Mother Tongue

[woodgie2]

OK, So it's impossible for everyone here to have English as a mother tongue. My Pixie for instance, is a Finn. Therefore was brought up speaking suomi.

What's YOUR mother tongue? And what languages have you learned, at school or elsewhere, are you fluent?. Are you one of those lucky bi-lingual people who have 2 (maybe even more) Mother Tongues?

I ask because I'm ashamed that I only speak English. I speak some Africaans (from my dad, who's English/Africaans bi-lingual. Being born and raised in South Africa) and some Dutch (from living there for 5 years) but neither to any great extent. I've tried to learn languages but never had much talent for it.

So all you people out there, what languages do you speak?

[edited because (oh, irony) I can't spell...]

 

[Bindii]

I probably shouldn't reply to this thread...English is my mother tongue and I speak Croatian - I'm not fluent; knowing just enough to get by.

But I thought your thread was worth a bump!

 

[Guest]

 

[woodgie2]

I probably shouldn't reply to this thread...English is my mother tongue and I speak Croatian - I'm not fluent; knowing just enough to get by.

But I thought your thread was worth a bump!

An interesting, if little used eastern European language. My one time wife is Czech, the only thing I ever learned to say was "I hate you". Well, I heard it so often..!

 

[woodgie2]

Oh, and Bindii?

I LOVE your sig line!

 

[Bindii]

An interesting, if little used eastern European language. My one time wife is Czech, the only thing I ever learned to say was "I hate you". Well, I heard it so often..!

Actually Croatian is widely used in my family - my SO's family are Croatian immigrants and most speak very little English.

The first thing I learnt in Croatian was how to swear like a trooper!

Oh, and Bindii?

I LOVE your sig line!

Thanks! It made me giggle.

 

[woodgie2]

Actually Croatian is widely used in my family - my SO's family are Croatian immigrants and most speak very little English.

The first thing I learnt was how to swear like a trooper!

A DAMN fine part of any language.

 

[Bindii]

A DAMN fine part of any language.

Lol

Lets just say I have plenty of opportunity to use certain words...

 

[CarolineOh]

I grew up semi-bi-lingually. My Grandmother spoke very little English, and in her house Polish was the primary language. But my Dad was insistent that we speak only English at home, Like many 2nd generation Americans, he was a fanatic about losing his European heritage.
So I can get by a little in Polish.
I took a year of German in high school, but I don't retain much of it.

 

[woodgie2]

I grew up semi-bi-lingually. My Grandmother spoke very little English, and in her house Polish was the primary language. But my Dad was insistent that we speak only English at home, Like many 2nd generation Americans, he was a fanatic about losing his European heritage.
So I can get by a little in Polish.
I took a year of German in high school, but I don't retain much of it.

I think that's sad. My dad wanted to bring my sister and me up speaking Africaans too, but my mum vetoed it as she didn't speak it and didn't want us speaking behind her back.

Me? If ever I had kids with a woman who spoke another language I'd DEMAND they learn it!

 

[Demian]

I'm trying to understand Rap

I can't make heads or tails of it

 

[just pet]

My mother tongue is English.
I was fluent and literate in French and Russian, but as LL said, not using it, I can only get by if everyone talks r-e-a-l-l-y slow. Still can read and understand both. Living in Southern California, I have picked up some Spanish and have written poetry in Spanish as well (easier to sound profound in this Romantic language). I speak a smattering of Mandarin, recognizing some characters. I certainly recognize a few characters on this Board.

 

[Vinny]

Here is my one talent

I grew up speaking English but am also Polish and Italian. To add to the list, I can speak Japanese, Tagalog, Cebuano, Bicolano, Wari, and Ilacano.

 

[morninggirl5]

My native language is English. I took one year of French in high school and hated it. The two years of Latin in high school and one year in college, i loved. (But you knew i was a strange one already, didn't you)

I have a very limited vocabulary in Spanish, enough to communicate the basics to students who don't yet speak English when they come to my class.

 

[WickedAsianBabe]

I can speak English and Cantonese. I can understand some Greek and Spanish and French.

I definitely understand and use body language!

 

[Vinny]

ok sexy

lets speak to eachother in body language then

 

[Guest]

My mother tongue is English but my second language is Kituwah (dialect of Tsalagi or Cherokee).
I also speak a bit of Spanish.

 

[WickedAsianBabe]

Re: ok sexy

lets speak to eachother in body language then

Hmm, I thought we already were?

 

[woodgie2]

Re: Here is my one talent

I grew up speaking English but am also Polish and Italian. To add to the list, I can speak Japanese, Tagalog, Cebuano, Bicolano, Wari, and Ilacano.

And the ones after Japanese are from..?

 

[woodgie2]

I can speak English and Cantonese. I can understand some Greek and Spanish and French.

I definitely understand and use body language!

Body Language, one I'd overlooked.

Anyone out there speak in touch language (The one developed from sign language, you dirty minded bunch! )

And Sign Language? Either British or American?

 

[riff]

The book "Mother Tongue: A history of English and How It Got That Way" is a good one.

 

[woodgie2]

My mother tongue is English but my second language is Kituwah (dialect of Tsalagi or Cherokee).
I also speak a bit of Spanish.

Now that's an interesting one for me as I know nary a thing about the native American languages. What can you tell me about it?

 

[Kasha]

I hate to admit it but I only speak English. I never studied any other languages in school. While in Junior high I had a Latin class but the class was ended when the schoolboard decided that it was a dead language.

I am from the Houston area where Spanish is spoken by a large part of the population... I am surprised that they didn't have that as a required course while I was in school.

I have thought quite a bit about learning some other languages, such as Italian, Spanish, French and possibly German. My husband wants to learn German and Japanese. I had found a really cool interactive course that I could use on my computer...so that is what we will probably do. I think it was like 40$ and it came with 6 or 7 different languages.

It seemed like a cool way to learn because somehow the computer software hears your pronunciation and can correct you. LOL.. nothing like learning a language and trying to speak it to someone who really knows and them not knowing what the hell you are trying to say.

 

[woodgie2]

The book "Mother Tongue: A history of English and How It Got That Way" is a good one.

Do you have the ISBN of that book, or an author?

 

[woodgie2]

Originally posted by Kasha
I hate to admit it but I only speak English. I never studied any other languages in school. While in Junior high I had a Latin class but the class was ended when the schoolboard decided that it was a dead language.

We had a poem, when I was learning Latin (23 years ago):

Latin is a dead language,
Dead as dead can be.
It killed the ancient Romans,
And now it's killing me!