Quelle langues parlez-vous ?

[Alpha]

What languages can you communicate in?

Assumedly everyone here can read/write/speak English, but do you know any other language? How fluent are you? Where/how did you learn? Do you intend to learn any more languages?

Aside from English, I'm learning French. I did two years in high school, and I'm 3/4 of the way through an intensive 1-year French language programme at university. Next year, I'm going to first see what I can do by myself for furthering my understanding an use of French -- trying to avoid paying $500 for a twelve week programme at the Alliance Française... although that would be the single best thing I could do, probably. Given France is so far away, my most likely port of call is Nouvelle Caledonie (New Caledonia), which is conveniently French-speaking and located between Australia and New Zealand. I could also go to Polynésie Française (French Polynesia, of which Tahiti is part) or Wallis and Futuna Islands (where French Catholic missionaries were cannibalised!). These latter two are French Overseas Collectivities (while NC is a 'special collectivity' of France). I just think France doesn't really get decolonisation.

Anyhoo. I'm not fluent. At all. But I've improved so much within a year, and can hold a basic conversation with a patient partner. I really enjoy learning, and probably value it more than 95% of what I've been doing at uni over the last 4 years.

Learning Maori (the indigenous peoples' language) is compulsory at New Zealand schools for the first 8 years (ages 5 to 13). I haven't really made use of it since then, and didn't retain much grammar. Consequentially, I only know simple phrases and thematic words, like numbers/colours/etc. This is a pretty typical situation. However if I don't end up leaving New Zealand at some stage in the future, then I will learn the language. Don't want to see it die from under-use.

Et vous? If you only speak one language, why?

EDIT: Quelles* Fu..

[Lacquer Head]

I can speak fluent English but in all seriousness, I used to know a bit of German and about 5 words in Spanish. I'd really like to learn a scandinavian language. I tried to download Rosetta Stone for Swedish and it just wouldn't work. ONE DAY!

[NikkiLinkle]

I speak English and Sarcasm. That is all I know. I did learn German in high school and I did quite well at it too, I just gave up and now I don't remember anything I learnt. I can sing the Bubble Pop song, (I just listened to it a bajillion times and memorized how to say the words), which is Korean, but I cannot speak Korean or understand what the hell they are saying.

Props to you who can speak any other language than your own

[Xanatos]

My German is a bit rusty, I'm still good at it, it's just been ages since the last time I had to use it to communicate with others. I had it as a primary foreign language in last five years of elementary, having uncles in Germany and watching cartoons on German channels such as RTL II was a great deal of help as well.

English is something I simply picked up by watching cartoons, movies, and playing video games. I improved it later through school, TFF had it's role as well, posting here helped me improve my grammar.

I would like to learn Russian, I already know bits and pieces, it's encouraging knowing it shares some similarities with my native language.

[Tallulah]

This thread leads to a rather embarrassing story.

My first language is English, but I am pretty good at reading/ writing french and got an A at GCSE (age 16) and a D in A Level, when they were hard to get, mind. Or so I like to think. A month or so ago I met this hot French guy who started chatting me up, and wanted to know if I could speak French. I was all like: "Oh yeah, of course!" and then he asked me to demonstrate my knowledge. My mind went blank and all I could think was Va te faire foutre! (go **** yourself/ **** off). So, so humiliating... We were both a little drunk at the time, though. Also, despite my sudden lack of French knowledge, I still got lucky...

In Italian, all I know is rude words. Thank you very much, Ezio(!)

I would love to know Welsh and/or Gaelic (I do know a bit of Gaelic, again, all rude). Maybe one day.

[Andromeda]

My four years of French classes from public schooling doesn't really amount to a heck of a lot at this point. It is very rusty and I sort of work through some things. I remember some structure and grammar points, but I couldn't hold a conversation. The best I ever got was being able to read what amounts to a low level novel meant for children, which we had to read in fourth year.

I'm currently doing self taught Japanese lessons until I actually start proper classes, which is part a case of timing and money. I have my katakana and hiragana down pretty well. I have a very small amount of kanji memorized, I think it is about 70 kanji. At this point, my Japanese is probably better than my French just because I know more Japanese words than I can remember of French. I can't hold a conversation in either, but I'm making progress.

[Pete]

I speak English, and I took three years of high school French, and one year of college level Italian. I can read French to a degree and can get the general idea of what's being written, but I totally lost my ear for it. As for speaking, I'm not totally sure. I haven't tried it in years.

As for Italian, I took it simply to pass for a credit to graduate. Other than that, I might be able to pick up tiny phrases, but not much more than that.

[Aerif]

Fluent in both English and Scots obviously. Well I'd like to think I am but I occasionally make the odd slip up and use Scots grammar or vocabulary when conversing with non-Scots speakers.

Given my current living situation I'm quite dependent on my abilities in French, and have managed to hold a few conversations in the language though these are brief and mostly restricted to speaking with shop keepers. I achieved a '1' on my French Standard Grade, technically making me one of the most competent 15-year-olds in French living in Scotland at the time, but a lot of the knowledge is now gone. I can read the language to quite a high standard but the largest challenge I face day-to-day is the sheer rapidness of native French speakers, who speak so quickly that their words slur together and become indecipherable, yesterday I had to ask for the price of a bottle of juice three times before I could understand the guy was saying 'un dinar et trois cent millimes', simply because he wasn't pronouncing 'trois' slowly enough.

I know a few words in Arabic, but they're mostly useless outside of being courteous.

[Kyrel]

My first language is portuguese. English as a foreign language learner. I'm fluent in both, though I never get to practise my english other than typing things like these on the internet.
I also know spanish and french.

[RagnaToad]

I'm fluent in English and my mother tongue is Dutch.

I studied Latin for 6 years, but obviously I don't use it actively at all. I've lost a lot of the knowledge I bet, but it helps to interpret and learn other languages a lot.

I learned the French language from about the age of 10 all the way till the end of high school. I wish I spoke it better though. I cannot speak it as well as English. A lot of the French I know is in the back of my head, because I don't use it regularly. But I have no problem having basic conversations in French, as long as the native French speaker doesn't talk too fast. French movies are hard to understand for me.

I know some basic German. It's not hard to learn German being a native Dutch speaker, but I haven't really learned it. I know how to say basic stuff.

I'm learning Spanish right now, with Duolingo, a website I would recommend. I like the language, and it's a convenient language to learn. It's spoken by a lot of people and cultures. And if I ever travel through Latin America, all I need to communicate with people is Spanish (except for Brasil).

If I could choose to be able to speak another language apart from those it would probably be Arabic.


EDIT: I'm interested to see what languages people would choose and why, if they could choose 3 languages to speak fluently, apart from their mother tongue. Maybe you can include that in your post, Alpha?

[Alpha]

EDIT: I'm interested to see what languages people would choose and why, if they could choose 3 languages to speak fluently, apart from their mother tongue. Maybe you can include that in your post, Alpha?

Alright, yeah. So apart from your mother tounge, what three languages would you be fluent in if you could be so?

I'd choose Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic, just for the places you could go and be conversationally-equipped. With English as an accompaniment, you'd be sorted.

However, realistically, I don't think I'd ever have the patience to learn a language that didn't use the Roman alphabet. It's hard enough learning how to speak another language, let alone re-learning the physical process of writing. So with that caveat, I'd choose French, Spanish and Dutch. Again, with English, that's a useful set. A lot of ex-colonies where these languages are still spoken. I'd choose German if it existed more outside of Europe.

[Kyrel]

Alright, yeah. So [B][U]apart from your mother tSo with that caveat, I'd choose French, Spanish and Dutch. Again, with English, that's a useful set. A lot of ex-colonies where these languages are still spoken. I'd choose German if it existed more outside of Europe.

You've been misinformed.
Dutch is mainly just spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands, and a couple of dutch colonies. It's only ranked 56th in per-number of native speakers.
There's 53 languages you could've chosen in its place, it's not that widely spread.

[Alpha]

No, I'm aware, but I'd like to visit those particular colonies. Plus I'd be able to talk to Rags in his mother tounge.

[Lacquer Head]

I'd really like to learn Russian or German just to be intimidating. Russian for the quiet scare and German for angry screaming. But in all seriousness, due to my interest in the cultures, Gaelic or the Scandinavian languages are the ones I am most interested in. I'd also like to learn Latin, but that doesn't exactly serve a purpose...

[Sean]

English and computer. >_>;

I don't mean l33t, but I know enough of C++ and BASIC to be considered "fluent" in the languages. It's funny how much you think in computer terms when programming. I don't know how many times I've had conversations with myself where I said "I want you to do x but how the **** do I tell you to do it!?"

When I worked in kitchens I knew enough broken Spanish to get by. Words like trash, hot, clean, careful, excuse me, get the **** out of my way asshole (I didn't actually know that, it was just "compromiso (sp?), asshole!" sharp, various names of foods I'd have the dishwasher prepare (peel shrimp, clean calamari, pull chicken, etc)

[DragonHeart]

I took 4 years of German in high school. Super rusty, but getting back into it is on my to do list.

I don't have three languages to pick for RagnaToad's question, mainly because I only plan on being trilingual. English, obviously. German I chose to learn because I do have German ancestry and I wanted to preserve a tiny bit of my heritage that the rest of my family has long forgotten. And my third language will be Italian, because why not? Ok, so Assassin's Creed may have influenced me a little...actually, it made me very much interested in Italy in general. And it may not be in my blood specifically, but there is some Italian in my family these days.

If I really really felt like it after reacquiring German and learning Italian, I would go for either Latin or Japanese. Learning Latin would actually make it easier to learn multiple other languages, but I'm interested in it mostly from the standpoint of...it's Latin, what other reason do you need? Japanese because of the whole gaming/anime thing. I actually watched so many episodes of Naruto (subbed) once that I started thinking in Japanese despite not "knowing" the meaning of the words...it was an interesting experience, to say the least. Actually it taught me what fluency really is, and got me interested in picking up my language studies where I left off.

[Michael Swayne]

Those that know even the slightest bit about me, know I am fluent in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. I went to a bilingual elementary in Tucson, and by the time we moved to Ohio I was able to be an interpreter for my father when he would work on the Spanish-speaking people's vehicles (he's a mechanic). I tested out of the Spanish class in 6th Grade T.A.G. (Talented and Gifted) curriculum, and knew more Spanish than my Spanish teacher (whose training was actually for French Education instead of Spanish).

As for Mandarin, I had a tutor in the summers during high school. And for these last few years, I do self-study to keep it fresh. I wouldn't have to if there were more people who understood what I was saying in Southern Ohio.

I am a freelance translator for all three. I had to take a forced vacation due to lack of personal computer.

As for what language(s) I would like to learn, probably Korean and Cantonese. I can't decide on a third. A lot of my music collection is from Korean groups now, so it would be neat to know more of what they're signing about. You know, just to make sure I am not listening to someone singing about "Death to America" or something similar.

[SOLDIER #819]

SEAN, WHEN DID YOU GET BACK?

I've studied Japanese for a few years. Like 3 or 4. My written is a lot better than my speaking, but if push comes to shove I could get by. Though given that I haven't actively studied much since the JLPT, I most likely overestimating myself just a bit.

I wish I knew Spanish, Russian, and German. Spanish is my mom's native tongue, and I live in LA, so... yeah, I'm feeling the push on a number of different fronts. Russian just sounds awesome, and German as well, though what may may make it more tantalizing to learn is how close to English it is.

Korean and some family of Chinese would also be cool, but the minute differences (to my rather crappy ears) in vowel and some consonant pronunciations in Korean and the way meanings of words changing by intonation in Chinese freak me out.