmony_1985]

I took French all the way through my upper school years. I have an AS Level in it, but sadly I've not kept it up and my knowledge has been pushed out of my brain to make way for other crap lol.

 

[SimonBrooke]

I found this really cool article today, about how languages are learned.

How many languages do you speak and how fluently? If you have a second or third language, when did you learn it?

I'd really love to become at least semi fluent in Spanish and then maybe Italian.

I can bullshit well enough in both French and German to get by (except in Paris); on the whole people are very patient with you if you at least make an effort to speak their language. I speak adequate Scots and good English (yes, I'm ashamed it isn't the other way round, but that's the truth; an forbye thon, i this airt there's no a wheen o fowk tae claik Scots wi, aeblins).

I have an ambition to learn Icelandic.

 

[Keroin]

I can bullshit well enough in both French and German to get by (except in Paris); on the whole people are very patient with you if you at least make an effort to speak their language. I speak adequate Scots and good English (yes, I'm ashamed it isn't the other way round, but that's the truth; an forbye thon, i this airt there's no a wheen o fowk tae claik Scots wi, aeblins).

I have an ambition to learn Icelandic.

The part in bold has been my experience as well.

The place I used to have my little beach shack, in Mexico, was populated mostly by American snowbirds escaping the winter. They'd spend eight months of the year there but since they were all together they didn't need much Spanish. Now, I loved all those folks but it always disappointed me how little effort most of them made to learn anything beyond hello, goodbye, please and thank you. How many times have I heard N. Americans bitch about, "If they want to live in our country they should damn well learn to speak the language!" Seems it's a one way street.

Why the difficulty in Paris?

 

[bridgeburner]

I can bullshit well enough in both French and German to get by (except in Paris); on the whole people are very patient with you if you at least make an effort to speak their language. I speak adequate Scots and good English (yes, I'm ashamed it isn't the other way round, but that's the truth; an forbye thon, i this airt there's no a wheen o fowk tae claik Scots wi, aeblins).

I have an ambition to learn Icelandic.

How similar really is the accent between Icelandic and Scots Gaelic? I knew in theory for years that Irish and Scots Gaelic weren't the same, but until I'd heard both it didn't really hit me how not the same they are.

It never occurred to me that Scots would sound Scandinavian, but it does --- at least to me, anyway. I'm not sure why that was shocking to me. Call it a fault of typical poor understanding of world geography on the part of an American. I mean, duh, what countries are closest to Scotland? What peoples invaded? Of course there's bound to be some sounds of that in the language.

But Irish Gaelic sounds more latinate to me and I know it isn't a Romance Language.

Or maybe my ears are just off.

 

[HoHoBomb]

I feel sorry for people who only know one language.

 

[Shankara20]

I've heard Portuguese is also quite difficult.

I find it, Brazilian Portuguese, more beautiful then Spanish or French - but then I may have just made a strong association in my mind with the language, the fresh fruit and the lovely people in Brazil when I traveled there.

My altered state of mind may have helped as well, but that is another story for another time....

 

[ShyGuy68]

Let's see:

1. Danish is my native language, so I speak and write that fluently

2. English, which I started learning in the 5th or 6th grade, and it got a real boost when I was an exchange student in the US in '85/'86. After that I tried to keep it up by reading English books, but the real boost came after I started to get on-line and chat about 10 years ago. So I'm almost fluently in it. My written English isn't perfect, I'll admit that, but I get along.

3. German. It's not as good as it used to be, since I haven't used it much for the last 5 years or so. In the 10th grade I went to a German boarding school in Denmark, and the language on the school was German, so I became fluently in it. I can still understand quite a bit of German, and if I live with it for a couple of weeks, I'm sure I'll get it back. But I never became that good in writing it.

4. Swedish. My mom remarried to a Swede, so I've picked up quite a bit of it, and can understand most written and spoken Swedish. And just so you know it, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian arn't that far from each other, so you can usually grasp the meaning of it.

 

[shy slave]

How similar really is the accent between Icelandic and Scots Gaelic? I knew in theory for years that Irish and Scots Gaelic weren't the same, but until I'd heard both it didn't really hit me how not the same they are.

It never occurred to me that Scots would sound Scandinavian, but it does --- at least to me, anyway. I'm not sure why that was shocking to me. Call it a fault of typical poor understanding of world geography on the part of an American. I mean, duh, what countries are closest to Scotland? What peoples invaded? Of course there's bound to be some sounds of that in the language.

But Irish Gaelic sounds more latinate to me and I know it isn't a Romance Language.

Or maybe my ears are just off.

There are similarities between Danish and Scots language, although the Danes have the glottal stop that the Scots do not have.

Some words are similar in spelling as well.

Scottish - Kirk = Church
Danish - Kirke = Church

But they are pronounced differently.

I can only speak English, but I know a few bits of danish.
Despite trying to learn it for two years the only thing I can say well is

'Hello, my name is...., I am a slut' in danish



Edit to add: Shyguys english is perfect

 

[SimonBrooke]

The part in bold has been my experience as well.

The place I used to have my little beach shack, in Mexico, was populated mostly by American snowbirds escaping the winter. They'd spend eight months of the year there but since they were all together they didn't need much Spanish. Now, I loved all those folks but it always disappointed me how little effort most of them made to learn anything beyond hello, goodbye, please and thank you. How many times have I heard N. Americans bitch about, "If they want to live in our country they should damn well learn to speak the language!" Seems it's a one way street.

Why the difficulty in Paris?

The Parisians are very hostile to anyone who isn't Parisian. Even folk from provincial France don't stand a chance.

 

[Keroin]

Let's see:

1. Danish is my native language, so I speak and write that fluently

2. English, which I started learning in the 5th or 6th grade, and it got a real boost when I was an exchange student in the US in '85/'86. After that I tried to keep it up by reading English books, but the real boost came after I started to get on-line and chat about 10 years ago. So I'm almost fluently in it. My written English isn't perfect, I'll admit that, but I get along.

3. German. It's not as good as it used to be, since I haven't used it much for the last 5 years or so. In the 10th grade I went to a German boarding school in Denmark, and the language on the school was German, so I became fluently in it. I can still understand quite a bit of German, and if I live with it for a couple of weeks, I'm sure I'll get it back. But I never became that good in writing it.

4. Swedish. My mom remarried to a Swede, so I've picked up quite a bit of it, and can understand most written and spoken Swedish. And just so you know it, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian arn't that far from each other, so you can usually grasp the meaning of it.

Good for you, Mr Lingual! LOL.

The Swedes, Danes and Norwegians I've met here have all said that they can understand each other's languages pretty well. Finnish, on the other hand, they say is very different and very hard to learn. The Fins I've met have taught me a few words and, yeah, really tough language.

 

[Keroin]

I find it, Brazilian Portuguese, more beautiful then Spanish or French - but then I may have just made a strong association in my mind with the language, the fresh fruit and the lovely people in Brazil when I traveled there.

My altered state of mind may have helped as well, but that is another story for another time....

One of my stunt buddies now lives, most of the time, in Brazil. He loves it.

I hope you will share that other story someday.

 

[nh23]

I took four years of French in high school. Our last year we read novels in French. I don't remember a whole lot of it. Can't speak it for shit, but can figure out what a paragraph says.

I'm fluent in ASL, and signed English too.

 

[jockdom]

I'm fluent in german and I also speak fluent swiss german. Technicaly German is my first language since I was born in switzerland but now english is my stronger language.

It's quite funny how the scots dialect pronouniation is similar to german i.e loch.

I also speak a little Italian and spanish.

I've been to the Czech republic 3 times in the past year but I'm finding the language realy difficult.At least I can order a beer

 

[DVS]

I took Spanish in high school and with the many illegals hat are around, I have come to learn basic phrases in Spanish, that have helped me communicate.

I also know the ASL alphabet and some words, but not enough to watch someone else signing and understand them. I can get them to understand me, for the most part. It came in handy the other day, when a woman came in that couldn't talk, couldn't read lips and others were forced to write notes back and forth with her. I could at least get her to understand me, with my limited use of the alphabet.

I grew up with a deaf woman and have worked with a couple of deaf people, so I've been able to put my limited use of their language to work. The trouble is, when they find out I know a little, they are so glad that they have someone to talk to, they sign too fast and I have to tell them to G-O S-L-O-W.

I am best at the universal languages...love and music. Communicating with someone through music is always cool. No matter what language you speak, music can always be enjoyed.

Now, that language of love, I think we all understand that...

 

[SimonBrooke]

How similar really is the accent between Icelandic and Scots Gaelic? I knew in theory for years that Irish and Scots Gaelic weren't the same, but until I'd heard both it didn't really hit me how not the same they are.

Wow, what a question... they're completely different language families, and they sound completely different. But whether a Gaelic speaker speaking Icelandic... no, my brain can't even wrap round the question. Not very at all, I think is the answer.

It never occurred to me that Scots would sound Scandinavian, but it does --- at least to me, anyway. I'm not sure why that was shocking to me. Call it a fault of typical poor understanding of world geography on the part of an American. I mean, duh, what countries are closest to Scotland? What peoples invaded? Of course there's bound to be some sounds of that in the language.

Scots sounds quite like Scandinavian because it is strongly influenced by Scandinavian languages - but Scots isn't anything like Gaelic (a confusion people often make)

 

[DVS]

I once dated an International operator for Braniff airlines. Yep, that was a loing time ago. I think she spoke 8 languages fluently. She could talk sexy and say something in another language that would always be cool.

Shit, as far as I knew, she was just saying "take the dog out for his walk" or maybe "you fuck like a donkey" but because it sounded cool, I got off on it.

Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French were her big ones. But, she had to be pretty good at them all to be able to schedule flights for these people, when they called.