Cunning Linguists raise your hands - second language anyone?

[bridgeburner]

Not to take up more of your time, but have you seen http://www.ethnologue.com/web.asp ?

Oh, very cool! Wish they had sound recordings.

I spent a great deal of my childhood in the Carolinas, especially on the coast. I never could really speak Gullah, but I did understand it perfectly. We had a babysitter who spoke it to us (my brother and I) and many of the older blacks in my grandmother's housekeeper's neighborhood spoke it. I doubt I'd understand much of it today, but in the few recordings I've heard I still get the gist of things. It's much easier to hear and understand than to read.

Over the last three years due to a strange confluence of educational experiences I developed an amateur theory about the language of my roots --- Southern American English. I wrote a paper connecting the Epic of Son Jara, Joel Chandler Harris' phonetic recording of Uncle Remus Tales in Gullah and the manifestation of Africanized English in both black and white populations in the American South.

What's been intersting over the last year is how much the rhythms of my speech match that of many of my African-American students. They are for the most part 3rd to 5th generation Californians.

Before Gullah was recognized as a Creole languge it was thought that it was simply lazy English --- or that its speakers were too ignorant to learn "proper" English. It is, however, a distinct language with regularized syntax. It's not "broken" English, it has rules and you can speak Gullah incorrectly.

In listening to Southern whites --- not usually in the upper reaches of the socio-economic strata, but more often rural as opposed to "poor" --- you can hear many of the same speech patterns as exist in Gullah. They are Africanized and most folks don't even realize it.

 

[jockdom]

Finnish is the odd man out. The only two peoples who speak related languages are the Magyars of Hungry and the Mongolians. The Finns were the tribe who went all the way to the west.Language is strange. Use it or loose it. I took four semesters of German in college and could never hold a conversation. A month in a German neighborhood in Chicago made a world of difference. Unfortunately, that was years ago. My neighbor across the street is German but it would be a burden on him to attempt the language. If you know the fundamentals -- class room grammar -- listening to others speak the language makes for a real difference.

Of course, understanding and speaking are different. Years and years of opera have given me a good grounding in Italian, but I never speak it.

The basque language is also an odd one, nobody knows where it comes from and it is not related to any other european language. Fascinating stuff.

 

[missy_me]

.....

 

[SimonBrooke]

This is how I feel and felt about sign language, but with no one to share it with I'm losing it.

I still sign when I'm pissed. lol

I used to be fluent in British Sign Language (yes, I know it's different). An old friend has been profoundly deaf all the time I've known him; but these days he has a bionic implant thingy and can hear, so he doesn't use it any more... so neither do I.

I won't say it ever felt natural, but I could converse freely and quickly.

 

[bridgeburner]

Uh, for us wretched monolinguists who like accents --- search Youtube for "Amy Walker 21 Accents" if this Link doesn't take you there.

She doesn't nail all of them, but she's damn close. It's especially cool to hear her do Dublin and then Belfast, Prague and then Moscow, Sydney to Wellington to an unnamed Aussie accent as well as Texas to LA to Seattle --- but the TransAtlantic accent for film stars in the 1940's is just fucking eerie. Waaay cool!

 

[lustfulraj]

Does cunnilingus count as a language? If it does then I can speak in four tongues

 

[VelvetDarkness]

English is my first language, so I'm fluent in that.

I used to have very good French but learning Portuguese eroded it somewhat. Because they're similar, Latin based languages, I get the words mixed up in my head so now when I try speaking French I crowbar Portuguese words in and give them a French accent. I can get by in Spanish and Italian because my Portuguese and French is good. Although Portuguese is tricky to pronounce, once you have that down it's not a difficult language to learn. Interestingly, the more guttural pronunciation of Portugal's Portuguese (as opposed to Brazilian, which is much softer on the ears) means that Portuguese people can understand Spanish without much difficulty but not vice-versa.

Portuguese is my strongest foreign tongue and I'd say I'm conversational but not fluent. I understand more than I can speak and I read it quite well. I want to get back over there soon and refresh my language skills but we'll see.

 

[minx1]

i can get by reasonably ok in French, though my fluency is directly related to the amount of vin I have consumed

Other languages I have ''dabbled'' in are Portugese, Spanish, Italian, Greek and Turkish....I know just about enough to get me by on my hols lol

 

[00Syd]

I can only speak English, and despite taking Spanish during High School I can do little more than ask where the library is and tell you that your mother is a pig - with bad grammar.

Having traveled around a fair bit, however, I've gotten it into my head that if I was immersed in a language for a little while I'd be able to learn enough to get by. When I was in Japan I ended up being the best one at remembering phrases and speaking to people. When I was traveling around Europe this past May I was able to remember how to say quite a bit in Spanish and German, though of course by now I've forgotten most of it. The only Dutch I picked up while we were in Amsterdam was how to say "Get cancer!" which is, according to our friend there, the main Dutch curse (the equivalent to "Fuck you!" in the US).

But, yeah, English. I wish I knew another language.

 

[Cattypuss]

I'm a native speaker of English.

I speak French well enough for native speakers to take a little while to catch on to the fact that I'm not a native speaker.

I can just about get by in Russian.

I understand Italian well enough to read novels in Italian, but I don't speak it.

Not sure if dead languages count. I studied Latin for 8 years and understand it.

Edited to add: I would love to lean Yiddish. I love the sound of that language, and from what I understand it's a wonderfully expressive language.

 

[ShyGuy68]

I can only speak English, but I know a few bits of danish.
Despite trying to learn it for two years the only thing I can say well is

'Hello, my name is...., I am a slut' in danish

And yet you never greeted me that way!

Edit to add: Shyguys english is perfect

Thank you!

 

[00Syd]

Edited to add: I would love to lean Yiddish. I love the sound of that language, and from what I understand it's a wonderfully expressive language.

ME TOO. I've wanted to learn Yiddish since I was pretty young. My plan has always been to learn Yiddish and then trick all my grand kids into thinking that I'm from the old country.

 

[MisterSir]

I took French all the way through my upper school years. I have an AS Level in it, but sadly I've not kept it up and my knowledge has been pushed out of my brain to make way for other crap lol.

My guess is I'll be the same in a couple of years, except I took German in Year 12. My dad speaks a lot of German, I think he used to work out there many years ago and I know he's been back since with the TA, and between him and school I can probably go to Germany and not embarrass myself. If I get time between learning to drive and finding work I'd like to take one of those refresher courses. (And naturally, English is my mother tongue, although you might not guess it from hearing me speak.)

 

[shy slave]

And yet you never greeted me that way!

Thank you!

I was shy!!

 

[Cattypuss]

ME TOO. I've wanted to learn Yiddish since I was pretty young. My plan has always been to learn Yiddish and then trick all my grand kids into thinking that I'm from the old country.

Haha nice idea.

 

[BiaTcHiNFiRe]

Czech is my native languae, so I speak Czech.


I can speak and write English. Enough for simple conversation, deffo NOT enough to say all I wanna say tho. I can post on this board a bit, but when I read some threads I must say I don't have a clue what you guys talk about lol. Funny is that anything about sex I understand 100% D), BUT when its about politics etc, I am fucking LOST! I try, but my english suck.

I am still learning, so hopefuly one day my English will rock!


I used to learn German and Russain at school, so I can talk and understand both a bit. Russian deffo better than German! I used to know German pretty well, but forgot most I knew, because I wasn't using that languae for YEARS! But I am sure if I get back into it, I would learn pretty fast. I was good in both German/Russian, had just excelent's! Which is funny cuz from Czech lang I had always just "good" LOL! I've had always problems with Czech and rocked with all other languaes lol, strange ehh?

Czech is really hard to learn, even for us Czechs!!


I can understand some Polish as well, dunno speak that lang tho. I know few Polish words, but thats it. I really don't like that languae! lol


Then I can write and speak Slovak languae. Its similiar to Czech lang, so thats why!


My favorite languaes are English, French and Spanish. Would love to learn them all. I just love languaes!!


That reminds me something I've noticed few weeks ago.. When I talk to myself I talk to myself in English LOL!!! Practising my English all the time or w0t! LMAO

 

[Etoile]

Since others have mentioned an ability to fingerspell, I might as well throw out that I can spell two-handed as well, as used in BSL and Auslan. (British and Australian sign languages, respectively.) I'm quite slow but I can do it; I've done video of myself spelling and been told that I was understandable.

BTW those of you on here for whom English is not your first language, you all do an amazing job, every one of you.

 

[graceanne]

Since others have mentioned an ability to fingerspell, I might as well throw out that I can spell two-handed as well, as used in BSL and Auslan. (British and Australian sign languages, respectively.) I'm quite slow but I can do it; I've done video of myself spelling and been told that I was understandable.

BTW those of you on here for whom English is not your first language, you all do an amazing job, every one of you.

LOL

So, I'd never tried to finger spell left handed, and I tried and did fine. I don't know how quick I'd be if I was doing more than the alphabet . . . .

Fun!

 

[Etoile]

LOL

So, I'd never tried to finger spell left handed, and I tried and did fine. I don't know how quick I'd be if I was doing more than the alphabet . . . .

Fun!

No silly, not LEFT handed, of course I can do that! I mean TWO handed like Brits and Aussies!
http://www.communitycentres.org.uk/deafnessresourcecentre/images/bsl_fingerspelling_3.jpg

 

[graceanne]

No silly, not LEFT handed, of course I can do that! I mean TWO handed like Brits and Aussies!
http://www.communitycentres.org.uk/deafnessresourcecentre/images/bsl_fingerspelling_3.jpg

Oh. Cool! I've never seen that. I mean I knew they sign differently, but I've never SEEN them sign.

 

[rinka]

I took a semester of once a week immersion Kiswahili at a profs house. I was in it for fun and others were headed to Tanzania, so I wasn't the best student. I mean I'm literally at "Hujambo, Sijambo" kindergarten stuff at best.

In addition to being beautiful, it's the most grammatically sensible, economical, and consistent language probably on the planet. The grammatical simplicity itself is poetry.

Oh, yes, it's amazing. Green = color of grass, train = car with smoke and so on. It is poetic. Also how the prefixes create alliteration, simple brilliant loveliness.

Regarding the article it is amazing how children process language and their capacity to learn. But it is still entirely possible to learn languages as an adult. Easier for some than others, and we learn in different ways and at different speed. Interest and passion goes a long way, and not studying fifteen other subjects and figuring out all this other stuff about the world and yourself can also give another focus.

I learned more Spanish in three months when I was 25 than I did during two years in high-school.

 

[nh23]

What????? I did not know this! How come we've never talked about this?!?!?! I knew about gracie but not you!

I dunno..LOL. I'm deaf in my left ear, from ear infections and am currently on my sixth ear infection this year in my right ear. I thought it was really important for me to learn. I've also been teaching the kids and Master. The kids have done amazing, especially my four year old.

I also work with special needs kids, and a majority of them use sign language, or signed English, so it's very helpful.

 

[Harmony_1985]

No silly, not LEFT handed, of course I can do that! I mean TWO handed like Brits and Aussies!
http://www.communitycentres.org.uk/deafnessresourcecentre/images/bsl_fingerspelling_3.jpg

I teach the beaver scouts that when we do about special needs!

And I also have their promise in Makaton on a sheet somewhere, they learn that too.

 

[Harmony_1985]

I dunno..LOL. I'm deaf in my left ear, from ear infections and am currently on my sixth ear infection this year in my right ear. I thought it was really important for me to learn. I've also been teaching the kids and Master. The kids have done amazing, especially my four year old.

I also work with special needs kids, and a majority of them use sign language, or signed English, so it's very helpful.

Young kids pick it up incredibly quickly. I've worked with children with communication issues who have picked up Makaton quicker aged 6 than I have aged 23.

 

[graceanne]

My guess is I'll be the same in a couple of years, except I took German in Year 12. My dad speaks a lot of German, I think he used to work out there many years ago and I know he's been back since with the TA, and between him and school I can probably go to Germany and not embarrass myself. If I get time between learning to drive and finding work I'd like to take one of those refresher courses. (And naturally, English is my mother tongue, although you might not guess it from hearing me speak.)

My mother spoke German fluently as a child. Then, after her grandpa died, she had no one to speak it with, and now she can barely recall one or two words.

Young kids pick it up incredibly quickly. I've worked with children with communication issues who have picked up Makaton quicker aged 6 than I have aged 23.

Young children have an amazing capacity for language. And their's been so many studies showing that they pick up sign language quicker than anything else, because they have the coordination long before they are capable of forming the word.

It's also really awesome for special needs kids. My son is quicker to understand me signing 'no' or 'come here, now', than if I yell it. Of course, first I have to get his attention, but that's another story.