This made me think about my language skills.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17101370
I admit that I speak English (of a sort, as you probably agree) and a hintette of French if pushed, but other than enough Latin to, say, buy an airline ticket, I don't speak anything else.
How many languages do you speak, why, and would you like to speak more?
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 21 Feb 12 at 16:20
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I hablo a bit of the ole Espanol but, when we lived 'out there' most peops speaka da inglisch anyway,
Probably different in France, but who wants to live 'over there'.
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No, I'm not, really.
I can get by in French, struggle with German, can order a meal in Italian or Spanish, say please, thank you, hello and goodbye in Greek and Dutch, remember odd bits and pieces of Latin and Anglo-Saxon (OK - they don't count) and am trying to pick up some Polish.
I really love anything to do with languages but haven't worked at them very hard. However, I am embarrassed to use English when abroad - it seems so rude.
Last edited by: FocalPoint on Tue 21 Feb 12 at 16:29
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I have O'Level French and German, and I have progressed a bit in both having had a French holiday home and also spent time in Germany, as well as writing to German friends. However, although I can make myself understood - better in German than French, I have great difficulty in understanding the spoken word.
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Having stayed with friends in the US several times in recent years, I am now almost fluent in northern Californian.
More importantly, I can understand Mexican menus.
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When on holiday I try to pick up a foreign language.I listen to the words which sound like gobblygook to me.Then the words start to make sense and I have a go and then I forget.>:)
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>>.I listen to the words which sound like gobblygook to me.Then the words start to make sense and I have a go and then I forget.>:)<<
Its all double Dutch to me :)
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No. I'm more or less a duoglot with random words and phrases from German and other Latin-based languages, some quite easy to fake, a couple of Slavic ones, Arabic, Yoruba and Swahili. But not enough in any of those to converse properly. Oh yes, and West African pidgin which is a language in its own right. And Jamaican which almost is.
A bit better than the snarling monoglot Italian who used to run football though. He couldn't even speak football for heaven's sake!
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 21 Feb 12 at 19:26
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German quite well
Italian quite badly
French a bit if pushed
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Nice language Italian the words makes sense (If that makes sense.)
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I can order a meal, a drink, book a hotel, and buy a train ticket in
French
German
Italian
Spanish
American
Australian
Kiwi
geordie
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I always try to pick up a few words and phrases, particularly 'please' and 'thank you', (we are English).
I recall getting a beaming smile from a waitress in Prague when I successfully ordered a beer, although I'd probably just murdered her language.
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Or told her she had great tips.
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>> Or told her she had great tips.
>>
And acute angina!
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>> I can order a meal, a drink, book a hotel, and buy a train ticket in
>>
English.
The industry I worked in used English the world over plus the computer industry I worked it used English so I had no need to use any other language and better things to do.
I had reasonable French as a teenager but no real use for it afterwards.
I listened to the interview with Alex Rawlings earlier this evening and he sounded a normal guy not a nerd.
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I always think Dutch people are very clever though Dutchie. Who else could begin to be able to speak German backwards ! Well, that's what it sometimes sounds like anyway !
:-)
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>> I always think Dutch people are very clever though Dutchie. Who else could begin to
>> be able to speak German backwards ! Well, that's what it sometimes sounds like anyway
>> !
>>
>> :-)
Anyone who hates the Germans as much as the Dutch are worthy of respect.
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We are backwards Humph>:) Still wearing clogs.
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Nothing wrongs with the Germans as long you don't let them trample all over you.>:)
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You know why the French grow trees down the sides of their roads?
So the Germans can march in the shade.
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I speak English to English people and English more loudly to foreigners.
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I once watched a German cop show on TV in Italy which had been dubbed into Spanish but had Portugese subtitles. Was that a polycop?
Italian TV is a bit rubbish by the way.
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>>I once watched a German cop show on TV in Italy which had been dubbed into Spanish but had Portugese subtitles. Was that a polycop?
Italian TV is a bit rubbish by the way<<
Like your spellin :)
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It's that Qashqai's fault. I've lost the correct use of u....
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That sums you up Iffy like a true Deutschlander.>:)
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Careful Dutchie, we don't want him doing an involuntary heel click. Could do his new hip a right mischief...
:-)
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...like a true Deutschlander.>:)...
You're right, despite two world wars, the British have more in common with the Germans than the French.
Although we're not over keen on either.
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>> the British have more in common with the Germans than the French.
Wrong as usual Iffy.
But you're right to suggest there isn't much in it, and we aren't all that much like either.
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It may or may not come as a surprise that they're not majorly keen on us either !
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>> they're not majorly keen on us either !
You can all speak for yourselves. No one's perfect but as foreigners go Squareheads and Frogs are quite all right. As English people go too asitappens... but they are not that similar to us. There are cultural differences. Bridgeable ones, but there.
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There isn't A.C. People like to think they are different but there aint much in it.
Its always nice to try to talk a bit like the locals they tend to appreciate it.
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Teach us a few useful cheese, tulip, windmill and ganja related phrases then Dutchie. We'll all fit in like natives next time we go to have a gander at a dyke or two!
:-)
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The problem with you Humph you be wanting to see more than the Dyke's.>)
You are a pretty girl. Jij bent een mooie vrouw.Thats all I can remember.
I told you I have a mind like a sieve,>)
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>> People like to think they are different but there aint much in it.
Not much, no. But there are differences. I find them reassuring. Enlightening too. Even more so when the gap is big, when you are in the company of people whose lives are really radically different from your own. The essence of humanity distils out.
>> nice to try to talk a bit like the locals they tend to appreciate it.
Yes.
Of course you Dutch are fairly polyglot by geography, like the Belgians. Dutch people may be quite like us actually without our imperial overbearingness. Speak the best accentless English too...
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>> polyglot by geography, like the Belgians.
Only cos the Belgians as a race dont exist. There is a country called Belgium but the inhabitants hate it and want to be another two or three different countries.
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There is a country called Belgium
>> but the inhabitants hate it and want to be another two or three different countries.
>>
>>
I can sympathise with that. After having put up with the Salmondfuhrer's rantings for the last few weeks,I feel much the same about Scotland. ;-)
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We had no choice as children A.C.Our village mainly German television.Then at school English French German.Scandinavian languages are very similair also.This young lad is very clever speaking all these languages.My son in law is Polish and speaks fluent Russian.He told me it took about a year to learn the Russian alfabet.
Zuid Afrikaans is Dutch just some different words but I get the jest.
The Scots pick up Scandinavian languages ok.They use the och kirk =kerk.
Some Dutch or Gronings in the Georgie lingo.
We are very similair A.C.Similair sense of humor.You are right about the inperial bit.Don't make a mistake the Dutch wern't angels in Indonesia.
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>> Don't make a mistake the Dutch wern't angels in Indonesia.
Of course not. You can't capture an empire without breaking eggs.
We British were the only exceptions. We were angels everywhere. Nevertheless our image is terrible in most places.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwkF2CrLI7k&feature=related
This was 1967 when I was a young lad A.C. Amsterdam at that time was explosive.
The Provo's mainly fighting against the ruling class and injustice.The song says it all I won't translate to much swearing but true..
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>> >> the British have more in common with the Germans than the French.
yes apparently theres a bunch of them living in a big house down one end of the mall
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Enough French to get by otherwise phrase book stuff. Always try and learn the local thankyou though.
Would love to learn Scots Gaelic but lack time and persistence.
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The best way to learn any language Brompt.Work behind a bar the drunks soon put you right.
Books take to long.
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Ah now that explains the "sh" sound
Three pintsh of Carlshberg pleash Joop !
:-)
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Tue 21 Feb 12 at 21:23
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Drie glazen Carlsberg Joop alstublieft.
If he is slow and not to big.>) Goverdomme opschieten Joop.
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Like Zero I could order a meal, a drink, make small-talk etc. in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Afrikaans (Dutch like a toddler), Fanagalo at a push and Texan if I speak s l o w l y.
I can order a cup of tea or coffee in Owambo.
I can order six beers in Mandarin.
I was also taught the Polish for "give us a kiss" and how to offer selective insults in Polish, Czech and Serbo-Croat although I don't know how accurate they are ;-)
I did Latin at school but never found much use for it conversationally.
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I spose I'm a polygob, of sorts, I can speak Cockney, Cornish, and Micra.
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I would have thought you could speak German Dog all the frauleins in Tenerive.
Is polygob big gob or are you a goblin,>)
Went to the pictures last night film called Shame missus wanted to see it.I told her those days are over gin and tonic now.
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I'll have to get it on Blu-ray Dutchie ;)
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Wow, Dog, not many speakers of Cornish...
www.kesva.org/
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>>Wow, Dog, not many speakers of Cornish...<<
My 'party trick' is "Nadelik Lowen ha Blydhen Nowydh Da" and I sound like a 'natural',
But I've never met a Cornishman (or Woman) who knew what I was on about :)
I have found that once you learn the mechanics (Linguistics?) of a language, it becomes quite easy to 'take it on board' as it were, I still know a lot of French that I learnt in school 48 years ago (wonderful thing, memory)
Of course some languages are more difficult than others, English is one I believe,
I found Spanish was quite easy - once you understand the modus operandi of it, one word that I had a lot of trouble pronouncing was habichuela, and that caused me enormous difficulty, but once I had conquered that, the rest was easy peasy.
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Sad story Dog not a happy ending.The film wastn't ment to be.
More to do with mental illness and behaviour.
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Schoolboy French, of which I was pleasantly surprised in 2008 (my first visit to France) to remember enough to get by.
Also understand a few words of Welsh, just enough to follow the gist of a basic conversation.
Did Latin to O-level and am still convinced that it's a useful thing to learn.
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>> Would love to learn Scots Gaelic but lack time and persistence.
>>
".... they're working hard to restore the old Gaelic. If they're not careful, they'll learn to speak it and then they'll be sorry."
Stephen Leacock
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Belgian should have been and was part of the Netherlands.The Vlamingen who speak Dutch have had never any love for the Walingen who speak French.
I have always had the inpression I might be wrong that there is not much love lost between the Scots and the English.Something must have happened in the past what caused this.
I wasn't born in the UK so I don't know.Problaby plenty of people on this forum who can put me right.
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>> I have always had the inpression I might be wrong that there is not much
>> love lost between the Scots and the English.Something must have happened in the past what
>> caused this.
Some stupid woman called Mary caused the problem. And then there was some gay prince called Charlie who had a hand in it. Oh and the English may have accidently killed a couple of jocks by accident.
Mostly tho its the French and the Romans fault, completely irrational the Jocks, blaming us English
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"completely irrational the Jocks"
Marshal Wade mentioned in our national anthem even built them a decent road system.
Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.
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We have in Dutch land a bloke in charge called Mak Rutte.
He keeps hugging his fellow mates in't cabinet.Geert Wilders bonkers and you have a comedy team.>:)
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I had a friend years ago who could speak Esperanto like a native.
Anyone remember Polylingua?
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>> I had a friend years ago who could speak Esperanto like a native.
>> Anyone remember Polylingua?
And of course some wag will get the word Cunnilingus in at this point, but i wont stoop that low.
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I studied Latin for a year at school, and at the end of the year my teacher said I was so good I spoke Latin like a native.
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Apart from English, the only other language I can speak is fluent bulls....
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I have several pals that speak Muslim when drunk! (shi`te)
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As I came from India, I can speak quite a few :-)
I speak Bengali at home (people in Bangladesh also speak Bengali but they are mostly Muslims whereas people speaking Bengali in India are mostly Hindus).
There are 2 more Indian languages which are similar to Bengali viz. Oriya and Assamese which I can somewhat understand.
I can also speak and understand Hindi although I can't read or write Hindi (I never formally studied Hindi).
I was forced to study Sanskrit in school but it is now as dead as Latin.
I can also understand bit of Urdu as it uses many words from Hindi (although I can't read/write Urdu as it uses Arabic script).
I studied bit of Spanish and French long time back but lack of usage means I've now completely forgotten them.
I have now lost the appetite of learning any new language as I find people in non-English speaking countries can often have working knowledge of English for basic communications.
I have travelled in most countries in Western/Northern/Southern Europe. Language was never a problem except in Spain, where I had to use almost sign language in Barcelona and Andorra.
PS: Google translation now offers translating to/from far eastern languages. But when I tested few of them, the result sometimes came totally out of context!
PS: English is actually a very easy language. Its grammar is one of the simplest in the world. Only difficulty in learning English are - spellings, phrasal verb and understanding accents. Most European languages are easier compared to Far/Eastern languages. Chinese/Japanese are possibly the most difficult to master.
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Because my employer's sister company was German, they tried to teach some us a bit of basic German. One of my colleagues said that the only thing he needed to know was how to say in German "Get those towels off those sunbeds."!
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Terima kasih untuk semua cerita. Sangat menarik. Ia seperti kerusi pakar psikiatri yang satu ini!
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Spooky. Recorded the new version of that the other night, not seen it yet, and have the proper fifties version lined up to see as well. All good fun.
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I could watch the original version weekly (or more) - the re-make was on at the weekend but I couldn't get 'into' it.
Same with War of the Worlds, allthough the re-make does have its moments.
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This message has been hidden as many of our users have rated it as offensive. You may view it by clicking here>> Terima kasih untuk semua cerita. Sangat menarik. Ia seperti kerusi pakar psikiatri yang satu ini!
Anda akan tahu, ibu anda adalah pelacur
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That's remarkably rude in translation, Zero, even for you. I don't even believe it to be true, but you never know with these old folk, do you.
:)
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Yes, it is rude. The mods wouldn't allow it in English.
I seem to remember some rude stuff in Gaelic or Welsh or something getting the chop a while back.
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Not so bad though
Rough translation from Indonesian ( according to Google translate )
' Thank you for all stories. Very interesting. It's like the psychiatrist chair this one!
You will know, your mother is a prostitute.......'
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>> That's remarkably rude in translation, Zero, even for you. I don't even believe it to
>> be true, but you never know with these old folk, do you.
>>
>> :)
Goddamn! you just cant trust Google Translate now can you!, damn sorry old boy....
Mind you have to have to laugh at the rude face given by those who had to translate it to be offended.
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"Mind you have to have to laugh at the rude face given by those who had to translate it to be offended."
Or admire those who had the nous to realise that (a) Z was using Google Translate and (b) was trying to slip something through under the radar.
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Whatever, it is unwise to use insults as you never know the likely reaction: kerana mulut, badan binasa.
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I don't know what a polyglot is ~ not even in English, let alone any other language.
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>> I don't know what a polyglot is
tinyurl.com/7ujaj3a
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>> >> I don't know what a polyglot is
>>
>> tinyurl.com/7ujaj3a
>>
I thought it was a good joke, but it seems I should have explained that in my post!
:-D
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>> I don't know what a polyglot is
>> I thought it was a good joke
Quite right, L'escargot. Well, it is early!
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>> I don't know what a polyglot is ~
>>
Glycoconjugates, or polyglot for short, is the slime left behind by a snail :)
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>> Glycoconjugates, or polyglot for short, is the slime left behind by a snail :)
>>
Wow! I'll have to remember that, so I can tell all my gastropoda friends and relations. tinyurl.com/6py8p4t
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I'm half Scottish and married to an Italian - does that count for anything?
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Makes you a drunk that runs away at the first sign of trouble I guess.
(ys thats a joke folks)
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It doesn't look like a joke to me but rather more like an insult from a brainless idiot whose username corresponds with their IQ. I'm out of here....
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And normal service has resumed ! ;-) ;-)
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An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman were sitting in a bar, drinking, and discussing how stupid their wives were.
The Englishman says, "I tell you, my wife is so stupid. Last week she went to the supermarket and bought £250 worth of meat because it was on sale, and we don't even have a fridge to keep it in."
The Scotsman agrees that she sounds pretty thick, but says his wife is thicker. "Just last week, she went out and spent £17,000 on a new car," he laments, "and she doesn't even know how to drive!"
The Irishman nods sagely, and agrees that these two woman sound like they both walked through the stupid forest and got hit by every branch. However, he still thinks his wife is dumber. "Ah, it kills me every toime oi tink of it," he chuckles. "Moy woife just left to go on a holiday in Greece. Oy watched her packing her bag, and she must have put about 100 condoms in there. And she doesn't even have a penis!"
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The European Commission has announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f".. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
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Where did you get all this from Dog?Have you been on the Whacky Baccy again.>)
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>>Where did you get all this from Dog?Have you been on the Whacky Baccy again.>)<<
Again! - what do you mean again! - can you speak Micra??
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A somewhat amusing anecdote from yesterday. After landing in Greece the local authorities decided it would be a good idea to ramp-check us - basically, making sure we were safe and legal. It's a paperwork exercise.
We were held up, primarily, because our licenses didn't state that we were proficient in English... Despite the fact that we were both from England, sitting in an English aeroplane, with CAA issued licences, and conversing with the inspectors in English.
As for original question - conversant in French, can say hello / goodbye / order a beer in Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Czech, Greek, and Arabic. Quality of the beer will vary with the last 4 on the list, indeed if I even managed to order beer in the first place. I did once manage to ask (accidentally!) for a "pair of women in my size" in a French shoe shop, so am perhaps not the best person trusted with a foreign tongue (ahem) at a bar...
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Sat 3 Mar 12 at 07:15
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>> I did once manage to ask (accidentally!) for a
>> "pair of women in my size", so am perhaps not
>> the best person trusted with a foreign tongue (ahem) at a bar...
Actually you sound just the right person to go bar crawling with.
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When we lived in the Canines, the bird who ran a local insurance outfit was effluent en Español,
How cames you speaka de lingua so well, I askes ... I learnt it from the Iberia pilots, she said.
;}
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There's a well worn joke about cockpits there somewhere.
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Can you speak Micra.?Don't get your knickers in a twist Dog.!
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I read a article about this plant hennep and it has a lot of medical usage Dog.Why its banned I don't know problaby the big pharmacutical company's have a lot to do with it.Keep feeding us the tablets.June the 7th don't forget.
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>>June the 7th don't forget<<
/(*_*)
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Well, that seems like the end of FF, for a while anyway.
Those of us regulars who know Z will recognise his comment as vintage stuff and take it with the usual pinch of salt, but, in hindsight, it was clearly misplaced here, even though he claimed it was a joke.
Z doesn't do tact and he doesn't do apologies, I've noticed, and "Oh dear" is as close as you'll get.
FF, if you're reading this, I'm sorry you were offended, but Z can be a bit abrasive. Most of us can deal with it, but sometimes even the regulars get upset, don't they, Pat?
:-)
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You'd really think they would know him by now:)
Pat
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Take it as a man franfran live is short.>:)
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Dutchie ole son, you use the word live where it should be life (ask Diana) doesn't matter to me of course,
but I just fort I'd point it out ;)
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>> It doesn't look like a joke to me but rather more like an insult from
>> a brainless idiot whose username corresponds with their IQ. I'm out of here....
>>
franfran,
Don't let one person put you off. In general, most of the time the rest of us are civilised. And the forum is extremely well moderated. Just remember the old adage of "Sticks and stones etc". And if on occasions you can't make that work, then just sidestep the offender. It's not as if you know us personally. We're just anonymous strangers.
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>> but other than enough Latin to, say, buy an airline
>> ticket,
>>
Go on then, what is the Latin word for "airline"......?
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Unum porttitor tessera placere?
:)
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Eh? What? Who's upset who?
Lost me I'm afraid. Don't understand. Eh? Pardon? Who did what to whom, why and when?
:-)
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>>Eh? What? Who's upset who?<<
You need to read The Sun m8.
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FF was intended to refer to Franfran (not Fursty Ferret - sorry!). Scroll up a bit to see Zero's tasteless joke and Franfran's reaction.
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>> Zero's tasteless joke and Franfran's reaction.
It wasn't that damn tasteless even if it wasn't up to Zero's top standard as a joke.
Franfran is an Aussie and very keen on her jalopies. I was surprised by what seemed to me her overreaction to that joke. She must have heard worse.
But the internet is like that. You think you're conversing with equals and then someone turns out to be fragile and wimpish, bursts into tears and all the grown-ups start scolding you. Takes me back to the period between yesterday and 1938. Happens to me all the time.
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>> Takes me back to the period between yesterday and 1938.
Would you explain that for me? I'm not very good at riddles.
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>> the period between yesterday and 1938.
= my whole life until yesterday
... really gastropod!
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"You think you're conversing with equals and then someone turns out to be fragile and wimpish, bursts into tears and all the grown-ups start scolding you... Happens to me all the time."
Yes. We had noticed.
But even you have an introspective moment sometimes, which is a hell of a redeeming feature.
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Oh I see ! Rightho !
Well, I'm Scottish and it didn't offend me. We don't tend to take the English very seriously anyway to be honest...
:-))
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no, best not bite the hand that feeds you.
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That's almost the best bit. The delusions of benevolence ! The Yanks have the same self-impression.
Most grateful squire, most humbly grateful...touches forelock and backs out bowing slightly...
:-)
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On reflection, it occurs to me that the stereotype of Aussies as being given to coarse humour and badinage is a bit out of date: young, well-educated Australians are quite PC and serious-minded by British standards, and take a very dim view of their country's racists and rednecks. No doubt Franfran's husband has become tired of Schettino jokes too.
But I still think she overreacted a bit, especially as Zero rather unusually specified that it had been a joke, scorning the twee smiley as he does. He's a big Australophile too.
One can only hope franfran will overcome any embarrassment she may feel and return to us with her sightings of nice well-cared-for old and new jalopies in Oz where there are many such. A woman with an innocent enthusiasm for the jalopy is worth her weight in gold in a place like this.
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>> A woman with an innocent enthusiasm for the jalopy is worth her
>> weight in gold in a place like this.
>>
I've got a horrible feeling there might be 'moobs' growing...will that do?
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>> FF was intended to refer to Franfran (not Fursty Ferret - sorry!). Scroll up a
>> bit to see Zero's tasteless joke and Franfran's reaction.
>>
It was a joke. Jokes sometimes make fun of other people..so what.
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I think franfran has the makings of a North Yorkshire police firearms trainee.
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>> I think franfran has the makings of a North Yorkshire police firearms trainee.
Iffy you are a very naughty man.
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"Jokes sometimes make fun of other people.."
Indeed they do, and often rightly so.
"...so what."
If offence has been caused (presumably unintentionally) it's only right to take account of the offended person's reaction, not just walk off with a like-it-or-lump-it gesture.
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Are you a polyglot? - Dog
