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Topic: What languages do you speak?

Kelly
Member
Member # 9576

posted

Since many people here seem to be bilingual, or at least have some knowledge of another language, I was just wondering what languages those were.

I have a major in Spanish (not quite fluent yet) and Have taken a semester of ASL.

You?

Posts: 104 | Registered: Jul 2006 | IP: Logged |

Pegasus
Member
Member # 10464

posted

quote:
Originally posted by Kelly:
...taken a semester of ASL.

You?

27/m/usa

...sorry, couldn't resist. [Razz]

Posts: 369 | Registered: Apr 2007 | IP: Logged |

quidscribis
Member
Member # 5124

posted

English.

A bit of French and German, but definitely not fluent by any stretch.

Fahim, the hubby, otoh, has a longer list. In order, they are... Sinhalese. Tamil. Arabic (bits and pieces). English (bigger vocabulary than many native speakers and with better written English, too). Hindi.

Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003 | IP: Logged |

Launchywiggin
Member
Member # 9116

posted

I can speak multiple dialects of English, from British/Irish/Scottish to Australian, Indian, and European accents. I'm also good at New York, Boston, mid-west, Canadian, then hillbilly southern, southern gentlemen, country southern, and after watching The Wire long enough, ebonics.

Posts: 1314 | Registered: Jan 2006 | IP: Logged |

Artemisia Tridentata
Member
Member # 8746

posted

English and Spanish to speak and read. I took 17 hours of German at the University, once upon a time. The only good I got out of it is that I can read Beowulf on a good evening.

Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged |

Icarus
Member
Member # 3162

posted

quote:
Originally posted by quidscribis:
English (bigger vocabulary than many native speakers and with better written English, too).

Me too.

Oh, and Spanish.

Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

Loren
Member
Member # 9539

posted

In order from most fluent to least:

English
Italian
French
Latin
Spanish
Ancient Greek
Japanese
Provençal

And bits and pieces of: Akkadian, Veneto, Furlan, Bolognese, Fiorentino, German.

Posts: 100 | Registered: Jun 2006 | IP: Logged |

brojack17
Member
Member # 9189

posted

I am fluent in over six million forms of communication

Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged |

Lyrhawn
Member
Member # 7039

posted

Akkadian? Sheesh.

I know English, and I'm semi-fluent in French.

I know a few words of Russian and bits and pieces of Assyrian from coworkers.

I wish I knew ancient Latin and/or Greek (Doric, not Ionian, I'm a fan of Laconian history).

Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004 | IP: Logged |

Flaming Toad on a Stick
Member
Member # 9302

posted

Fully fluent in English, French and Arabic. Bits and pieces of Spanish and Italian, the counting system and some other choice phrases in Japanese.

Posts: 1594 | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged |

Itsame
Member
Member # 9712

posted

I know enough French to get by, but that is it.

This summer I am starting a new tradition, where I will devote most of my time to learning a new language (starting with Latin), or at least enough that I can communicate, or read, depending on which language it is. If it is Arabic then I will be satisfied with knowing how to read it, etc.

Posts: 2705 | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged |

Loren
Member
Member # 9539

posted

Oh, I forgot! I now know about 50 words in Turkish. I've been learning a few in preparation for a Mediterranean trip this month.

I thought about learning a little Maltese, too, but since nearly everyone there speaks English or Italian, I've spent my time doing other things. Like clearing my schedule so I can take a Mediterranean trip. [Cool]

Posts: 100 | Registered: Jun 2006 | IP: Logged |

Eaquae Legit
Member
Member # 3063

posted

English (natively).
Latin.
Some French, to read, and less to speak.
Old English, with a dictionary and grammar cheat (it's been a while).

Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged |

advice for robots
Member
Member # 2544

posted

quote:
Originally posted by brojack17:
I am fluent in over six million forms of communication

*snort*

I speak French, although it's getting pretty rusty.

Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001 | IP: Logged |

Saephon
Member
Member # 9623

posted

English as my native language.
Took several years of Spanish, and I got quite good at it...not perfectly fluent though.

Am now taking Japanese and after only six weeks I'm coming along surprisingly well [Smile]

I picked up my nearest manga last night and I can't believe I was able to read several lines of dialogue. Screw Kanji though >_> <_<

Posts: 349 | Registered: Jul 2006 | IP: Logged |

the_Somalian
Member
Member # 6688

posted

Besides English, Somali--I've actually lost the ability speak Somali (I can't formulate sentenses--the words simply don't come fast enough) but I can still understand it fairly well, an ability which seems to be going away too. I often find myself asking my mother to repeat instructions in English. Not a fan of the 'use it or lose it' aspect of language...

And I'm also in the middle of a foreign language sequence at my community college mainly to meet the requirements of certain colleges I'm trying to transfer to. I chose Arabic because I thought I'd find it less grueling than, say, German, given how the Somali language appropriated a fair amount of arabic words...like door, gold, etc. But I was wrong. I had no such advantage and now I have to struggle as much as the other students. BUT my pronunciation is often not as atrocious as theirs, so at least I have THAT.

Posts: 722 | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged |

anti_maven
Member
Member # 9789

posted

In order of fluency:

English
Spanish
German
French
Basque

and bits of Dutch/Flemish, Greek, Hebrew and Welsh. I started doing Japanese but it's all gone now.

I met a guy while travelling who could say "I am a windowsill" in 14 different languages. A remarkable skill, but one I fear that will do little to help him in later life... [Wink]

Posts: 892 | Registered: Oct 2006 | IP: Logged |

Zevlag
Member
Member # 1405

posted

English
Mandarin Chinsese
Bites and pieces of other chinese dialects
Latin
Hebrew

Posts: 2102 | Registered: Dec 2000 | IP: Logged |

Eduardo St. Elmo
Member
Member # 9566

posted

* Dutch
* English
* German (can understand it, but haven't had much occasion to use it actively of late)
* Frisian (can't speak - or more specifically I refuse to - but I can understand it)
* un petit pue de Français

Posts: 993 | Registered: Jul 2006 | IP: Logged |

Snail
Member
Member # 9958

posted

I'm only truly fluent in Finnish and English...

But I can understand Swedish and French. Well, I can speak them too, although it takes me time.

Currently studying Japanese and Chinese, though will probably drop one of them off at some point.

Posts: 247 | Registered: Dec 2006 | IP: Logged |

SenojRetep
Member
Member # 8614

posted

English, Dutch and a little German.

I've set out to learn Welsh several times, but never got very far with it.

Posts: 2926 | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged |

Uprooted
Member
Member # 8353

posted

English - native language

Portuguese - can hold my own in a conversation but struggle a bit with say, reading a newspaper

Studied French in high school and college and have forgotten nearly all of it, sad to say

Spanish - a little bit of it in high school mixed with my Portuguese means I could probably fake may way through in an emergency if I had to

Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged |

Kama
Member
Member # 3022

posted

Polish
English
German
French

bits of Portuguese
about 5 words of Luxembourgish

Posts: 5700 | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged |

Fyfe
Member
Member # 937

posted

I have made myself a Languages priority list. I am planning to learn

French (better than I speak it already, which isn't terribly well, just about conversational)
Arabic (I know a few words of this)
Portuguese
Mandarin Chinese (I have a few words)
Italian

That's The Plan. Pimsleur is my friend.

Posts: 910 | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged |

Javert Hugo
Member
Member # 3980

posted

English and Latin

Posts: 1753 | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged |

Mucus
Member
Member # 9735

posted

strictly when it comes to spoken:

English
Cantonese (casual conversation)
Mandarin (bits and pieces from a couple courses)
French (remnants of forgotten mandatory grade school classes)

Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged |

Nighthawk
Member
Member # 4176

posted

Mi tocadisco esta discompuesto!

And I know most of the important swear words in Catalan.

Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002 | IP: Logged |

Fusiachi
Member
Member # 7376

posted

I've taken university and university level courses immersed in both Spanish and (now) Portuguese. I speak them passingly, and understand them both to be almost completely functional. Football announcers still talk a little bit too fast for me to keep up.

Otherwise, I speak English reasonably well.

Oh, and from all reports, Pimsleur is quite good so long as you commit to it.

Edit to add: If you are capable of translating any foreign language to English, Kiva.org might be able to use your help. The list of languages for which they are currently soliciting help includes Spanish, French, Khmer, Ukrainian, and Russian. They also note that Amharic, Armenian, Bengali, Dari, Haitian Creole, Mongolian, Pashto, and Sinhala may be needed in the near future.

Posts: 433 | Registered: Feb 2005 | IP: Logged |

Artemisia Tridentata
Member
Member # 8746

posted

quote:
Mi tocadisco esta discompuesto!

Como se llama la chica nueve?
Lets stick with the practical stuff.

Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged |

Bob the Lawyer
Member
Member # 3278

posted

English and enough French to get by. I can read IPA (so long as it's an English dialect) if that counts.

Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged |

Synesthesia
Member
Member # 4774

posted

I am working on Japanese.

But listening to Japanese music most of the day doesn't count.

Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged |

Liaison
Member
Member # 6873

posted

I'm only fluent in English.

-Took two years of French in high school and have forgotten most of it.
-A half-semester of Scottish Gaelic in college.
-Currently taking a semester of ASL in college (which I'm loving) and learning Japanese on my own at a very casual pace.

Posts: 81 | Registered: Sep 2004 | IP: Logged |

Icarus
Member
Member # 3162

posted

If Kat's going to list Latin, then I get to add these:

BASIC
Pascal
Ada
C
FORTRAN
C++
Visual Basic
Java

EDIT: Redundancy.

EDIT: Redundancy.

[ October 03, 2007, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]

Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

Itsame
Member
Member # 9712

posted

I hope this doesn't seem rude, but.... how old are you?

Posts: 2705 | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged |

Icarus
Member
Member # 3162

posted

Me? um . . . ::does math:: . . . 35. I think.

Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

Tara
Member
Member # 10030

posted

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:

BASIC
Pascal
Ada
C
FORTRAN
C++
Visual Basic
Java

Was waiting for that... [Smile]

Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006 | IP: Logged |

Eaquae Legit
Member
Member # 3063

posted

Hey, what's wrong with listing Latin? It's a human language, still used, even. No, we don't speak it much, but most students learn to both read and compose it. The Vatican still publishes in it, and there's a Finnish radio station that broadcasts in it. Dr. Suess and Harry Potter have been translated (among other works).

Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged |

katharina
Member
Member # 827

posted

Those only count if you can compile Latin. [Razz]

Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged |

Icarus
Member
Member # 3162

posted

Well, you don't compile BASIC, so at least give me that one. [Razz]

Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

Blayne Bradley
unregistered

posted

I speak Blayne and all of its dialects.

IP: Logged |

steven
Member
Member # 8099

posted

English and some Spanish. My Spanish gets a lot better after a few weeks in a Spanish-speaking place.

Posts: 3354 | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged |

Nighthawk
Member
Member # 4176

posted

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
Me? um . . . ::does math:: . . . 35. I think.

I'm only eight months older and I'm at least three languages up on you. You need to catch up!

Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002 | IP: Logged |

Kama
Member
Member # 3022

posted

oh oh oh i know some BASIC!

Posts: 5700 | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged |

krynn
Member
Member # 524

posted

i used to be near-fluent in German, and even taught it during the summers at Concordia Langauge Villages in Minnesota. i havent spoken much of it for over 2 years because i had to change my major from International Business to Marketing and Finance. The school i transferred to didnt have IB in its business school.

Posts: 813 | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged |

Itsame
Member
Member # 9712

posted

quote:
Originally posted by Nighthawk:

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
Me? um . . . ::does math:: . . . 35. I think.
I'm only eight months older and I'm at least three languages up on you. You need to catch up!

You have yet to list the languages.

Posts: 2705 | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged |

Nighthawk
Member
Member # 4176

posted

quote:
Originally posted by JonHecht:

quote:
Originally posted by Nighthawk:

quote:
Originally posted by Icarus:
Me? um . . . ::does math:: . . . 35. I think.
I'm only eight months older and I'm at least three languages up on you. You need to catch up!
You have yet to list the languages.

In addition to those that he listed:

C#
VB.Net
80x86 Assembly Language
Prolog

Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002 | IP: Logged |

Slim
Member
Member # 2334

posted

code:

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

void main()
{
   cout <<"J'ai étudié 	français pour trois ans dans le lycée, "
        <<"et Je prends français maitenant à  la université.\n";

   cout <<"\nAs I'm a CS major (software engeneering emphasis),"
        <<" I know several programming languages.  But I am most familiar with C++.\n";

}

Posts: 172 | Registered: Aug 2001 | IP: Logged |

Vyrus
Member
Member # 10525

posted

I am currently in IB Spanish. I am far from fluent but I am damn near conversational. [Big Grin]

I'm enrolled in 1st year German, for which there is not an advanced course, and am progressing very well. Due to schedule confusion I cannot take Japanese until my senior year.

So I suppose that I do not speak languages, but am rather speaking.

Allow me to make a language priorities list as several of you have

Spanish [am becoming conversational, very well so far.]
German [Paternal side native language, progressing well]
Japanese [by end of college]
French, by 35
Arabic, as soon as possible for full study of the Qu'ran. [I am not Muslim but am interested.]
Greek, as I am going there for a year.

edit:And of course, Elven. Ancient, not modern.

Posts: 135 | Registered: Jun 2007 | IP: Logged |

Tatiana
Member
Member # 6776

posted

English more or less
Smattering of Spanish but I do surprisingly well when I visit Spanish speaking countries.
A few words in Arabic, German, French, and Mandarin.
Various dead programming languages.

If I could chose a language I'd really love to know, it would be Spanish. It's a beautiful language. I'm in love with it. [Smile]

Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004 | IP: Logged |

esl
Member
Member # 3143

posted

English, natively
Cantonese, natively conversational. about half literate

basic Mandarin and Russian. I graduated with a degree in Russian but it still needs a lot of work. My Mandarin is somewhere at grade school level. I'm at approximately the same level for those.

A long time ago I took classes in
German
Japanese
Spanish
Latin

Posts: 1056 | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

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