# What Languages Do You Speak?



## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

I speak German,Italian,Spanish and French fluently (well,almost),and can understand Romanian,Russian,Hungarian,and Serbian fairly well.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

I learned gaelic from my greatgrandmother. This is usefull for talking to I.R.A. men and born again wiccans.I am not optimistic of someday meeting a wiccan IRA man.

My next linguistic adventure was 2 years of bilingual education in Apache in Kindergarden and 1st grade. 

I learned french attending Anglican private school along with enough greek and latin to get in trouble. On my graduation day, the departing french teacher revealed she was from Hungary. 3 additional years in high School fixed my accent.

I was assigned to the military language school for russian and found it usefull for my alaskan, arctic and antarctic assignments.

In university, I took the time to record the last 4 living members of a California Indian band. I learned to speak their coastal Salish dialect and promised to say a few ancient prayers to the local spirits after the last one died @ 102 years. My notes, grammar and recordings are in a cabinet at UCB somewhere.

In California, I fill out job applications after pressing 1 for english and getting an interview.They invariably ask if I am bilingual, a question this guy from Oklahoma took offense to and stormed out. I wrote YES, until I realised it is PC for mexican.

I am slowly self teaching myself romanian as my fiancee's grasp of english sometimes causes minor misunderstandings. At last, a language that is of practical use!


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I can speak quite a bit of German, although in the last thirty years, I have not used it much, so that's what it is.

In the 80s, I could understand "Valley Girl."

Also, I can usually get through "PC Speak" although I actually understand it better than I speak it.


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

Just English. It turns out that just about anybody who's worth talking to already speaks it.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

That's very impressive wdf.

I spent 4 years in Japan and formally studied the language while there, also.

I used to be conversant, but not fluent. 

Unfortunately, when I returned stateside in '83 I didn't use it (or maintain) anymore, so I now know about 15% of what I did then.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

I can speak English and just a bit of Hebrew.


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## a4audi08 (Apr 27, 2007)

spanish, arabic, amharic


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## SlowE30 (Mar 18, 2008)

Wow, I hear about people like Kav and Welldressedfellow and think, "What am I doing?"

I learned German in high school/college. Other than an exchange trip to Germany, it has seldom been useful. When I was in Spain, I found a Spanish fellow who could speak German, and finally had someone to talk to. I used it to talk to my friends when negotiating with street vendors various places in Africa, who were having their own side conversations we could not understand.

My skills have slid considerably since then.

I want to learn Spanish next, but I'm having a hard time cracking my books. There's only 24 hours in a day, unfortunately....


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## Dr.Watson (Sep 25, 2008)

English, in the process of learning Latin.


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## M6Classic (Feb 15, 2008)

English, French, Zuni, classical...but not conversational...Hebrew.

Buzz


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## M6Classic (Feb 15, 2008)

PedanticTurkey said:


> Just English. It turns out that just about anybody who's worth talking to already speaks it.


Oh, please, Turkey, that's about as dumb a statement as you have ever made, and you have made some stunningly dumb statements on this list. If all you speak is English, how do you know just who is worth talking to? How can you tell that no non-English speaker has anything worthy to say to you?

Buzz


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

Because they can speak English. It's sort of a circular argument, which may not stand up to logical scrutiny, I know; but it works in real life. And that's what matters. English is the world's most popular second language for a reason. If I learn Mugbutu, I might get to speak with some charming dirt farmers. Wonderful, I'm sure, but not really worth my time. But if they learn English...

This is common sense. If it sounds "dumb," to you, it's because you're, well, stupid. So how can you know what is or isn't dumb? You can't, obviously. As applied to you, this works as applied as well as in theory.


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## Terpoxon (Sep 28, 2006)

Turkey, 

Doesn't Buzz offer proof against your argument? He speaks English and the two of you rarely have productive or interesting conversations.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Bits and pieces of Spanish...and very poorly at that!


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

Terpoxon said:


> Turkey,
> 
> Doesn't Buzz offer proof against your argument? He speaks English and the two of you rarely have productive or interesting conversations.


No, no. It's like the old "all dogs are mammals, but all mammals aren't dogs" bit.

Buzz is sort of like the "zero" in the multiplication table of conversation.


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## stant62 (Aug 6, 2008)

English, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) and Latin.


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

stant62 said:


> English, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) and Latin.


Mandarin is on my to do list.I really have no choice but to learn it,the lady who owns a Chinese restaurant I frequent is determined to teach me.


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

Murcan (Zuni's luggage ain't what it used to be back in the good old days.)


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

When I was nine, I spoke fluent French. At 13, I spoke fluent Spanish. Now I'm spotty in both. But my English is still sufficiently strong. :icon_smile_big:


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## Chase Hamilton (Jan 15, 2007)

At my prep school, Latin was a requirement. It bored me to tears, so I paid a fellow student on my floor to complete all my translations for me.

I didn't learn any Latin, but I learned an awful lot about the fine art of negotiation. 


Kind Regards,

Chase


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*All Greek to me.*



PedanticTurkey said:


> Just English. It turns out that just about anybody who's worth talking to already speaks it.


Αυτό το άτομο είναι σωστό. Οι έξυπνοι άνθρωποι μιλούν τα αγγλικά.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Languages are like music genres or liquors with subtle aromas and flavours.

My late friend Dina prepared a greek meal complete with ouzo, served our samll group in a small stand of olive trees and recited passages from the Iliad. I KNOW what a 'wine red sea' means.

Two german brides of ex G.I.s brought their young boys to the ranch I was working at for pony rides.They were raising hte childrfen bilingual. One, being a little boy decided to walk into a very dangerous situation. I used up half my smattering of german yelling" Halten sie an! Eine moment bitta!" He froze where he stood, the rare authority of those words in a sea of english unmistakeable.

Sophia Loren came into the store I worked at. I was honoured to have her call ahead and ask for me many times.
This big italian kid with more good looks than anyone deserves complained he had never seen her in the store.
I learned a few phrases of italian. The next time she called ahead I paged him to my department. Mamma Sophia is standing there, he walks over and I said " Senora Ponti, Mai Introdutati John Datille ." And Sophia turned in shock and asked why I never spoke italian before? I confessed I learned that one phrase to introduce John. For a moment, I held the hard won affection given Grant and Ponti. Then she walked off talking rapido with Johnny.But I was called over again to explain which white roses grew best in our area.

And my own native tongue, american english has it's beauty too. The problem, is too many speakers treat it like light beer and a 'dog at NASCAR.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

I speak Spanish fairly well and also know basic Vietnamese.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

I can speak english. I can understand German after having 4 semesters, but to speak it, I'd be completely lost.

I can "speak:" C, C++, Java, assembly, visual basic, q-basic, and HTML, and Verilog. I think that is most of them.

I rather get a job in hardware, so I'm hoping I won't be asked to demonstrate Java or C often.


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## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

I took a couple Spanish classes in college, but I spent most of my time mastering the English language. I tolerate Americans using British-English dialect. 

I'd like to learn Latin, more Spanish and perhaps, I don't know, Chinese.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Scoundrel said:


> I took a couple Spanish classes in college, but I spent most of my time mastering the English language. I tolerate Americans using British-English dialect.
> 
> I'd like to learn Latin, more Spanish and perhaps, I don't know, Chinese.


I, for one, won't learn Chinese, in case one day we get new Chinese overlords, I don't want to give them the satisfaction.


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## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

Ookkaaay


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## pichao (Apr 13, 2008)

*languages*

I speak Swedish, English, Spanish and German. I also understand Norwegian and Danish.

I can understand fragments of other latin languages, such as italian, french and portuguese.


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## Unregistered (Mar 13, 2008)

Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin.

Not too many Chinese on these boards it seems...


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## M6Classic (Feb 15, 2008)

PedanticTurkey said:


> Because they can speak English. It's sort of a circular argument, which may not stand up to logical scrutiny, I know; but it works in real life. And that's what matters. English is the world's most popular second language for a reason. If I learn Mugbutu, I might get to speak with some charming dirt farmers. Wonderful, I'm sure, but not really worth my time. But if they learn English...
> 
> This is common sense. If it sounds "dumb," to you, it's because you're, well, stupid. So how can you know what is or isn't dumb? You can't, obviously. As applied to you, this works as applied as well as in theory.


Oh my God! I have been called, "Stupid," by the man who says he speaks...



PedanticTurkey said:


> Just English. It turns out that just about anybody who's worth talking to already speaks it.


Gee, I guess I had better re-evaluate my world view because anybody who's worth talking to already speaks English...and I have been so informed by an erudite expert in global affairs.

Buzz


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

Et tu, Chase??


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

M6Classic said:


> Oh my God! I have been called, "Stupid," by the man who says he speaks...
> 
> Gee, I guess I had better re-evaluate my world view because anybody who's worth talking to already speaks English...and I have been so informed by an erudite expert in global affairs.
> 
> Buzz


You two bicker like an old, married couple.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

People who tout english as some universal language should travel more. I've 'talked' with Newfoundland fishermen, jamaican Rastafarians and others that made less sense than a gay Klingon.

I have british friends who tell me some areas have dialect accents that are completely different only a town away and almost indecypherable without practise.

My Lifeboat crew in SF consisted of a Samoan engineer and a former cockney from Engtland. We developed a radio accent of samoan inflection with cockney slang. Our C/O used to yell at me to 'speak californian dammit!'


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

chatsworth osborne jr. said:


> Αυτό το άτομο είναι σωστό. Οι έξυπνοι άνθρωποι μιλούν τα αγγλικά.


What language is that?


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

Howard said:


> What language is that?


Greek.


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## Francisco D'Anconia (Apr 18, 2007)

I can speak some Russian; far from fluently.


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## SlowE30 (Mar 18, 2008)

For once I'm going to have to agree with M6 in an interchange thread - learning other languages is important. I trust it will be the last time.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

You trust it will be the last time you agree with M 6, or the last time learning languages is important?
This is why french is the language of diplomacy and not english.


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## SlowE30 (Mar 18, 2008)

Indeed. I added "learning other languages is important" as an afterthought, to clarify what M6 had said earlier in the thread. That'll teach me to re-read even tiny posts.


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## Xhine23 (Jan 17, 2008)

English, Swahili, little Italian, French and Japanese. I wish I could improve the later.


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## bench (Oct 23, 2008)

german, english and a bit french, just learning thai, hope i can say "i speak it" soon.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

It funny, but if you're learning a new language two books are available to help in advanced efforts. I am talking about the Bible and the Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

An aquaintance of mine is working on a tibetan translation of Saint Ex with the blessings of His Holyness the Dalai Lama.

I need to read his job ads :O(


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## RDHoratio (Feb 22, 2008)

My mandarin is as fluent as that of any other 6'4" blonde Minnesotan I've ever met


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

There are times, when I think Garrison Keillor might as well be speaking Mandarin.


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## The Expatriate (Jul 24, 2008)

English is my native language, and I speak Thai pretty fluently. My Latin is not so bad as well. I used to be conversant in French, but I lost it a long time ago long with my Attic Greek. I'm currently studying Lao, Pali, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.

Did I mention that I'm a linguist and language educator by trade? :icon_smile:


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## asaffi (Jun 14, 2005)

Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, Greek and Arab. Also want to learn German, Russian and Italian.


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## Viniator3 (Sep 12, 2008)

English and Icelandic. Bet I'm the only one on this board who can "talar íslensku."

Took Spanish and Latin, understand and speak bits of both.


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## Stringfellow (Jun 19, 2008)

PedanticTurkey said:


> Just English. It turns out that just about anybody who's worth talking to already speaks it.


Your boy Jesus didn't speak a lick of English. Maybe you should think about learning Aramaic(sp) just in case. Hell of a conversation that would be...


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## Barrister & Solicitor (Jan 10, 2007)

Il est très intéressant de voir toutes les langues parlées par les membres de ce forum. Il faut dire que le sujet commun, les vêtements, touchent surtout des gens éduqués.

Pardon my French.

English is actually my second language.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

A little Spanish and even less Italian (my parents argued about who's dialect was more correct, so little was learned at the dinner table).


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## M6Classic (Feb 15, 2008)

Stringfellow said:


> Your boy Jesus didn't speak a lick of English. Maybe you should think about learning Aramaic(sp) just in case. Hell of a conversation that would be...


Actually, there are two or three villages in the Middle East where Aramaic is still spoken as the native tongue.

Buzz


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## MichaelS (Nov 14, 2005)

Stringfellow said:


> Your boy Jesus didn't speak a lick of English. Maybe you should think about learning Aramaic(sp) just in case. Hell of a conversation that would be...


Wasn't there a southern congressman (or evangelical) who when asked if we should teach other languages in school say (regarding the bible) "If English was good enough for Jesus, its good enough for me"?

This may be an "urban legend" as it is attributed to many different people. Funny though. Google it and you will get many sites.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

I speak perfect English.


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## Truely (Nov 16, 2008)

I speak only English and Spanish fluently, I also know a little Italian, German, French and Portugese. Wish I knew more but im still very young and will have quite a few decades to accomplish this. I have noticed that most European countries I have visited speak a good bit of English, but that in no way makes it "the only one worth speaking".


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

English is the most useful language a person can know. That doesn't mean it is the only language a person should know.


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

Tangential to this, I was amused at Dick Cavett's description of Sarah Palin as a woman with no first language.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

rip said:


> Tangential to this, I was amused at Dick Cavett's description of Sarah Palin as a woman with no first language.


Hadn't heard that one. What does it mean, exactly?


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

The Expatriate said:


> English is my native language, and I speak Thai pretty fluently. My Latin is not so bad as well. I used to be conversant in French, but I lost it a long time ago long with my Attic Greek. I'm currently studying Lao, Pali, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.
> 
> Did I mention that I'm a linguist and language educator by trade? :icon_smile:


Do you actually speak Latin? If so, classical or ecclesiastical? If classical, what is your phonetic model?


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

Relayer said:


> Hadn't heard that one. What does it mean, exactly?


Among other things, confused grammar and indecipherably tortuous syntax; expecting forgiveness for the kinds of errors one might make in one's second langauge.

Here's the link:
https://cavett.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/the-wild-wordsmith-of-wasilla/?em


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

Fortran. I was posted to Fortran in the Peace Corps. Any Fortranians aboot?


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

Like Kav, I have accumulated a bunch of languages growing out of a variety of life experiences and having lived at least one set of my allotted 3 score and 10 years: 

English, Spanish (A survival requirement: I grew up in New Mexico and Texas), Latin and Greek (prep school classical education), modern Greek (her name was Tessie and she used to read to me from "The Odyssey, a modern sequel" by Kazantzakis, in Greek), Italian (opera, what else?), French (just because), German (grad school requirement), Czech (her name was Sarah; I met her in Prague and couldn't leave), Russian (I spend a lot of time in Russia), and am learning both Russian and American sign language (I spend my time in Russia working with deaf orphans and am currently working on a book about them, "Hearing with Their Eyes"). Sadly, as I have learned from experience, the ability to learn a language well decreases remarkably with age.


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## El Captain (Nov 10, 2008)

Fluent English and Portugese.


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## welldressedfellow (May 28, 2008)

jamgood said:


> Fortran. I was posted to Fortran in the Peace Corps. Any Fortranians aboot?


I cannot recall ever recieving a serious answer from you.


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## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

Pentheos said:


> English is the most useful language a person can know. That doesn't mean it is the only language a person should know.


I sort of agree with this. I have an English degree after all.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

Pentheos said:


> English is the most useful language a person can know. That doesn't mean it is the only language a person should know.


I never knew many languages except Hebrew from which My Father taught me when I was growing up.


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## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

Someone needs to provide a link to that story


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

welldressedfellow said:


> I cannot recall ever recieving a serious answer from you.


You, Senor Taco ol' chump, are labouring under a misapprenhension exacerbated by a solemnity and reverance of matters of relative frivolity which your narcissistic egocentricity deems of import and sophistication. One begs to differ. Spats & top hats, indeed. You, sir, are fortunate my Second is temporarily indisposed. Please refrain from such presumptuously familiar, insolent and impertinent addresses to my good person in the future. I'll not deign to address you again on these, or any other, premises of disquisition. Thank you.

My first impluse, however, was MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

I know a little French from my best friend and a little Spanish from when I took it in High School.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Barrister & Solicitor said:


> Pardon my French.
> 
> English is actually my second language.


A friend once gave me very good advice - when in Montreal, if one's French is bad, and someone greets you with "bonjour," respond with "hello" and they will switch to English. Answering "bonjour" means they will only speak French, no matter how clear you make it that you don't understand them.

Of course, he was with me on my first trip to Quebec. And everywhere we went, salespeople and waiters would say "bonjour" and he would say "bonjour" and then make a total fool of himself.

What I found amusing was how people switch from Quebec French to a bizarre variety of English accents. The saleslady at Ogilvy was from Toronto, the bartender at a place on Ste. Catherine learned French from Barry White and English from Richard Simmons, and the cashier at Loblaw was clearly from Long Island, New York.


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## Leather man (Mar 11, 2007)

Barrister & Solicitor said:


> Il est très intéressant de voir toutes les langues parlées par les membres de ce forum. Il faut dire que le sujet commun, les vêtements, touchent surtout des gens éduqués.
> 
> Pardon my French.
> 
> English is actually my second language.


Absolument mon ami!

I speak ( apart from my native English) German and French.


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## Leather man (Mar 11, 2007)

M6Classic said:


> Actually, there are two or three villages in the Middle East where Aramaic is still spoken as the native tongue.
> 
> Buzz


Aramaic is even now the language of the native people in Iraq - the Chaldeans. There were 1 million of these people in Iraq until we invaded. They are Christians. Our invasion has given advantage to fundamentalist Muslims intent on "cleansing" their land of Christian filth. We ( Brits and Americans) have done nothing of any significance to protect the Christian community in Iraq and so they have been fleeing. I don't know how many Chaldeans are now left.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

Leather man said:


> Absolument mon ami!
> 
> I speak ( apart from my native English) German and French.


Who taught you German and French?


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## Leather man (Mar 11, 2007)

Howard said:


> Who taught you German and French?


Ich habe Deutsch und Franzoesisch am Schule gelernt. :icon_smile:


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Miket61 said:


> What I found amusing was how people switch from Quebec French to a bizarre variety of English accents.


Francophones are equally amused. I learned Parisian French in high school (from actual Parisians no less). In Montreal Parisian French is referred to as "quand on parle trou de cul de poule" (sp?) - when one speaks like the a**hole of a chicken - because of the tendancy to tightly pucker ones lips when speaking with a Parisian accent. Needless to say I quickly learned the Quebec accent. When one of my friends began dating a Parisian guy, I found myself using my Parisian French with her boyfriend and my Quebec accent with her, usually in the same conversation.

Imagine John Cleese swithching back and forth between an upper class English accent and a thick Southern drawl and you get the picture.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

charlie500 said:


> Francophones are equally amused. I learned Parisian French in high school (from actual Parisians no less). In Montreal Parisian French is referred to as "quand on parle trou de cul de poule" (sp?) - when one speaks like the a**hole of a chicken - because of the tendancy to tightly pucker ones lips when speaking with a Parisian accent. Needless to say I quickly learned the Quebec accent. When one of my friends began dating a Parisian guy, I found myself using my Parisian French with her boyfriend and my Quebec accent with her, usually in the same conversation.
> 
> Imagine John Cleese swithching back and forth between an upper class English accent and a thick Southern drawl and you get the picture.


My uncle used to use that phrase to describe Dorothy Kilgallen, the newspaper columnist and _What's My Line_? regular.

Actual people from France think that Quebec French is ghastly. Like someone from London going to, well, Columbia, South Carolina. :icon_smile:

My experience with Spanish is just the opposite - Spanish speakers have a great deal of respect for someone who speaks fluent Castilian Spanish, presumably because this is what the upper classes are taught in school in Central and South America.

Likewise, the wealthier of the large Chinese population in Jamaica send their children to boarding schools in Hong Kong to learn a more "proper" form of English.


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## 16412 (Apr 1, 2005)

MichaelS said:


> Wasn't there a southern congressman (or evangelical) who when asked if we should teach other languages in school say (regarding the bible) "If English was good enough for Jesus, its good enough for me"?
> 
> This may be an "urban legend" as it is attributed to many different people. Funny though. Google it and you will get many sites.


It is hard to believe anybody is dumb enough to believe this- "If English was good enough for Jesus, its good enough for me". So, I put this into the con or slander catagory. It is interesting how even doctorates sometimes believe crazy things, so picking on some of the less educated ....


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## TheGunther (Nov 7, 2008)

I can speak L33t fluently. ya rly


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## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

Conventional wisdom has it that the native speakers of a language will encourage and appreciate your attempt to speak their language; my experience in the world is quite different; the quickest way to be reviled and ridiculed by a Frenchman is to attempt to speak French, particularly to a Parisian. 

Before I learned to speak Czech with any modicum of fluency, my girlfriend, a native of Prague, refused to teach me, saying that she had rather I sound like a literate American than a country bumpkin from Moravia (currently, I sound like a country bumpkin from Bohemia which, I presume, is a step in the right direction). 

My granddaughter, who is remarkably street-fluent in Russian, having lived there for the past 7 years, is forbidden by her husband to speak Russian to their year-old son, wanting him only to hear perfectly spoken Russian which he feels she does not speak.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

Cool about the languages. I hope that your son-in-law is nicer than that to your daughter on most other matters, though.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

Leather man said:


> Ich habe Deutsch und Franzoesisch am Schule gelernt. :icon_smile:


I have no idea what you just said.


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## Leather man (Mar 11, 2007)

Howard said:


> I have no idea what you just said.


"I learnt german and french at school" ( written in german of course)


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Miket61 said:


> Actual people from France think that Quebec French is ghastly. Like someone from London going to, well, Columbia, South Carolina. :icon_smile:


Depends on where you go in France. While my Parisian French served me well in Pairis, I almost got my roof caved in when I tried to use it in a Basque Bar in Biarritz (say that 5 times fast). When I swithched to my Quebec accent, the rugby team that was celebrating there bought me drinks all night.

Columbia SC accent ghastly? Any Londers think so?

Link to sample of Columbia SC accent:


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

*fix* Londoners


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

Leather man said:


> "I learnt german and french at school" ( written in german of course)


Thanks Leather for the translation.


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## MichaelS (Nov 14, 2005)

rip said:


> Conventional wisdom has it that the native speakers of a language will encourage and appreciate your attempt to speak their language; my experience in the world is quite different; the quickest way to be reviled and ridiculed by a Frenchman is to attempt to speak French, particularly to a Parisian.
> 
> Before I learned to speak Czech with any modicum of fluency, my girlfriend, a native of Prague, refused to teach me, saying that she had rather I sound like a literate American than a country bumpkin from Moravia (currently, I sound like a country bumpkin from Bohemia which, I presume, is a step in the right direction).
> 
> My granddaughter, who is remarkably street-fluent in Russian, having lived there for the past 7 years, is forbidden by her husband to speak Russian to their year-old son, wanting him only to hear perfectly spoken Russian which he feels she does not speak.


My experiences in Austria and Germany when I used my horrible German have been quite positive. People generally have been appreciative of me trying to show them some respect by trying to use their language even if I did butcher it. They were often very helpful and would only switch to English when I couldn't keep up. My German improved a lot in a short time with their help and patience.

The other option is to speak English very loudly and slowly because any of the natives who matter will understand God's language (English, of course).


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

*Languages studied*

In high school I studied Latin and German, and in college I studied Spanish. Subsequently I took community college classes in French and German. This study of languages did not translate (sorry,wink, wink) into the ability to communicate in any of them except Spanish, and to a certain degree, German.

In my experience, however, even in Paris, people appreciate one's effort to use the local idiom. In traveling I make the effort to learn to pronounce the language of the country I'm visiting, and to learn a few local expressions, mostly connected with food and how to order a steak cooked very rare. This works also in the context of local preferences. For example, I learned in Barcelona to say "hola bon dia," the Catalan equivalent of hello, good day, in place of the Spanish version, "buenos dias." Likewise, I have picked up a few Swiss German expressions which serve as ice breakers and allow a segue to English, which some Swiss are more comfortable using than standard German.

I have learned to say hello and thank you in a few languages (Tibetan, Arabic, Hindi, Bhutanese, Armenian, etc.) and it seems to make a difference to the people with whom I'm talking that I make that gesture.

I'm planning to resume German studies with the objective of being able to read at the college level. My main difficulty is that frequent travel precludes enrolling in regular class. I going to have to arrange for short intense lessons.

As to not wanting to talk with people who do not know English, the author of that note is clearly a fool.

Regards,
Gurdon


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## video2 (Feb 11, 2008)

Well, I speak my vernacular plus Russian, Polish, German, French, Yiddish. I was also studding Latin. Oh my, English too


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## cufflink44 (Oct 31, 2005)

rip said:


> Conventional wisdom has it that the native speakers of a language will encourage and appreciate your attempt to speak their language; my experience in the world is quite different; the quickest way to be reviled and ridiculed by a Frenchman is to attempt to speak French, particularly to a Parisian. . .


My experience on my last trip to Paris about 6 years ago was quite different.

My French accent is rather good and my syntax is generally correct, but my vocabulary is pathetic, so I'm hardly fluent. Nevertheless I was determined to speak French as much as I could in the 4 days I was there.

Standing in line one afternoon to order concert tickets, I was debating whether to take the easy road with the young woman dispensing tickets and information, since I heard her speaking good English with an American customer ahead of me. Nevertheless, when I got up to the window I marshaled my courage and conducted all my business in the best French I could muster, asking a number of questions along the way. The ticket agent didn't bat an eye, and everything went smoothly. As I was about to leave, she smiled sweetly and said, "Merci pour parler fran[FONT=&quot]çais, monsieur."

I encountered similar reactions from virtually everyone I met.
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## Jim In Sunny So Calif (May 13, 2006)

MichaelS said:


> Wasn't there a southern congressman (or evangelical) who when asked if we should teach other languages in school say (regarding the bible) "If English was good enough for Jesus, its good enough for me"?
> 
> This may be an "urban legend" as it is attributed to many different people. Funny though. Google it and you will get many sites.


Forty years ago I heard about the lady who was not interested in having the Bible translated into modern English as she wanted to read the King James version, just the way it was originally written. That sounded like an another urban legend to me.


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## Jim In Sunny So Calif (May 13, 2006)

MichaelS said:


> The other option is to speak English very loudly and slowly because any of the natives who matter will understand God's language (English, of course).


I can understand the benefit of speaking slowly, but am amused that some people seem to think that by speaking loudly that they will penetrate some membrane that covers the ability to understand the language being spoken.

Is it only English speakers that do this or are others guilty of the practice too?


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

I speak a little hebrew,that's because I got it from my father,he taught me well.


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