Question Of The Day, Sunday, May 20, 2018

[aliceneko]

I learnt French for 12 years and am learning Dutch and Spanish on Duolingo. I took an online course in Korean but I don't remember much!
I also understand bits of German (due to the similarities with Dutch) and Japanese (from watching anime, haha). I also used to learn Latin at primary school as an extra curricular activity.

 

[Kitty Mommy]

I wish I did! I took French and German in high school but never kept up with it and I don't remember much. about all I can remember well is how to count to ten in both. I always wanted to learn Russian but never did.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I wish. I took a few years of Spanish in high school and college though, and given my love of etymology, I can probably read Spanish and get the general idea.

 

[Norachan]

I can speak and read Japanese. Not as fluently as I'd like, but enough to make it through the day.

I can say Hello and Thank you in French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai and Arabic.

 

[jcat]

Hubby is German, and we live in Germany, so it's become second nature for me to speak German. I had several years of Spanish in high school and at university, but didn't keep up with it afterwards, so now I only get the gist of things.

 

[foxxycat]

Many years ago I took a year of French and failed miserably. I have hearing issues and all the letters sound the same so couldn't understand what was said. I could read french pretty well but couldn't speak it or understand it as people speak way too fast.
I used to sell jeans at a Flea market where many people spoke Spanish so picked up words and cuss words in spanish-I could tell when they were talking about me thinking I was a stupid gringo LOL. and I would answer back in Spanish.

Now if I was retired I would def go take a class and learn Spanish-I found it easier to understand than french. I also picked up on phrases of German here and there. I am fascinated with people who can speak multiple languages. We had a welder who was from Poland. He taught me so many naughty things in other languages..I could follow his conversations with others in other languages as I got used to how he talked and could figure it out..he retired and has passed away but I always got a laugh when he was insulting someone in a foreign language and I knew what he was saying but no one else knew. I guess it's a guy thing-shop talk type of thing. I think anyone who can speak multiple languages is way up there with genius!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Many, many moons ago, our son (who knows German) was at a play in NYC with his then-girlfriend. The people who sat behind him got there late, were quite drunk, and they were speaking German. The woman was making fun of America and Americans; evidently she thought nobody could understand what she was saying. Finally our son stood up, turned around and told her in fluent German that if she didn't like the US, she should just leave, nobody would be sorry to see her go. And to kindly shut up so that people who really wanted to see the play could do so without having to listen to her drunkenly rant and rave about the country and its citizens. He turned back around and sat down. And that was the last they heard from the woman. (His GF was Japanese and could speak and understand five languages. She was amazing.)

I took quite a bit of German and a bit of French. I used to be able to cuss quite fluently in German. In fact, when our son let loose one day, I told him, in German, we didn't need to hear it, no matter what the language and to kindly shut up. He looked at me and said, "When did you....Damn, Mom, I can't say anything!"

you speak German and a bit of French!!! very impressive!!

oh my......sounds like your son and his then-girlfriend came across a tourist behaving...poorly.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

French and Finnish! And some Swedish.

I did take Russian some time ago, but I am crazy rusty in it now. I can read things like signs and things but speaking is very limited.

Right now I am dabbling in basic Italian. I have no plans to be fluent (Not realistically capable in two months before my trip to Italy ) just enough to hopefully get by politely.

So far I am doing Ok, knowing French already helps a lot. Thankfully a tad kinder for my psyche - I dabbled a bit in Czech last year before going to said country for a trip. I struggled! I felt really bad for the poor Czechs who I assume were puzzled by the dopey tourist. I was hardly able to pronounce "Thank You" correctly!

you speak French, Finnish, and some Swedish!!! most excellent!!

and you've dabbled in a few other languages! that's great!!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I got that "r" down pat, thanks to my cats. As a child, I used to imitate the cats hissing with my mouth open and using the back of my throat to make the hissing noise. Turns out that is the French "r."

But not to worry. The French can't say the English "th" to save their lives.

that's really cool, that your cats had a hand in you mastering the 'rolling r' in French!

hmmmm......i guess that 'evens things out' then.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Although I can speak some Spanish I have difficulty formulating complete sentences unless they're brief. One of my goals is to go back to school and take adult classes to become more fluent in the language.

you can speak some Spanish!!! that's awesome!!

that sounds like a good goal!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I know some French; I had 2 years of French when I was in high school, and I studied French online for awhile. I also know a few words/phrases in Japanese that I've picked up from watching NHK World on tv.

you know some French, and a few words/phrases in Japanese!!! really very nice!!

i like the idea of studying subjects online. i really enjoy mathematics, and have spent time learning more (beyond what i'd learned in school) online.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I can read spanish, but I've never been able to wrap my head around the noun before the verb, so I don't speak it well.
My son, on the other hand, knows four languages. Not fluently, but enough to get by.

you're able to read Spanish, and are able to speak it somewhat!!! that's great!!

learning a foreign language is interesting, but can also be challenging. at least, i find it to be.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I took Spanish and Italian in HS. I do not speak either. I can read Spanish enough to get the idea of what is being said. My issue with the way languages are taught in school (at least the way the school I went to did) is that they do not teach it the way most native speakers actually speak. Is is more formal. Why learn a phrase like, "Tell Billy the book is blue.' ? Billy's not blind. He's standing right there. He can see that the book is blue." I think that if it were taught the way that real people speak, more kids would retain what they learned unless they were like me and took it for the credits.

you can read enough Spanish to get a basic understanding of what's being said!!! that's excellent!!

i agree!! if i had learned more conversational, more usable in everyday life phrases, i might well still remember and use those phrases.

 

[Jayflower]

i like the idea of studying subjects online. i really enjoy mathematics, and have spent time learning more (beyond what i'd learned in school) online.

Duolingo is a good site for studying different languages online, and it's free.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Duolingo is a good site for studying different languages online, and it's free.

thank you!! i'll check out the site!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I started French for real (I took a few enrichment classes before) in junior high. They spread out French 1 over two years, which was really beneficial in high school when I got to go straight to French 2. I meant to minor in French in college, but with studying abroad and switching one class over in Nantes to a literature class, I got an accidental major.

I duolinguo every day and go to a French club once a week, but still feel rusty and not very good. I think everything would come back after a month's immersion.

I also took two years of Spanish at the community college about 11ish years ago before I went to Argentina, thinking it would be useful in general in teaching. I also practice in duolinguo, and I'm passsable, but better by a long shot in French.

you speak French as well as Spanish!!! very impressive!!

yup, i'll definitely check out duolingo.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I learnt French for 12 years and am learning Dutch and Spanish on Duolingo. I took an online course in Korean but I don't remember much!
I also understand bits of German (due to the similarities with Dutch) and Japanese (from watching anime, haha). I also used to learn Latin at primary school as an extra curricular activity.

you speak several languages!!! most wonderful!!

i took Latin one year in high school, which i loved.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I wish I did! I took French and German in high school but never kept up with it and I don't remember much. about all I can remember well is how to count to ten in both. I always wanted to learn Russian but never did.

you remember how to count to ten in both French and German!!! that's excellent!!

hmmm..i'm able to count to 7 in French. i'll count that as being pretty good!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I wish. I took a few years of Spanish in high school and college though, and given my love of etymology, I can probably read Spanish and get the general idea.

you're probably still able to read enough Spanish to get the general idea!!! really awesome!!

etymology sounds like it would be very interesting!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

I can speak and read Japanese. Not as fluently as I'd like, but enough to make it through the day.

I can say Hello and Thank you in French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai and Arabic.

you speak as well as read Japanese, and are able to say Hello and Thank You in several other languages!!! that's great!!