How many languages do you speak, read or write?

[soldierjane]

English, French and Arabic

Haut-cinq
خمسة عالية

lol

[offthesidewalk]

Fluent in Afrikaans and English.
i want to learn Elvish, Gaelic, Amharic, Latin, Spanish, Japanese and Signing.
busy with japanese.
(-^.^-)

[Nero]

Really just English. I studied French for a few years but recall precious little. And it's pretty damn embarassing that I can't speak Russian or Ukrainian cause my dad does.
As far as Spanish, I only know the important phrases:

Hola
Tu eres bello
Te amo
Como te llamas?

Those combined with these magic hands always got me what I needed.

[Hypatia]

Eres guapo, amigo.

In Italian-- Sei bello.

[Nero]

Eres guapo, amigo.

Mentiosa bella! 

[Jeannette]

My family & I came to France from Uruguay when I was very small.  French is my native tongue.  I also speak English, German, Spanish, Swedish & I'm trying to learn Turkish.

[Hypatia]

other countries where they brag about their power & money but where education in general is lacking.

Good point-- there's one country I could name that matches that description, I know it quite well. A country with a historically-rooted mindset that since two big oceans insulate it from the rest of the world, its people can ignore the learning of foreign languages. Too bad that attitude is obsolete in today's global village. But it persists.

[tekla]

In fairness, nobody has to learn any language here, as there is no legal or national language at all.  The California DMV gives tests in at least 8 different languages (at least), everything is routinely printed in both English and Spanish, and its possible to live your entire life in some areas never using a word of English.

[Blanche]

I'm Swiss and can speak, read, write, German, French, Italian and English fluently.

[Alyssa M.]

I'm Swiss and can speak, read, write, German, French, Italian and English fluently.

What, no Romansh? You Swiss people have an unfair advantage, what with your four official languages!

Other than English, I can get by in French. I've had to use it on a few occasions, and it works well enough. I can read French newspapers and decipher what's going on. I've got a smattering of German as well, almost passable when combined with massive amounts of gesticulation. My diction is a lot better than my vocabulary, alas. It's a disadvantage, because it makes people think my language skills are better than they are. When you say <<Je parle tres mal francais.>> with a perfect French accent, people tend not to believe you. You might call it the aural Stroop Effect.

[cindybc]

I speak French, mais bien oui, madam.  English, well of course mam. Ojibwa, Honeen neshnabequoi. Well I know Martian to, wanna hear it?

Cindy

[Shana A]

Well I know Martian to, wanna hear it?

Cindy

Cindy, I bet you know more than a few intergalactic languages from your other worldly travels 

Z

[KarenLyn]

I'd like to learn some other languages. I'm fairly fluent in American english. I can read/write/speak a little Japanese and know some basic phrases in Spanish, Hungarian and Tagalog.

Karen Lyn

[nickie]

Only one... after all, I am an American!

[Ell]

um, one. and i'm not very polite in that one.

but i can speak it in two dialects, bitchy and bratty.

-Ell

*walks away dejectedly, kicking a rock at a piece of roadkill. this site always makes me feel like such a dope*

[cindybc]

Oh come on Ell honey you are doin quite well. Psssssst tets go kick some soda cans down the street, they make more noise and anoy more people.  

Cindy

[Shana A]

um, one. and i'm not very polite in that one.

but i can speak it in two dialects, bitchy and bratty.

Ell,

I've never thought of you as being impolite at all.

*walks away dejectedly, kicking a rock at a piece of roadkill. this site always makes me feel like such a dope*

Z sends hugs!

Z

[Yvonne]

Native speaker of German.  Fluent in English, French & Dutch.

[Fer]

Being a native Danish gal, I'm fluent in my own language.  English & German are my back up!

[tekla]

Dutch or Deutsch?   Depends on where you put your Jews, in the attic or the oven.  Sadly, and rather awesomely too, a true story.


A world renowned translator of a very famous German poet once said "So many lies were told in German in the 20th Century, that it will be many centuries hence before anyone believes anything in that language again."  Again, sad, but true.