What languages can you speak?

Seltzer · 05-07-2009, 10:23 PM

Despite choosing the 'maths' route and studying software engineering, language has always been a big passion of mine. In fact, I didn't take any computing subjects at high school. Instead I took French and Latin and competed in French speaking contests.

Sadly I haven't had much time to pursue lingual interests since high school, though I did start learning Russian last year. In order to refresh my French, I've been reading some novels and trying to understand the French version of the Office. I regret not taking any Chinese papers at uni and I envy those born into an environment where multilingualism is a requirement. For me, reading/writing/speaking come fairly easily but I struggle with listening.

So this thread is for the discussion of language (both native and foreign) whether you are bilingual/trilingual by upbringing/compulsion, have studied a foreign language at school and liked/disliked it, are learning a new language for travel/business/pleasure, are studying linguistics or are simply fascinated by language in general.

~~CAPTAIN CAVEMAN~~ · 05-07-2009, 10:25 PM

mostly fluent in french, used to know basic spanish but i forgot it

the idea of being completely fluent/billingual, and learning more languages appeals very much to me... gonna keep taking french in college. i'd like to learn to understand/speak mandarin but the idea of learning the alphabet turns me off completely

lucifer_sam · 05-07-2009, 10:27 PM

i took about eight years of German but i'm not entirely confident in my ability to speak it. i can listen, read and understand it though, that's a plus.

333 · 05-07-2009, 11:57 PM

My first language was Vietnamese. Second: English. Sadly, my English is better than my Vietnamese. Also, I've been studying Spanish for about four years. I love learning new languages. It is especially interesting to compare and contrast different languages and dialects. I really believe if multilingualism became more popular, we could begin on a completely new level of understanding each other.

lucifer s.: are you in an environment that permits you to practice German?

**Janszoon** · 05-08-2009, 12:05 AM

English and an embarrassingly small amount of Spanish for a person with a Spanish-speaking parent. That's it.

TheBig3 · 05-09-2009, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

English and an embarrassingly small amount of Spanish for a person with a Spanish-speaking parent. That's it.

dude, you're spanish too, I didn't know that ****. Are you sure we're not related?

**Janszoon** · 05-09-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3KilledMyRainDog

dude, you're spanish too, I didn't know that ****. Are you sure we're not related?

Haha, you're spanish too? We're a rare breed on the south shore! I don't think anybody besides me in my high school graduating class was spanish.

Seltzer · 05-13-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adonai

Not really much. Russian, Latvian, English, German and a little bit of Korean.

Jealous!

My old French correspondence teacher was from Latvia. Sounds like a fascinating little country.

TheBig3 · 05-13-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Haha, you're spanish too? We're a rare breed on the south shore! I don't think anybody besides me in my high school graduating class was spanish.

There aren't, and because there aren't everyone assumed I was super spanish.

I'd get all of my military paraphernalia in Spanish. I ended up not joining the military because all of their good points were in comprehendible.

There were two kids in my school with my last name, and he was ESL and his parents didn't speak English.

to this day I get the "you're Spanish?!?!?!?!" comment from dip****s who think we're all deep brown and dance to mariachi.

333 · 05-08-2009, 12:09 AM

^ It's never too late. I heard after your third or so language, it's really not that bad. Right now, I feel like the more I learn of one language, the more I lose from the others. It could be a mental thing.

05-07-2009, 10:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Seltzer Fish in the percolator! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Hobbit Land NZ Posts: 2,914	What languages can you speak? Despite choosing the 'maths' route and studying software engineering, language has always been a big passion of mine. In fact, I didn't take any computing subjects at high school. Instead I took French and Latin and competed in French speaking contests. Sadly I haven't had much time to pursue lingual interests since high school, though I did start learning Russian last year. In order to refresh my French, I've been reading some novels and trying to understand the French version of the Office. I regret not taking any Chinese papers at uni and I envy those born into an environment where multilingualism is a requirement. For me, reading/writing/speaking come fairly easily but I struggle with listening. So this thread is for the discussion of language (both native and foreign) whether you are bilingual/trilingual by upbringing/compulsion, have studied a foreign language at school and liked/disliked it, are learning a new language for travel/business/pleasure, are studying linguistics or are simply fascinated by language in general. __________________ In the Court of King Crimson \| Last.fm \| RYM

05-07-2009, 10:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
lucifer_sam Unrepentant Ass-Mod Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,921	i took about eight years of German but i'm not entirely confident in my ability to speak it. i can listen, read and understand it though, that's a plus. __________________ first.am

05-08-2009, 12:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	English and an embarrassingly small amount of Spanish for a person with a Spanish-speaking parent. That's it. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

05-07-2009, 10:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~CAPTAIN CAVEMAN~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: VAN Posts: 2,530	mostly fluent in french, used to know basic spanish but i forgot it the idea of being completely fluent/billingual, and learning more languages appeals very much to me... gonna keep taking french in college. i'd like to learn to understand/speak mandarin but the idea of learning the alphabet turns me off completely

05-07-2009, 11:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
333 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 965	My first language was Vietnamese. Second: English. Sadly, my English is better than my Vietnamese. Also, I've been studying Spanish for about four years. I love learning new languages. It is especially interesting to compare and contrast different languages and dialects. I really believe if multilingualism became more popular, we could begin on a completely new level of understanding each other. lucifer s.: are you in an environment that permits you to practice German?

05-08-2009, 12:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
333 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 965	^ It's never too late. I heard after your third or so language, it's really not that bad. Right now, I feel like the more I learn of one language, the more I lose from the others. It could be a mental thing.