What languages do you speak?

Hottentot · 06-21-11, 06:19 AM

Have we had a thread like this recently? I can't remember. Anyway, I'm just curious. This is a large international community, so there are likely to be speakers of many different languages in here too. So: how many languages do you speak and which? Or what languages would you like to learn?

Let's see...

Finnish: Obvious. Dialects too, I'm a fan of those.

English: Can be disputed, but I at least claim to be able to write it. Speaking and pronouncing on the other hand...

Swedish: Sure. Blame the Finnish school system. Since it's obligatory, I thought I might as well enjoy it and learned to speak it fairly well. Never need to use it anywhere, though, so it gets rusty quickly.

Russian: Trying to wrap my head around it and making slow progress day by day. I just love that language and how it sounds.

Currently considering learning German and Estonian too, but haven't had a chance yet. I have also studied some Spanish, but never really learned to like it.

What about you?

BossMark · 06-21-11, 06:22 AM

English
Spanish-Basic
My girlfriend is now learning me Russian and its bloody hard I can tell you

Feuer Frei! · 06-21-11, 06:38 AM

German and English

HunterICX · 06-21-11, 06:56 AM

Dutch, English, Spanish.

Average in Italian and German.

HunterICX

Paco · 06-21-11, 07:04 AM

German native speaker
English - Basic
French - Basic

Jimbuna · 06-21-11, 07:14 AM

English native speaker
Dutch - basic
Geordie - fluent
Bad - exceptional

NeonSamurai · 06-21-11, 07:18 AM

Fluent in French and English, I also understand Spanish reasonably well and can speak it a little.

TarJak · 06-21-11, 08:05 AM

Fluent in gibberish and shorthand slurring.

Penguin · 06-21-11, 08:07 AM

German: native speaker
English: learning since several years
Swedish: learning, still working on the listening comprehension
French: enough to buy baguette and cidre in France
Spanish: more than rusty: no real practice since 20 years

would love to learn Finnish some day, because it sounds cool and has no real use in most parts of the world

the_tyrant · 06-21-11, 08:17 AM

fluent in english and chinese
all i can say in french is:
Je ne peux pas parler français

Rockstar · 06-21-11, 08:22 AM

Fluent in:
Carolinian (I'm really good at it, especially when I've had a few beers in that I cannot be understood by anyone except another North Carolinian)
Minnesotan

Enough to get me trouble or laughed at:
English
Spanish
Haitian Creole

Herr-Berbunch · 06-21-11, 08:24 AM

I'm ashamed to say only English

I can understand some French, German, Italian, Spanish, but not enough to get by with.

All I learnt at school was that in France or Germany there is always a railway (or bus) station within three streets in any direction!

My wife can speak fluent French, and can get by well in Spanish and possibly Italian. She also learnt some Russian at school and when she applied to be a military translator she had to learn some several hundred military words in Russian in a weekend. She did, but then never continued down that career path, nor did she find a use for them in civvy street and so they've disappeared down the years.

Fortunately the kids like to speak French and Italian (stepson's just been to Northern Italy), so will not be anywhere near as ignorant as I am.

When I do visit another country, I do try to pick some key words, but they stay in my brain for about a week and then just vanish - including Arabic, Albanian, Spanish, German. Now I work for a Nordic company I'd like to think I'd pick up some of their words, but which language and dialect?

Finally, it amazes me how good other nationalities can speak English. I appreciate it. I just wish more of us could return the favour.

kraznyi_oktjabr · 06-21-11, 08:39 AM

Finnish: native speaker
English: average
Swedish: written - poor, spoken - awful
Danish & Norwegian: limited understanding of written text, own production - nonexistent
Finnish sign language: average

What I would like to learn?
French - would make communication with family easier
German - same as above
Italian - same as above

Oberon · 06-21-11, 08:42 AM

I speak:
English, Cockney, Suffolk, tiny bit of Polish, small bit of Russian, terrible German (ask Schroeder), passable French, couple of words of Afrikaans, and a bit of Japanese.

I'd like to learn Russian, German and Japanese.

Oberon · 06-21-11, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Finally, it amazes me how good other nationalities can speak English. I appreciate it. I just wish more of us could return the favour.

This! I always say to people when they apologise for their English or for not understanding something I've said that their English is much better than my whatever.

06-21-11, 06:19 AM	#1
Hottentot Sea Lord Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: My private socialist utopia of Finland Posts: 1,918 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	What languages do you speak? Have we had a thread like this recently? I can't remember. Anyway, I'm just curious. This is a large international community, so there are likely to be speakers of many different languages in here too. So: how many languages do you speak and which? Or what languages would you like to learn? Let's see... Finnish: Obvious. Dialects too, I'm a fan of those. English: Can be disputed, but I at least claim to be able to write it. Speaking and pronouncing on the other hand... Swedish: Sure. Blame the Finnish school system. Since it's obligatory, I thought I might as well enjoy it and learned to speak it fairly well. Never need to use it anywhere, though, so it gets rusty quickly. Russian: Trying to wrap my head around it and making slow progress day by day. I just love that language and how it sounds. Currently considering learning German and Estonian too, but haven't had a chance yet. I have also studied some Spanish, but never really learned to like it. What about you? __________________ Хотели как лучше, а получилось как всегда.

06-21-11, 06:22 AM	#2
BossMark Fleet Admiral Join Date: May 2011 Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire Posts: 15,272 Downloads: 278 Uploads: 0	English Spanish-Basic My girlfriend is now learning me Russian and its bloody hard I can tell you __________________ Never trust the Tories look what Thatcher and Major did in the 80s and 90s and look what the wicked witch May is doing now doing now

06-21-11, 06:38 AM	#3
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	German and English __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

06-21-11, 06:56 AM	#4
HunterICX Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malaga, España Posts: 10,750 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Dutch, English, Spanish. Average in Italian and German. HunterICX __________________

06-21-11, 07:04 AM	#5
Paco Captain Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kassel, Germany Posts: 542 Downloads: 345 Uploads: 0	German native speaker English - Basic French - Basic __________________ My SH5-Mods: - Pacos German Folklore SubEmblems Mod - Pacos Environment Sound Mod - Lite Campaign German Edition

06-21-11, 07:14 AM	#6
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 191,380 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	English native speaker Dutch - basic Geordie - fluent Bad - exceptional __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

06-21-11, 07:18 AM	#7
NeonSamurai Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Socialist Republic of Kanadia Posts: 3,044 Downloads: 25 Uploads: 0	Fluent in French and English, I also understand Spanish reasonably well and can speak it a little. __________________ SH3 Newbie Guide Links and other helpfull stuff

06-21-11, 08:05 AM	#8
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Fluent in gibberish and shorthand slurring.

06-21-11, 08:07 AM	#9
Penguin Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Rheinische Republik Posts: 3,322 Downloads: 92 Uploads: 0	German: native speaker English: learning since several years Swedish: learning, still working on the listening comprehension French: enough to buy baguette and cidre in France Spanish: more than rusty: no real practice since 20 years would love to learn Finnish some day, because it sounds cool and has no real use in most parts of the world

06-21-11, 08:17 AM	#10
the_tyrant Admiral Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 2,272 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	fluent in english and chinese all i can say in french is: Je ne peux pas parler français __________________ My own open source project on Sourceforge OTP.net KGB grade encryption for the rest of us

06-21-11, 08:22 AM	#11
Rockstar In the Brig Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Zendia Bar & Grill Posts: 12,614 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Fluent in: Carolinian (I'm really good at it, especially when I've had a few beers in that I cannot be understood by anyone except another North Carolinian) Minnesotan Enough to get me trouble or laughed at: English Spanish Haitian Creole

06-21-11, 08:24 AM	#12
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	I'm ashamed to say only English I can understand some French, German, Italian, Spanish, but not enough to get by with. All I learnt at school was that in France or Germany there is always a railway (or bus) station within three streets in any direction! My wife can speak fluent French, and can get by well in Spanish and possibly Italian. She also learnt some Russian at school and when she applied to be a military translator she had to learn some several hundred military words in Russian in a weekend. She did, but then never continued down that career path, nor did she find a use for them in civvy street and so they've disappeared down the years. Fortunately the kids like to speak French and Italian (stepson's just been to Northern Italy), so will not be anywhere near as ignorant as I am. When I do visit another country, I do try to pick some key words, but they stay in my brain for about a week and then just vanish - including Arabic, Albanian, Spanish, German. Now I work for a Nordic company I'd like to think I'd pick up some of their words, but which language and dialect? Finally, it amazes me how good other nationalities can speak English. I appreciate it. I just wish more of us could return the favour. __________________

06-21-11, 08:39 AM	#13
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Finnish: native speaker English: average Swedish: written - poor, spoken - awful Danish & Norwegian: limited understanding of written text, own production - nonexistent Finnish sign language: average What I would like to learn? French - would make communication with family easier German - same as above Italian - same as above __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

06-21-11, 08:42 AM	#14
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	I speak: English, Cockney, Suffolk, tiny bit of Polish, small bit of Russian, terrible German (ask Schroeder), passable French, couple of words of Afrikaans, and a bit of Japanese. I'd like to learn Russian, German and Japanese.