Posted August 1, 2012 Translation: My Dutch is very bad. I've been telling myself all summer that I will improve my Dutch and Spanish. It's getting there. Do any of you guys and girls know any other language, apart from your own native tongue? Are any of you learning a language? Do you have any opportunities to use it? I went out for a meal with Ine's friends yesterday and they commented on my Dutch/Flemish, saying it was pretty decent. Hellll yeah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 I know around four words of Welsh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 I know around four words of Welsh. Aha, did you do it in school as well? Pass me some sglodion, Cube! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 Dwi'n hoffi coffi. I'm always thinking/saying that I should learn German, but never get around to it. Languages take too much time/effort. I want results now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 I want to, but i'd forget it all. I wouldn't get the opportunity to use it regularly so... i'd forget everything. EVERYTHING. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 I went out for a meal with Ine's friends yesterday and they commented on my Dutch/Flemish, saying it was pretty decent. Hellll yeah. Well, they couldn't very well tell you that your Flemish sucked and that you should go back to your own country, now could they? :p Because your Flemish was just that good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 I've picked up Spanish at various points, and some of it has stuck. We can have a lovely conversation if I ever meet you Flinky. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 Basic Japanese for holiday, cursing in Italian thanks to @Razz. That's about it. I also know that "hai" in German is "shark". Funny story that one... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 I study languages (French, German, Italian) at university and it's such an amazing thing. It's odd, you find yourself on the edge of becoming another person when you do not speak your native tongue. Like, I use different mannerisms & feel different when speaking different languages [\schizophrenic] I have also studied Irish for 12+ years & am currently studying Korean with a friend. If you're serious about it -- watch TV programmes, read books, listen to songs of the culture you're emerssing yourself into as much as you can! I'm doing this with Korean & see much greater results. It's like how you learn as a baby & feels beautifully natural. [ingrid Bergman is my perpetual inspiration] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 1, 2012 Obviously I know Danish and English since I use both extensively every single day. I'm studying Latin and Ancient Greek, but those aren't active languages, so I have very little in terms of vocabulary. Other than that I've studied German, but I never use it, so it's been slowly slipping away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 I Have family in Mauritius, and in November last year, was given land over there by my dad, currently there is nothing on the land, but after having 5 years of Mauritian citizenship (I got my citizenship card in November too) I Can then officially begin selling, buying, building the land over there. Problem being that only one of my relatives over there speaks English, the country as a whole speaks creole which is a broken down French basically. So this land, and my ideas of what to do with it, Ideally I need to learn French / Creole to get them across to people there easier. I've still got 4 years to learn, but tend to just get side tracked with other things when ever I have the free time to pick up a book or listen to any of the lesson cd's. seriously lacking motivation basically. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 I think some people are just better with languages than others. I wish i could learn another language, but i think i'm just crappy at it. I did German at school, and was fairly good at it, but i wasn't a natural my any means. I read somewhere that the easiest language to learn if you already know English is Dutch, so @Fierce_LiNk, you're on the right track! :p Also, Dwi'n ddim yn hoffi pysgod. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 I study languages (French, German, Italian) at university and it's such an amazing thing. It's odd, you find yourself on the edge of becoming another person when you do not speak your native tongue. Like, I use different mannerisms & feel different when speaking different languages [\schizophrenic] Shizophrenia isn't linked with having different personalities/becoming another person that would be DID, a Dissociative Identity Disorder now there's your multiple personality disorder! Just wanted to say now so that you use it correctly in court. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 Well, they couldn't very well tell you that your Flemish sucked and that you should go back to your own country, now could they? :p Because your Flemish was just that good. I...uhhh...:'( I've picked up Spanish at various points, and some of it has stuck. We can have a lovely conversation if I ever meet you Flinky. Do you know the Spanish for the following words? Loss/Lose Relegation Sucking You may find them really useful! I think some people are just better with languages than others. I wish i could learn another language, but i think i'm just crappy at it. I did German at school, and was fairly good at it, but i wasn't a natural my any means. I read somewhere that the easiest language to learn if you already know English is Dutch, so @Fierce_LiNk, you're on the right track! :p Also, Dwi'n ddim yn hoffi pysgod. Pam?! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 Do you know the Spanish for the following words? Sucking You may find them really useful! What have you got in mind? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 I study languages (French, German, Italian) at university and it's such an amazing thing. It's odd, you find yourself on the edge of becoming another person when you do not speak your native tongue. Like, I use different mannerisms & feel different when speaking different languages [\schizophrenic] Tell me about it...that's why I like talking in English and with people from different countries, it breaks the habits tied into your mother tongue. The Finnish social customs can be annoyingly awkward, but when you meet an exchange student and switch to English, it's like a totally different world : o You can see this in other Finns as well, their behaviour changes with the language... The power of culture and language, pretty unbelievable... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 The title of this thread caught my attention :p I finished my first year of Japanese at University, but Conversation/Listening is something I struggle with. Probably because I don't practice it all that much Heading for my 2nd year now, so hopefully it'll improve some but It's hard to study a language when you do not encounter it in your daily life. Dutch differs quite a lot from Flemish though, so it'll be interesting to see how your use of the two languages grow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 2, 2012 Pam?! Gae mynd I toiled? I can't speak any Flemish, but thanks to seven years of Welsh, i'm pretty good at Phlegm'ish! Badoom t'ish! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 3, 2012 (edited) I speak Portuguese, Spanish and English fluently. I'm learning German and doing pretty well, I think. I know the basics of French, and am somewhat decent with that, but it's a pain trying to keep a conversation, considering all the lack of consonants. I suppose I can understand parts of Italian. It's similar enough to Spanish, really. Have to agree that speaking a different language changes your entire way of speaking, and thinking (I think in English half of the time, nowadays). It helps in giving us insight into other cultures, as well. Edited August 3, 2012 by Jonnas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2012 The title of this thread caught my attention :p I finished my first year of Japanese at University, but Conversation/Listening is something I struggle with. Probably because I don't practice it all that much Heading for my 2nd year now, so hopefully it'll improve some but It's hard to study a language when you do not encounter it in your daily life. Dutch differs quite a lot from Flemish though, so it'll be interesting to see how your use of the two languages grow I've been meaning to reply to this. Yeah, conversation/listening is pretty hard at times, but it depends on who is speaking. I heard somebody from a different part of Belgium on a train and couldn't understand a bluddy word they were saying. Sounds weird. Think they were from the coast. Hmm, I've not really noticed a huge difference between Dutch and Flemish so far. They sound different, I prefer Flemish, it sounds softer and is a bit more soothing. Hardcore Dutch is something else entirely. Ahaa. What are the differences exactly? Pronunciation seems different with certain words. Gae mynd I toiled? I can't speak any Flemish, but thanks to seven years of Welsh, i'm pretty good at Phlegm'ish! Badoom t'ish! God, Welsh. I still find it jarring when I hear it spoken. It doesn't sound genuine to me. What part of Wales are you from? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2012 I lied for the purposes of the joke. I'm not actually very good at Welsh, although i did do it for 7 years. But, like people have said above, if you never use the language, it leaves you, and i never had any need to speak welsh, so i've forgotten most of it. I used to live in North Wales, on the Isle of Anglesey, which would make me a Gog, if i were actually welsh.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2012 I've been looking at using duolingo, but of course my dipshit brain decided to have the big pause at the first decision-making point; german or spanish? ... I don't know what to choose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 10, 2012 My first language is Cantonese (I abuse that as an excuse whenever needed >), and I learned English when I was born here and got thrown into primary school. Learned Irish, French, and German in secondary school. Used to talk to quite a lot of German people on Myspace/online etc., but no more. My reading and comprehension is still ok though. I can read French, but no conversation. I swept Irish out of my brain as soon as I left secondary school :P Learned some Japanese and Mandarin during college, unfortunately I don't have much interest in Mandarin and accidentally forgot all of it. Learning Swedish and Korean on my own, with stilted progress...one summer I encountered a lot of Eastern Europeans at work, so learned some Russian and Polish phrases. I should really get on with learning a langage properly to the point where I'm semi-fluent...probably Swedish or Korean. Don't really know what's stopping me, probably laziness, because I used to love learning other languages. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 11, 2012 I've been looking at using duolingo' date=' but of course my dipshit brain decided to have the big pause at the first decision-making point; german or spanish? ... I don't know what to choose.[/quote'] Would you prefer to sound sexy or menacing? I'm going to suggest Spanish. It's easier to learn than German (IMO), and provides some understanding of other Latin languages, as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
