How many languages do you know?

[crimsonyte]

Just out of curiosity, how many languages can the individual members of the escapist speak/understand? I'm pretty sure there's a lot of bilingual people here if not trilingual. How did you go about learning the language? I have a few friends who learned the language just by watching a crap load of movies/series. They speak funny when they use the language (a lot of slangs) but regardless, they picked it up. Currently, I'm trying to match my parents, they speak 5 languages

I know 2 languages proficiently (English and Chieu-Chow(country dialect in China (<--anybody else know this language =p ))) and can partially understand 3 others, if spoken slowly to (Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish). English/Chieu-Chow are my native languages used when growning up. Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish I've picked up from spending time with friends and friend's family.

Awesome, someone else who actually speaks that dialect. That may have been my first language, but I don't know quite enough to hold conversation. It's only enough to help around the house and speak basically. I'm proficient in English (of course), and have a somewhat decent thing for Spanish (but it's falling apart). I know a some basic phrases and words in Japanese and Vietnamese (product of anime and family, respectively)

Nice to meet someone here who knows it. It's like discovering gold when you meet someone who speaks it =p

 

[Wasurenagusa]

English
Bosnian
Japanese (learning)
Russian (an understanding)
French (very basic understanding)

 

[Twilight_guy]

I speak one language in total. I know .75 of English and .25 of Spanish. My teacher learned me to spoke real good!

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

Just out of curiosity, how many languages can the individual members of the escapist speak/understand? I'm pretty sure there's a lot of bilingual people here if not trilingual. How did you go about learning the language? I have a few friends who learned the language just by watching a crap load of movies/series. They speak funny when they use the language (a lot of slangs) but regardless, they picked it up. Currently, I'm trying to match my parents, they speak 5 languages

I know 2 languages proficiently (English and Chieu-Chow(country dialect in China (<--anybody else know this language =p ))) and can partially understand 3 others, if spoken slowly to (Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish). English/Chieu-Chow are my native languages used when growning up. Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish I've picked up from spending time with friends and friend's family.

Awesome, someone else who actually speaks that dialect. That may have been my first language, but I don't know quite enough to hold conversation. It's only enough to help around the house and speak basically. I'm proficient in English (of course), and have a somewhat decent thing for Spanish (but it's falling apart). I know a some basic phrases and words in Japanese and Vietnamese (product of anime and family, respectively)

Nice to meet someone here who knows it. It's like discovering gold when you meet someone who speaks it =p

Definitely ^_^. Though I'm kinda about to give it up to learn Vietnamese instead. It's a lot more common in my family (between the adults anyway). Most of them are proficient in Chieu-Chow, but they use Viet almost all the time. They only use Chinese to speak to us kids.

 

[jonnywarlock]

Filipino
Kapampangan (a Pinoy dialect)
English
I also know the Universal Greeting (Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong).

 

[crimsonyte]

Just out of curiosity, how many languages can the individual members of the escapist speak/understand? I'm pretty sure there's a lot of bilingual people here if not trilingual. How did you go about learning the language? I have a few friends who learned the language just by watching a crap load of movies/series. They speak funny when they use the language (a lot of slangs) but regardless, they picked it up. Currently, I'm trying to match my parents, they speak 5 languages

I know 2 languages proficiently (English and Chieu-Chow(country dialect in China (<--anybody else know this language =p ))) and can partially understand 3 others, if spoken slowly to (Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish). English/Chieu-Chow are my native languages used when growning up. Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish I've picked up from spending time with friends and friend's family.

Awesome, someone else who actually speaks that dialect. That may have been my first language, but I don't know quite enough to hold conversation. It's only enough to help around the house and speak basically. I'm proficient in English (of course), and have a somewhat decent thing for Spanish (but it's falling apart). I know a some basic phrases and words in Japanese and Vietnamese (product of anime and family, respectively)

Nice to meet someone here who knows it. It's like discovering gold when you meet someone who speaks it =p

Definitely ^_^. Though I'm kinda about to give it up to learn Vietnamese instead. It's a lot more common in my family (between the adults anyway). Most of them are proficient in Chieu-Chow, but they use Viet almost all the time. They only use Chinese to speak to us kids.

It seems that a lot of Chieu-Chow families tend to lean towards Vietnamese for family usage. This probably because a lot of Chieu-Chow people are centered around south Vietnam or the southern countries(Malaysia/Cambodia). I've been told that there's a of Chieu-Chow speakers in Canton and Singapore. I find that Chieu-Chow is a great transition language for Cantonese and Mandarin or even Hokkien/Taiwanese.

 

[Simalacrum]

I'm bilingal in English and Japanese, thus making me the perfect nerd XD

 

[bluepilot]

I am a native English speaker, but very much to the North so I can speak standard English and Scots.

For foreign languages, I can speak a little French, but read a lot more. I can read whole novels in French but only say `jai voudrais un crepe du chocolate` and similar. I studied French for five years in school and used to go there a lot on holiday...and buy crepes

My main foreign language is Japanese, which was my major in University, butI have also lived in Japan for more than two years. I am studying hard to get to acedemic level Japanese and work as an interpritor

After than, I speak Chinese and Korean at conversational levels. These were both languages I learned at University to complement my Japanese study.

Then of course there is old Latin and Greek, which are pretty unusable, except in the English Lanuguage, but we all like to throw the in anyway so we don`t all look completly stupid and arrogant

I have just started Spanish because it is a good language to swear in...when you study Japanese you need a swearing outlet

 

[AbuFace]

It appears that a lot of the multi-lingual people are usually from the European areas. Is this because of the diversity of languages available and thus necessitating you to learn in order to get by? I know understanding multiple languages is require in some parts of China since the languages is often split between Mandarin and Cantonese.

Yeah, you pretty much got it right. In Europe, you have a great many languages in a relatively small area. People and cultures are going to mix very frequently, and it's no surprise to see languages interchange amongst people. According to worldatlas.com, Europe is approximately 9.9 million square kilometers. Just off the top of my head, I can think of at least 8 languages that are spoken in that area.

North America, on the other hand, is 24.2 million square kilometers, and I can think of only 3 languages that are commonly used here: English, Spanish, and French (mostly in Canada). Incidentally, there are only 3 countries as well. As you can imagine, this is not very conducive to learning anything about other cultures when you're so isolated geographically.

In the continental USA, you can go travel 4,500 km and still be in the same country. If you start anywhere in Europe and travel 4,500 km in any direction, you're likely to be in an entirely different continent.

I took 7 years of Spanish, and I was pretty comfortable with it. I could read/write it just fine, and struggled a bit in spoken word, but it was clear that I was fairly proficient in the language. In the 7 years since I've been out of high school, there hasn't been a single time or opportunity to use Spanish. Unsurprisingly, I've forgotten so much of it that I can barely even call myself knowledgeable. Imagine using only one language for 7 years - see how much of the others you remember then -_-

I guess that makes me an ignorant American for knowing just one language, but I'm not ignorant because I close my eyes and ignore the rest of the world. I'm ignorant because there's hardly anybody else out here with us. (Yes, I'm aware there immigrants, but you cannot honestly tell me that having immigrants from a country has the same cultural impact as actually BEING in that country.)

 

[Kasawd]

I speak english.

Je parle francais, Aussi!

 

[Crystal Cuckoo]

French is technically my first language, but I am far more proficient in English.
It might be because I live in Australia... '^^.
When I was in primary school, my best friend was South American (he spoke Spanish, effectively). Since I used to go over to his house a LOT, I could understand/say a few basic Spanish colloquialisms. But now I've forgotten. Well, everything apart from the barest essentials (Hello, bye, thank you, etc)

 

[NoTroll]

English, French, Spanish, Italian and Hebrew.

 

[scrambledeggs]

English and Spanish

 

[Zallest]

English only, I used to know some German but i don't think i can hold onto a 2nd long enough to be fluent in it. My girlfriend is very fluent in French though.

 

[k_rafftry]

I am fluent in both Irish and English. You'd be surprised how few Irish people have a decent grasp at their own language, it's very sad... And Irish is such a unique language.

 

[YourCreepyUncle]

Well, I speak English as my primary language but I'm also reasonably fluent in Irish. I can hold a limited degree of conversation in French and can ask directions and other basic questions in German.

And if anyone's curious about Irish, here's some phrases!

Dia Duit (Dee-Ah Gwitch)- Hello
Dia Is Muire Duit (Dee-Ah iss mwirra gwitch)- Hello to you too!
Conas Ata Tu? (Cunnas Attaw too?)- How are you?
Ceart Go Leor (Cart Guh Lore)- OK
Slan (Slawn)- Goodbye
Go Raibh Maith Agat (Guh Ra Mohh A Gut)- Thanks


And some fun ones:

Pog Mo Thon! (Poge Muh Hone!)- Kiss My Arse!
Ta Breag ar An Caca Milis! (Taw Brayge Err On Cawka Millish!)- The Cake Is A Lie!

Nior chuireann tu a lan allais i gcomparaid leis a lan cailini ramhair eile (Near kwhirrin'
too a lawn allish ee cum-parrawd lesh a lawn colleeny rowwer ella)- You don't sweat much for a fat girl!

Is maith liom an wagain ata tu ag tarraingt! - Like that wagon you're draggin'!


Just saying this here and now, if you shout that last one at someone and they understand, I'm not taking responsibility for anyone being beaten to death with a splintery Hurley by a Connemara Girl...

 

[soren7550]

I'm only fluent in English, but I can understand bits & pieces of German. Which is a bit weird because I never took lessons in German. Only Spanish about 7 different times, but I still can't understand it for shit. (and I live in a are where a lot of people speak Spanish.)

But I do get why I understand German a lot more than Spanish because a lot of English words come from German ones.

 

[traceur_]

English and Australian.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Dutch as my mothertongue, English as my second language, but it's as good as my Dutch. I think that says more about my Dutch than my English... I also know a few words and phrases in French and German.

Just off the top of my head, I can think of at least 8 languages that are spoken in that area.

8?! Hah, not even close, check this image:

 

[Fairee]

English as my first language. Not 'American English', which doesn't exist, but pure proper English. True English, from God's green pastures (and yes, England is the home of said pastures, just listen to the hymn 'Jerusalem').

Oh yes, proper English FTW. Although I will admit, sometimes the American words make more sense ie sidewalk instead of pavement.

I got an A in German for GCSE (it would have been A* if I hadn't screwed up my oral) however 3 years on I've forgotten most of it. For some reason I'd really like to learn a language properly at the moment, but I'm not sure which one...