Do You Speak Any Other Languages?

[Flick James]

We all communicate via the English language here.

I've always been fascinated by language and linguistics. I've learned some basics from several languages, but nothing to the point of being conversational. I've done this with Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Greek. I couldn't have a decent conversation with anybody for whom those are native languages, but I could find my way around via street signs, ask directions, and order a meal well enough to get by I reckon.

I've always appreciated people who can speak multiple languages and do it well. I am envious of the superior experience that they must have in those countries as a result. I was in Crete on a port visit in the Navy and got friendly with a couple of civilian contractors who were on board. One of them spoke Greek fluently. I had the pleasure of hitting the town with them one night and saw things and went places in the city that the locals wouldn't dream of guiding the drunk, belligerent sailors to.

So, do you speak any languages other than English? If so, what languages and to what degree? And do you find it to be a great benefit?

It seems like it would be. My father, not a bad guy, was just from a culture that was what it was, and he had that provincial attitude that learning other languages was a complete waste of time. No son of his was going to speak anything other than English, and so on. As a result, I was never exposed to it growing up, when it would have really stuck. I loved my dad, and there were other valuable things I learned from him, but I've always kind of resented that I lived in an area where there were ample opportunities, but he just wouldn't have it. I would love to speak another language or two well. I'm sure I could put some effort into it, but at my age it will never stick or be as second-nature as it would be if I had been exposed to multi-ligualism as a child.

[A_Dubya]

I have a degree in Spanish. I've been studying it most of my life.

[Flick James]

I have a degree in Spanish. I've been studying it most of my life.

Travis Bickle es muy loco, si? Es posible que necesite un abrazo.

[retrorussell]

I know a very slight smattering of Nihongo (Japanese).

[HappyGilmore]

I can speak a bit of Spanish. Studied it a bit in school.

I work with people of Mexican and El Salvadoran background. A couple speak no English. I can communicate with them to a degree. I understand a bit more than I can actually speak, if that makes sense.

[Leah]

does gibberish count? I studied Spanish for a bit, but then quit. Even less with French.

[Derf]

I have my masters degree in English and very little gift for other languages. I took two years of French in college and could probably struggle my way around France as long as I didn't have to hold an actual conversation (or be beaten up because I am a filthy American  ). I grew up in a mostly Hispanic part of the country, so I can also get around in Spanish (reading it), though I don't speak it well enough to do much more than cuss your mother or order dinner. Italian is close enough to Latin that I can at least recognize a lot of words in their association with my smattering of the Latin roots of English words. I have a good ear for dialects and accents and can often place people's place of origin by how they speak, but I simply don't have the gift of learning (read: thinking in) other languages.

I speak Pig Latin and Pirate fluently, though. And I occasionally break out in academic-ese, which is like a whole other language to most people.

[The Burgomaster]

Not fluently.  But my wife is from Brazil and I can usually fake my way through enough Portuguese to get by.  I can read it and understand it when other people talk far better than I can speak it.

[Couchtr26]

I speak some German but mostly poorly.  However, I'm always working to improve it.  It is most difficult in some of its sentence formation but I find it easier and easier as I go.  I have been out of practice for a few months though and suffered some for it. 

I took French in school and I think that is where I had the most trouble as I never felt like I choose it while I did at the same time.  I always tried to stay away from Spanish as I have relatives that speak it and thought it would be better to learn something else.  I'm still fair with French provided I don't have to go out of present tense verb conjugations. 

Spanish I have a little ear for from hearing but have never actually sat down and studied. 

I know a little Portuguese as well from having known someone from Brazil, though nothing outside of some basic nouns and a few phrases.   

[Leah]

I also speak trees, and so I speak for the trees. I am the Lorax.

[Trevor]

so I can also get around in Spanish (reading it), though I don't speak it well enough to do much more than cuss your mother or order dinner.

So you might perhaps be able to tell me what John Leguizamo said to that zombie in Land of The Dead after he shot the thing in the eye? 

Oy spik pefekt brokun Eenglish and good Afrikaans ~ I also know when I'm being sworn at in Italian or German.

[Jack]

I took a couple years of Spanish in elementary school and a semester of German in high school.  So I can count to ten in both languages and also know what "verboten", "gesundheit" and "señorita" mean.

[Derf]

so I can also get around in Spanish (reading it), though I don't speak it well enough to do much more than cuss your mother or order dinner.

So you might perhaps be able to tell me what John Leguizamo said to that zombie in Land of The Dead after he shot the thing in the eye? 

Oy spik pefekt brokun Eenglish and good Afrikaans ~ I also know when I'm being sworn at in Italian or German.

While I haven't seen Land of the Dead, I know enough about John Leguizamo to know almost no one can understand what the #$%^ he's talking about most of the time. 

And it's easy to know when I'm being sworn at in French: They're lips are moving. I am an American, after all. 

[Newt]

When I caught myself thinking in French one day as I made my way down the hall after French class in high school I was startled.  It has been a long time since and I'm afraid I would have to do considerable excavating to 'dust off' my French before it was anywhere near as usable now.    But it is still there enough to allow me to watch movies in that language without the subtitles.  

I took one year of Latin in university.  Just enough that I know I never want to work that hard again (it was one of those "all the latin you would have learned in high school, from scratch, packed into one year" courses - ugh!) and can puzzle out word meanings in related languages and make rough translations of Latin phrases.  I rather enjoy that and my kids have found it useful.

And I have picked up a smattering of words and phrases in several other languages.  It's fun.  Sometimes I think of my brain as being one big lint brush, collecting bits of colourful stuff that have been shed in my vicinity...

eta: upon further thought, I will mention that I speak 'equid' quite fluently.  Any decent horseman does: we have continuous conversations in 'horse' with the horses whenever we are around the animals.

[The Burgomaster]

I speak the language of love . . .