Despite being American, I speak Spanish pretty fluently, and I can get along well enough in French and Italian as well. I am currently studying Irish (Gaeilge), but I would be glad for corrections to my posts in that language, since I need all the help I can get. Learning the spelling and grammar of that language feels like I am rubbing my brain on a cheese grater. I love it, though.
My inability to read Korean is really getting on my nerves. That's next on my list.
... This is where I draw the line: __________________.
And personally, I would be considering learning Chinese as it may be the "universal language" of the near future.
Hehe... which dialect? There are 7 or so major ones and they are so different that many don't understand each other. Mandarin is spoken the most, but Cantonese is not that far behind. They have great difficulty understanding each other. I don't think any Chinese language will ever become the "universal language". Don't forget, they use a very different written language, too. Many who learn Mandarin know the pin-yin system which uses the western alphabet but that's not the norm. There is also no singular or plural or verb tenses in the Chinese languages. There are almost 60 different minorities living in China and all of them have their own language and some of them have no written language.
I shouldn't worry too much about Chinese being the universal language. Really. It's a great language to learn, however. My nephew teaches Chinese and he love the language.
I don't want to even know how many times I said "language" in that post!
I speak only two languages: English, becuase I was born in good ole Sioux Falls South Dakota, and since I am a salesman, I am also very fluent in an ancient language called "BS"...
Unlike some people here who claim to speak like 10 different languages (yeah right, knowing a couple of words in a language doesn't really count) I only speak Italian, English and Sicilian dialect fluently..
and that's because I spent 6 years in Australia and am currently living in Italy.
It takes years and years of practice to master a language and all it's nuances, you can't really claim to speak a language if you only have an academic or superficial knowledge of it.
Have played: UO, WOW, COH/V, EQ2 Currently playing: Age of Conan (EU)
Originally posted by lex-icon82 It takes years and years of practice to master a language and all it's nuances, you can't really claim to speak a language if you only have an academic or superficial knowledge of it.
I disagree. I spent 6 months of intense language classes (6 hours per day) learning Hungarian. I think it is the individual. If you have the will to learn it and practice as much as possible, it only takes as long as you let it.
You have to LIVE the language to fully learn it, speak to lots of people, read many books, watch TV, carry out long conversations etc etc.. you can't learn a language just by knowing the grammatical rules, I've always believed this. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to correct all the English teachers I've had here at school, and these people claimed that English was their mother tongue!.
I once had a friend who said he could speak Latin.. I introduced him to my uncle who teaches it at Uni.. boy was he humbled, and my uncle says that he's not even that good compared to some other people. It's easy to boast that you know lots of different languages, I studied french for five years but if I ever went to France I would just make a fool of myself.
Have played: UO, WOW, COH/V, EQ2 Currently playing: Age of Conan (EU)
I can agree on the part of living the languge. I moved to Hungary and didn't even know how to say "hello". I learned a bit on my own then took the 6 months of intense language classes, went to school taught in Hungarian and lived with people who only spoke Hungarian. So that is how I learned it. But it has been over 10 years since I moved back to the states and have not once met someone who spoke hungarian so my language skills in it atrophied into nothingness.
I'm only know one language and that's English. I've learned to read Spanish and Latin in the past, but beyond that I've never learned any other language.
If it was a neccesity, then I'm sure I'd pick up another one...but here in Oklahoma knowing understandable english is enough.
I don't know if I agree about having to "live" the language. My nephew, who is from the US, teaches Chinese for the USAF and has worked as an interpeter. He's spent very little time in China. He took a very intense military course to learn Chinese and it seems to worked the charm. He has absolutely no problem conversing with Chinese who speak no English at all and is complimented on his accent and skill when he does visit China.
On the other hand, I've lived in several different countries, watched their tv, shopped in their stores, and basically lived in areas where English was rarely spoken and have only picked up enough to make myself understood. Those intense language courses seem to do a very good job. I think maybe you have to live in a country to understand their culture, perhaps, but not the language.
Originally posted by lex-icon82 Unlike some people here who claim to speak like 10 different languages (yeah right, knowing a couple of words in a language doesn't really count) I only speak Italian, English and Sicilian dialect fluently..and that's because I spent 6 years in Australia and am currently living in Italy. It takes years and years of practice to master a language and all it's nuances, you can't really claim to speak a language if you only have an academic or superficial knowledge of it.
Being a language snob is no help to anyone at all. It only discourages people from even trying. Good enough is good enough. At this time last year, I was working some of the time as a bartender in a bowling alley. A guy came in and sat at the bar and proceeded to tell me his whole life story in broken English. It would have been rude of me to tell him that it would be easier to just tell me in Spanish, and with all the stumbling and searching for words, he did get his point across. I'd say the guy speaks English. Fluent English? No. Good English? Hardly. Functional English? You bet.
I have an honest claim to Spanish. Beyond taking university level literature courses conducted entirely in Spanish, which required me to write term papers entirely in Spanish, I've gotten a lot of use from the language on the ground. I have friends that I know only in Spanish (and if you are as worldly as you claim to be, you'll know how hard it is to change the language of a relationship once it is set). Where I live, you can immerse yourself in Spanish pretty easily. You can shop, watch TV, go out to eat, go to church, and even use the local ATMs, without resorting to English, if you want. When I have been reading, writing, or speaking Spanish, I start thinking in Spanish. Sometimes I dream in Spanish. Native speakers ask me where I am from, and when I tell them I am American, they ask me where I learned Spanish.
My grasp of French and Italian is conversational, and is good enough to get around. Yeah, I have a lot of vocabulary shortages, and my accent is awful. I mean... AWFUL... But that doesn't stop me from looking for opportunities to at least get some passive use out of it. (Again, if you are all that worldly, then you probably know how easy it is to lose a language that you don't use, and how much you can improve if you work it hard.)
On the other hand, I know a number of words and phrases in Arabic. I don't have any claim on that language, but I never said I spoke it. So, I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt to people who claim to have another language. And I am willing to allow that some people are students of a language and may have a pretty functional grasp of it, which is good enough in my book.
I have an general interest in languages and linguistics. I have every intention of getting more use out of my languages as soon as I am not knee-deep in kids, preferably by seeking out native speakers in their native environment. Maybe I should do that instead of wasting my time on these boards and playing games.
... This is where I draw the line: __________________.
Originally posted by Rattrap I am fed up with USA people always breaking topics with comments on spelling!I mean how hard is for them to understand that English is universal communication language today?A fact that i write this message in english does not mean that english is my native language! Get it in your skull man! I just wonder what would happen if the tables turned. What would happen if universal language would suddenly be Japanise? I bet that 95% of USA posters on this forum do not speak any other language except of english!I speak 4 languages fluently , including my native language.How about you ?
I can only speak one language well. I do know a little french since I live in Canada. That's about it....I wish I could speak and read in more those that can are blessed in my opinion.
If it can help you feel better, I would not divide english between Americans and British. I can understand someone from California or from NYC just fine.
However I do agree, folks from Nouvelle-Orleans, no matter if they speak French or English, they are extremely hard to understand (my command of french is great IMO, but I have to focus on their french to understand it, cannot listen casually to them). I really hate to make them repeat so I pay great attention when they talk in french and it is hard to follow them, but many persons from France can't even understand their french, they think they are talking in english all the while. I would extend it to Texas english as well, no offense. I think understanding 2 Japanese guys thinking they are good in english speaking to each other fast in Japglish is easier than trying to understand 2 guys from Texas speaking to each other.
Sometimes when I can't understand a lady speaking in english because she talks to fast and have a local accent, I got the picture of Charlie Brown in my head when the teacher is talking.
In Canada guys from Newfoundland are very hard to understand as well (in english). When I was in Alberta, the locals there where putting extra attention to make sure they understand me first shot and they always make the Newfoundlanders repeat, they where often outraged...niak niak niak.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Originally posted by Alcanan I can only speak one language well. I do know a little french since I live in Canada. That's about it....I wish I could speak and read in more those that can are blessed in my opinion.
Oh...I got an activity for you if you never did it.
Take our national anthem in a written form, both english and french, and do a self translation to the other language for both of them, you will be surprised at how many differences there are in both versions.
Take the french version, put it in english...than take the english original and put it in french. Not the same song at all. I think this activity is great to resume a lot of our country.
The english version is...well you can understand it better than me. But the french version is not about the same values. Honestly! Check it out!
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
If it can help you feel better, I would not divide english between Americans and British. I can understand someone from California or from NYC just fine.
I didn't mean not being unable to understand accents, but the different names for things. Lou = restroom, etc.
the way you phrased it, even people who only speak one language, will say more than one just to spite you.
Je parle Francais, et je parle Anglais. c'est tres amusent... je parle mieux que j'ecris.
and as a note to the language elitists. I dont live in french canada, I took it in highschool, I talk to people in it. I dont do university level french. but Id still say I can speak it. I can carry out a conversation in it, and I can express myself in it.. thats all that really matters. anybody who says otherwise is just trying to convince themselves they didnt just waste years of their lives perfecting the grammer of a language.
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...
Comments
Despite being American, I speak Spanish pretty fluently, and I can get along well enough in French and Italian as well. I am currently studying Irish (Gaeilge), but I would be glad for corrections to my posts in that language, since I need all the help I can get. Learning the spelling and grammar of that language feels like I am rubbing my brain on a cheese grater. I love it, though.
My inability to read Korean is really getting on my nerves. That's next on my list.
...
This is where I draw the line: __________________.
Hehe... which dialect? There are 7 or so major ones and they are so different that many don't understand each other. Mandarin is spoken the most, but Cantonese is not that far behind. They have great difficulty understanding each other. I don't think any Chinese language will ever become the "universal language". Don't forget, they use a very different written language, too. Many who learn Mandarin know the pin-yin system which uses the western alphabet but that's not the norm. There is also no singular or plural or verb tenses in the Chinese languages. There are almost 60 different minorities living in China and all of them have their own language and some of them have no written language.
I shouldn't worry too much about Chinese being the universal language. Really. It's a great language to learn, however. My nephew teaches Chinese and he love the language.
I don't want to even know how many times I said "language" in that post!
Oh my! You misspelled French! Spelling Police! Sound the sirens!!
Just Kidding of course.
Ohh my would you look at that
Well i am kinda tired after Football practice hehehe but yeah
I speak only two languages: English, becuase I was born in good ole Sioux Falls South Dakota, and since I am a salesman, I am also very fluent in an ancient language called "BS"...
And I think many of us are proficient in the language called "1337".
Unlike some people here who claim to speak like 10 different languages (yeah right, knowing a couple of words in a language doesn't really count) I only speak Italian, English and Sicilian dialect fluently..
and that's because I spent 6 years in Australia and am currently living in Italy.
It takes years and years of practice to master a language and all it's nuances, you can't really claim to speak a language if you only have an academic or superficial knowledge of it.
Have played:
UO, WOW, COH/V, EQ2
Currently playing:
Age of Conan (EU)
Wouldn't it be funny if people started correcting posts in proper English because of the poster's inabiity to write proper "1337"?
...
This is where I draw the line: __________________.
Hehe... which dialect?
I was referring to Manadarin.
You have to LIVE the language to fully learn it, speak to lots of people, read many books, watch TV, carry out long conversations etc etc.. you can't learn a language just by knowing the grammatical rules, I've always believed this. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to correct all the English teachers I've had here at school, and these people claimed that English was their mother tongue!.
I once had a friend who said he could speak Latin.. I introduced him to my uncle who teaches it at Uni.. boy was he humbled, and my uncle says that he's not even that good compared to some other people. It's easy to boast that you know lots of different languages, I studied french for five years but if I ever went to France I would just make a fool of myself.
Have played:
UO, WOW, COH/V, EQ2
Currently playing:
Age of Conan (EU)
I'm only know one language and that's English. I've learned to read Spanish and Latin in the past, but beyond that I've never learned any other language.
If it was a neccesity, then I'm sure I'd pick up another one...but here in Oklahoma knowing understandable english is enough.
My first language is french, my english is pretty good... and I speak some spanish (very little).
ICH SPRECHE DEUTSCH!
Nice call on the poll;)
-Cloudoffire-
I don't know if I agree about having to "live" the language. My nephew, who is from the US, teaches Chinese for the USAF and has worked as an interpeter. He's spent very little time in China. He took a very intense military course to learn Chinese and it seems to worked the charm. He has absolutely no problem conversing with Chinese who speak no English at all and is complimented on his accent and skill when he does visit China.
On the other hand, I've lived in several different countries, watched their tv, shopped in their stores, and basically lived in areas where English was rarely spoken and have only picked up enough to make myself understood. Those intense language courses seem to do a very good job. I think maybe you have to live in a country to understand their culture, perhaps, but not the language.
Being a language snob is no help to anyone at all. It only discourages people from even trying. Good enough is good enough. At this time last year, I was working some of the time as a bartender in a bowling alley. A guy came in and sat at the bar and proceeded to tell me his whole life story in broken English. It would have been rude of me to tell him that it would be easier to just tell me in Spanish, and with all the stumbling and searching for words, he did get his point across. I'd say the guy speaks English. Fluent English? No. Good English? Hardly. Functional English? You bet.
I have an honest claim to Spanish. Beyond taking university level literature courses conducted entirely in Spanish, which required me to write term papers entirely in Spanish, I've gotten a lot of use from the language on the ground. I have friends that I know only in Spanish (and if you are as worldly as you claim to be, you'll know how hard it is to change the language of a relationship once it is set). Where I live, you can immerse yourself in Spanish pretty easily. You can shop, watch TV, go out to eat, go to church, and even use the local ATMs, without resorting to English, if you want. When I have been reading, writing, or speaking Spanish, I start thinking in Spanish. Sometimes I dream in Spanish. Native speakers ask me where I am from, and when I tell them I am American, they ask me where I learned Spanish.
My grasp of French and Italian is conversational, and is good enough to get around. Yeah, I have a lot of vocabulary shortages, and my accent is awful. I mean... AWFUL... But that doesn't stop me from looking for opportunities to at least get some passive use out of it. (Again, if you are all that worldly, then you probably know how easy it is to lose a language that you don't use, and how much you can improve if you work it hard.)
On the other hand, I know a number of words and phrases in Arabic. I don't have any claim on that language, but I never said I spoke it. So, I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt to people who claim to have another language. And I am willing to allow that some people are students of a language and may have a pretty functional grasp of it, which is good enough in my book.
I have an general interest in languages and linguistics. I have every intention of getting more use out of my languages as soon as I am not knee-deep in kids, preferably by seeking out native speakers in their native environment. Maybe I should do that instead of wasting my time on these boards and playing games.
...
This is where I draw the line: __________________.
i speak english and pretty good Italian. No dilect
but no some southern kinds
Oh yea and some college french. and some SPanish. But not really that good.
Alcanan
"The True North Strong and Free"
"Faith Manages"
Dekron,
If it can help you feel better, I would not divide english between Americans and British. I can understand someone from California or from NYC just fine.
However I do agree, folks from Nouvelle-Orleans, no matter if they speak French or English, they are extremely hard to understand (my command of french is great IMO, but I have to focus on their french to understand it, cannot listen casually to them). I really hate to make them repeat so I pay great attention when they talk in french and it is hard to follow them, but many persons from France can't even understand their french, they think they are talking in english all the while. I would extend it to Texas english as well, no offense. I think understanding 2 Japanese guys thinking they are good in english speaking to each other fast in Japglish is easier than trying to understand 2 guys from Texas speaking to each other.
Sometimes when I can't understand a lady speaking in english because she talks to fast and have a local accent, I got the picture of Charlie Brown in my head when the teacher is talking.
In Canada guys from Newfoundland are very hard to understand as well (in english). When I was in Alberta, the locals there where putting extra attention to make sure they understand me first shot and they always make the Newfoundlanders repeat, they where often outraged...niak niak niak.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Oh...I got an activity for you if you never did it.
Take our national anthem in a written form, both english and french, and do a self translation to the other language for both of them, you will be surprised at how many differences there are in both versions.
Take the french version, put it in english...than take the english original and put it in french. Not the same song at all.
I think this activity is great to resume a lot of our country. 
The english version is...well you can understand it better than me. But the french version is not about the same values. Honestly! Check it out!
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
I didn't mean not being unable to understand accents, but the different names for things. Lou = restroom, etc.
the way you phrased it, even people who only speak one language, will say more than one just to spite you.
Je parle Francais, et je parle Anglais.
c'est tres amusent... je parle mieux que j'ecris.
and as a note to the language elitists.
I dont live in french canada, I took it in highschool, I talk to people in it.
I dont do university level french.
but Id still say I can speak it.
I can carry out a conversation in it, and I can express myself in it.. thats all that really matters.
anybody who says otherwise is just trying to convince themselves they didnt just waste years of their lives perfecting the grammer of a language.
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...