Question of the Day - Tuesday, January 7

Hello everyone! Hope all is well!  
 

Other than English, what other languages can you speak?

And/Or:

What other languages would you love to learn/know?
 

I know French, and some Finnish and Latin. I took Russian, Japanese and ASL classes in the past, though still far from being fluent (Very basic). Working on developing/refining my Finnish and my Latin at the moment! maybe one day in the future, try my hand at Swedish or German.

I took 4 years of latin in high school.  I don't know what I remember of it at this point. 

I've always wanted to learn Italian.  We didn't have that as an option at school; so Latin it was!  Honestly; studying the actual language was not fun for me.  The culture and things can be very interesting (esp since studying Latin means studying ancient culture, life, etc).  But the process of learning the words themselves is just tedious to me. 

I do know some basic sign language and I can usually understand more than I can repeat back; thanks to my mother's many years working with the deaf community.

I've had five semesters of Spanish, not counting the three years of it in middle school. Can't speak it, though. Didn't use it outside of class and study. Would have been nice to spend a semester in Spain. 

I'd like to learn Latin. I don't recall if that was offered by my middle school, but I've encouraged my daughter to take it. It's helpful in learning other languages and even in determining definitions of English words, which is really useful for the GRE (test to get into graduate school). I think I'd be having a much easier time studying for the GRE if I knew Latin.

My Spanish has gotten so rusty that I don't dare speak it. I do speak German pretty fluently, though, after 30+ years of being married to a German and living in Germany.

I know a wee bit of French and German and that's about it. I would like to learn Spanish.

I took Spanish and French in High School.  I've retained a LOT of my Spanish vocabulary and can get my point across in a rather crude manner.  French, I wouldn't even try - although I remember a lot of words and can for instance, read a menu easily.

Both are easier if I see them written - I can usually make out more or less what is being communicated.  

I also heard a lot of Yiddish growing up but I'll be damned if I remember more than a couple of handfuls of words at this point.

EDIT: I'd probably like to learn how to speak Hebrew if for no other reason than my heritage.

Three years of French in high school and I don't remember much at all. Four semesters of German back in the mid to late 90's so I can remember some words and can read basic German but that's about it.

In the 3rd grade my program challenge courses involved learning some mandarin Chinese, but I don't know a word or symbol of it.

I had a year of Latin after which I was told 1% was not good enough for me to continue the subject.       I had 4 years of French at school and I came out knowing practically nothing from that either although I did get almost 50%.  I could possibly order myself a cup of coffee. (I'll test it out next week as about to have someone French speaking staying with me for a few weeks).   I decided not to resit the exam in 4th year and studied Russian for a year instead.  I liked that much better and within 9 months I managed to get 21% at the same level it took me to reach just under 50% in French!  I probably remember just about as much of it as well, and knowing the alphabet is pretty handy.  Oh, then I learned a bit of Swahili while visiting a friend who was working in East Africa and I remember the odd word from that too, again about as much as I do of the French but no sentences. I could order myself a cup of tea and a banana and that's about it.  I think it's safe to say that languages are not my strong point.   

At the moment I only speak English. I'm starting college next week, when summer semester starts I want to take Japanese. I watch lots of shows and listen to music in Japanese and would like to visit Japan one day so it makes sense for me to learn it.

I don't need another language. I am from the deep south and I don't travel. Everyone hear speaks "southern English".:lol3:

I took 4 semesters of college German. I was at the point where I could awkwardly limp my way through a conversation. In class we were reading our first fine literature pieces and writing analytical essays about them. Lots of work to even get that far, though. I signed up for the foreign language dorm (no English at the cafeteria tables) and conversational German (2 hours/week in casual conversation class with a live-in native speaker). I did about 2 hours of German homework/day. I reviewed German regularly throughout the summer. My professor did think I was doing well and bless his heart, he was very enthusiastic when I said I was thinking of majoring in linguistics.

I would want to learn either Japanese or Spanish, but if practically is thrown out I'd go for some dying language like Basque. And oh, does Klingon or Tolkien elf count?

Czech, naturally - but since I spent much of my life in the US, I understand and read much better than I speak or write. When I go back for visits, it comes back pretty easily after a week or so

I studied Latin for 3 years but that isn't exactly a language for speaking anymore! I also am just beginning to learn French.

blueyedgirl5946 said:

Everyone hear speaks "southern English".

Click to expand...

Wait...that IS another language isn't it?!    

I speak Spanish.  I can get along in French--enough to handle hotel/restaurant/money transactions--but certainly wouldn't claim to "speak French".  

I knew Braille at one point, from teaching a blind English student (when I was teaching English in Spain) but that was many, many moons ago.  Not sure I'd recognize many Braille symbols if I saw them now...

I took 3-1/2 years of French in school and only remember a little.

Portuguese would be the most useful language to know in my area.

blueyedgirl5946 said:

I don't need another language. I am from the deep south and I don't travel. Everyone hear speaks "southern English".

Click to expand...

betsygee said:

 
Wait...that IS another language isn't it?

Click to expand...

   "Well bless your heart,  it sure is."  "Do you want some sweet tea?"    I hear it all the time here too!!  LOL!

I am half Italian (Dad), so I have always wanted to learn it.  My dad can understand it, but doesn't speak it. When he was growing up English was encouraged. I bought the Pimsler set of CDs a few years ago, but had a hard time when it started getting difficult. It was also hard to sometimes decipher if you heard a B, or a P sound, so wondered if you were saying it right. I never picked it back up. 

Maybe one day I will. 

My step-brother did that for a year (or maybe just a semester; I don't remember now).  He loved it.  I think he was the happiest I've ever seen him when he came back from Spain. 

His brain must really tick different than mine because he's picked up a handful of languages.  He did work in linguistics for a short time.  I haven't seen him in a few years; but last I heard he has been doing work as a personal trainer (and has a degree in journalism, go figure.)

Angels mommy said:

 
   "Well bless your heart,  it sure is."  "Do you want some sweet tea?" 

  I hear it all the time here too!!  LOL!

I am half Italian (Dad), so I have always wanted to learn it.  My dad can understand it, but doesn't speak it. When he was growing up English was encouraged. I bought the Pimsler set of CDs a few years ago, but had a hard time when it started getting difficult. It was also hard to sometimes decipher if you heard a B, or a P sound, so wondered if you were saying it right. I never picked it back up. 

Maybe one day I will. 

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I know a bit of Italian profanity thanks to my Gram.   She grew up speaking it; but I think the mindset of that generation was to speak the language of the country you live in.  (Plus I've heard stories about the prejudice they experienced as immigrants children.)  I guess she has forgotten it over the years.  My cousin's husband can get a few words out of her now and then.  But then Gram just turned 95 and has some pretty severe dementia.  It's funny what she does remember or come out with sometimes.  He has a way with my Gram.