What Languages Do You Speak?

**Beautiful Disaster** · 05-09-2011 09:49 AM

I searched to see if this one has been done before, I'm sure at some point it has, but I couldn't find it.

Do you speak and/or write any foreign languages? If so, what are they? How did you learn them?

I'm an English speaking gal only and have always wished foreign language was more emphasized in school when I was growing up. I took Japanese in college and can say a few things, and know a few spanish words but that's it.

Please share.

**ItsASecret** · 05-09-2011 10:36 AM

I took Spanish in high school. Did not learn much then but now I have sort of got into the idea of learning it again because it would be nice to just say that I know how to speak another language.

**Maximus** · 05-09-2011 10:54 AM

My mother tongue is French.
I had English classes when growing up.
But the biggest part is self-taught.
Then there is Lingala (language spoken where I grew up), Kikongo (language spoken with my uncles and grandmother).
Then dutch (learned while living in Belgium)
Then German (listening comprehension so far, too shy to engage in a conversation).
Then Danish (learned with an ex-, and my current gf is Danish, so are the in-laws) - listening comprehension and basic conversation.
I understand italian, but can't speak.
I started learning Russian then dropped...too busy.

**MarkT** · 05-09-2011 11:54 AM

Just English, and really not too good at it I guess. Kind of a caveman or mountainman, so I'm better at grunts and basic gesturing.

**Jimbeau** · 05-09-2011 12:21 PM

Some bad Italian. A lot of fencing terms are Italian and I have friends in Italy.

**Thomas Hepburn** · 05-09-2011 12:38 PM

Bona Sera, signora. Guten Abend, etc etc I speak Italian reasonably well and a little French and German.

**jns** · 05-09-2011 12:51 PM

American English is my native tongue. Thai is a second language that I can speak passably, but can only read and write slowly. At one time I was OK at mostly Mexican Spanish - now I can mostly understand it spoken and written but cannot reply as I mix in words in Thai. I can read French, Italian and German with partial comprehension.

**Beautiful Disaster** · 05-09-2011 01:08 PM

Wow, Virgile, I've never even heard of most of those!! It's amazing to me how one can contain such knowledge in their brain. You are magnificent!

Sid - that's how I am with japanese. I can count to ten. And in spanish too (but I learned that from Sesame Street! lol)

I would love to be able to speak Italian. What a beautiful language it is.

I have heard the most difficult is Mandarin Chinese. I cannot even fathom it.

**Robert42d** · 05-09-2011 01:17 PM

I speak,read and write,English and French!! I also speak some Latin... But I haven't spoken Latin in years...

**jns** · 05-09-2011 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by Beautiful Disaster

I have heard the most difficult is Mandarin Chinese. I cannot even fathom it.

Standard Chinese(known as Mandarin in the West) has only 4 tones. Thai has 5. Yue (includes Cantonese) has 6 to 9 tones depending on the transcription system with the older systems having more and the newer ones (more concise) having less. Teochew, common in Southeast Asia, has 6 to 8 tones.