slo’s THURSDAY 9/26 poll - Foreign/Multiple Languages

[slo]

We all speak English, but do we all speak another language? If we do, for some of us it would be considered a foreign language, and for others, it would be considered another language. What’s the difference? IMO….the difference is a foreign language is something one learned, in a class, app, website or etc., in order to communicate with others in another country or ethnic group. Another language, is a language that someone grew up using (they just know it, it was never taught like a foreign language), along with using English, because they need to communicate with their family or another group of people that speaks that language. So communicate with us today……..

Do you speak another language?
Do you speak a foreign language?
If yes…… how many languages do you speak?
(multiple choice)

*For those that know multiple languages, please post what language(s) you speak.



For Me……I only speak English. I did take four years of German in high school - I remember basically none of it. I took two years of Spanish in college and again remember basically none of it. Learning a foreign language did not come easy for me - I really struggled with it.

 

[leebee]

I speak English, but took French from 3rd-12th grade. I am not in any way, shape, or form conversational, but when we went to France in 2008 (I think) I was able to understand some of what I was reading (menus, for example- I ordered, and when the food came it was what I thought we'd be getting), pick up our rental car, find our way around the countryside, and say please/thank you. I was surprised I remembered so much, although I am 100% sure I butchered the language when trying to communicate.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I can only speak English. I took Spanish in HS and college, but I have forgotten so much I would definitely struggle to even get by.

I know (and recognize when I hear) phrases and key words in a few other languages, but I have no "real" ability to speak those languages. I used to study languages as a hobby when I was younger. This was back before all those cool resources that we have now are available. I remember studying Swedish, German, and French in my spare time.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I took French and Latin in high school but remember very little of those subjects. I grew up with grandparents who spoke both Polish and English, and I recognize more Polish words when I hear it spoken.

 

[Kitty 34]

I only speak English. I always admire people who can fluently speak several languages.

 

[nono]

I studied French for 4 years in high school. I can carry on simple conversations still. I would say I talk at about a 5 year old level. Better at reading.

I've studied Japanese for 5-6 years now. I would say I talk at a 2 year old level, but I can read basic business things like menus, signage, etc. which is pretty decent I guess, considering it's a combination of 3 writing systems. Working on getting my speaking level better currently.

 

[Rogue1677x]

I can only speak English. I took Spanish and French throughout my school years and was absolutely terrible at picking up the languages.

I did manage to learn a little bit of Japanese from a high school friend, Russian and Italian from college friends and Arabic (specifically the Moroccan dialect) from my ex-husband.

 

[Skywalker3]

No other languages, but years of French in high school and college. Growing up, dId hear a fair amount of Cajun French all around town. My ex's family spoke it at home, and many of their generation still did. Didn't really hear it, except for a few words/phrases here and there, from our generation and younger.

 

[fla4fun]

I am trying to learn French now. I could carry on a simple conversation, but I am nowhere near fluent yet, but I keep working on it. Other than that, I only speak English.

 

[jo-jo]

I took 4 years of spanish in high school. I know more from Dora the explorer.

 

[_19disnA]

Can only speak English. Took some required Latin & French in high school like some others have mentioned above. It always seemed pointless when the language class was never focused on being 'conversational'. Not sure what it accomplished. As I recall it was mostly about memorizing words/phrases but none of that would ever enable you have an actual conversation with someone else.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Only English here. Two years of Latin in high school. Sometimes I'll recognize a written root word and recall it's meaning.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Only English
Took German in high school
I can count on German & Spanish
I can tell you I don’t speak the language in German / Spanish/ French
I can say a few words and very simple ( extremely simple ) conversations in German & Spanish - mainly how are you / nice day etc
I can curse in German & Spanish and know if you’re cursing at me yes this has come up before ( long story ) but I knew what was being said !

I’ve tried to learn French but my brain is like that ship sailed don’t bother

I admire tremendously people who can master multiple languages and especially people who master out English language !!!

 

[GAN]

I only speak English, but I can hold my own in Italian well enough to get by. I've also created a language that I refer to as Fritalian ...It's a combination of French and Italian and when I travel the locals get a big kick out of it -I mix words into the same sentence . Kind of a result of knowing some Italian and learning French via DuoLingo. I have family in Southern Switzerland(Italian canton) so I've kept up with Italian to minimal degree -they speak 4/5 languages as does most of their country since there are 3 primary regions(French, German, Italian) and one other to a lesser degree (Romansh) -it's very impressive. So they're expected to speak the language of whatever canton they happen to be in at that time -you go to Zurich, you speak German, etc.

 

[Moliphino]

Only fluent/conversational in English.
I've taken Spanish, French, and German classes at various times. I'm much better at reading them than speaking, though.

 

[Rogue1677x]

Only English
Took German in high school
I can count on German & Spanish
I can tell you I don’t speak the language in German / Spanish/ French
I can say a few words and very simple ( extremely simple ) conversations in German & Spanish - mainly how are you / nice day etc
I can curse in German & Spanish and know if you’re cursing at me yes this has come up before ( long story ) but I knew what was being said !

I’ve tried to learn French but my brain is like that ship sailed don’t bother

I admire tremendously people who can master multiple languages and especially people who master out English language !!!

My ex-husband and my friend from high school who was from Japan both had the ability to pick up and master multiple languages quite easily.

My ex-husband was from Morocco so his native language was Arabic and he also was fluent in French. He studied English at a university in Casablanca and by the time I met him, you'd never know he hadn't been speaking it his whole life.

My friend from Japan learned English before becoming an exchange student for a year (that's when I met her). She went on to learn Chinese and Portuguese.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I also took 4 years of German in high school as well as half a year in middle. In middle school, between 6th-7th, we took German, Spanish, Italian and French. In 8th, you took a full year of your intended language...but for some reason I picked Spanish. It didn't go well and I never sang in it for any of my competition pieces, so I switched to German for 9th-12th as it was much more useful to my college path. It's been so long that I'm pretty clueless with it, but there were a few times in my 20s where it came in handy. I understood it well enough to interpret a few things from international clients (although, it was still double checked with an expert), I used it for shopping in Germany/Austria/Switzerland and did pretty well until a market vendor in Salzburg struck up a conversation, and I used it in Lucerne when I was able to pick up on a bunch of older locals at a bar insulting all of the tourists in the hotel where they were drinking. I still remember this one guy turning beet red when I understood enough to have a jaw-drop sort of spontaneous reaction in the moment and instinctively flashed him a disapproving look. They behaved after that.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Good story it is funny when you catch that !! The fight I had - another person with me spoke Spanish and called them out on it - the look on their faces was priceless !!! I was laughing so hard !! I’m like yup they are with me and are fluent in Spanish

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I speak only English. I took French 8th-10th grade but what did I actually get out of that?
I could get by using some sign language with a 2 or 3 year old!

My adult daughter is hearing impaired and fluent in sign language although verbal English is her main communication.
My 9yr old GS also knows sign langauge because my daughter has taught him. I love watching them use sign language together!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Studied Spanish from 6th grade thru high school graduation. I still use it even though it’s now more Latino than Castilian; nothing wrong with that.

Studied French for work opportunities in uni and learned for better communication with the ex. The later reasoning was useless when I realized all he talked about in French was motorcycles which is a convo I’d avoid in English, lol.

All I really recall of Swiss German is everyday polite expressions and yes of course how to curse. They speak much more restrained than others; one of the worst expressions is being called a phlegm swallower