Thread: Languages

I speak English as my native language, and acquired fluent Hebrew during the 25 years in which I lived there. I've got a smattering of Spanish and Russian from high school, and enough German to order in a restaurant, bar, or bordello.

I'm now working at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and if I want, the opportunity is there to formally study Yupik, Inupiaq, or Koyukon.

I was born and bred in England and I'm pretty good in French as well. I studied it up to my first year at uni, so I learnt it for about 10 years.

Hebrew/English.. fluent in both ;-)..born n raised in the USA..IDF served 1998-2k..refreshed Hebrew there
Now living with wife n kids in SoCali

pcdad

I think the hardest part of learning a new language is "thinking" in that language rather than translating from your native tongue. Knowing the words will get you by but you don't own it till you can think it... if that makes sense. That said I am very rusty in Italian & French. Have very poor restaurant quality Japanese, can swear in Arabic & failed English at school

My first language was Greek but learned English when I was old enough to go to school.

I eventually learned French because it is Canadas second language. I understand some Spanish and Italian

My native language is English. I am conversant, but not fluent, in American Sign Language (I am adventitiously deaf), having learned it when I returned to college at Gallaudet University.
Namaste,
Morty -_-

I've always wanted to learn another language, but despite 2 years of spanish in highschool, 3 years of french in highschool, 1 year of spanish at the community college I just can't get the hang of it. I have even tried numerous cds and dvds on the subject. Which is unfortunate as the town I live in is about 70% spanish speaking people.

I'm a language lover to the bone...I've been studying languages since I was 15.

As for meaningful skill, I've got the ol' English, and once upon a time I could speak fairly fluent German (MA in German Linguistics, did graduate work at Humboldt in Berlin--but that's many a year ago). I have some basic conversational Italian and my Japanese is coming along nicely, thanks to my family.

Reading languages include Old English, Old High German, Some Classical Attic Greek. I want to work on Latin but I'm too lazy.

I didn't mention Latin because I haven't used it since high school. And to be honest, I have to admit that I would be lost in Latin so I can't really add it to my list.

However, I found Latin fairly easy to learn as a language. Much easier than French certainly. No funny umlauts, cedilles or accents, waaaaaay less exceptions to the rules of grammar, and you basically pronounce the letters the was they are written.

Yep - I like languages. I think of myself as more of a dabbler than being fluent in any language besides my native English.

I tend to start getting good and then get interested in something else.
I know some Icelandic and Old Norse, some Norwegian, a little French and snippets of different languages both alive and dead.

My MA was in linguistics and involved a description and analysis of Aboriginal languages in South eastern Australia (no longer spoken).

I also like looking at language variation and change.

All the best,
Michael.