Can anyone speak another language?

[Razoray]

Irish. Studied secondary school through the irish language - it was frowned upon to speak english even on break. Like all languages it is a lot easier when practised. I converse in Irish to my brother and other friends and family that went to that school every so often.

Was not a fan of french in school but ive spent a big of time there with work and holidays since and am not bad at it at all now. The more you use it the more you hear sexy french women speak it.

[cloggypop]

A lot of their words are similar to German words, I can actually understand them if they would speak a bit slower and not sound like they are singing.

They are just fluffy Germans really. They don't sound like they are singing round here though. It's more like coughing up a furball.

[cloggypop]

True or false, the Dutch language is a joke that got out of hand?

It's not a lot of use outside of the Netherlands. Or in it really.

[KMD7]

I speak Jive

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I lived in Spain for a year when I was a student, about a million years ago, so I used to speak Spanish pretty fluently.  These days, it's rusted to fuck, although I like to imagine I can still speak it when I'm pissed.

[Dr Nowt]

I speak the language of love, and when people don't understand me I just shout in monosyllables and point to what I want.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I speak the language of love, and when people don't understand me I just shout in monosyllables and point to what I want.

Supoib!

[The Midnight Rambler]

I'm hopefully going to do one to Portugal in the next five years. Although I've visited the place for over 20 years i can't string a sentence together. Im thinking about a course at night school but will probably just buy an app on my phone and never use it.

[Elite]

I can't be arsed.

[Megadrive Man]

What's the best way to learn it?

 

I have wanted to learn Spanish for many years, but never got round to it.

[Rotpeter]

What's the best way to learn it?

 

I have wanted to learn Spanish for many years, but never got round to it.

You've got to put yourself in situations where you use it.  Reading books, parroting rosetta stone, listening to tapes, watching foreign movies etc will only take you so far and that stuff will fall out your head faster than you can shovel it in, I've found.

[Unrighteous]

Native English speaker, good Mandarin(I can read/write a fair amount), and decent Spanish.

[s(k)aturation]

Croatian.

 

Used to speak Russian as a kid too.

Am OK at understanding it a bit still, as well as a bit of Polish.

 

These are the three nationalities I kind of grew up listening to.

 

I had a competent conversation with a Czech bloke once.

Slavic languages have a fair few basics in common.

 

I did 5 years of Latin at school, which was undoubtedly the most useful thing I've ever done linguistically.

[TheHowieLama]

You mean other than English?

[s(k)aturation]

Is that a question for the OP or me?

[Son of L8]

Languages have always fascinated me, from childhood, and have been a pretty constant hobby throughout whatever I've done with my life. I'm good on German, French and Italian, and can read Latin fairly fluently. Spanish is basic, I can read Arabic script and string basic conversation together, and my reading of Greek is getting better. Next up, I'd love to take a run at Russian, then maybe Japanese.

 

Thing is, once you get started it gets easier very quickly, and progressively easier and easier to learn the more you learn. Eventually your brain understands enough of how languages are built that acquisition becomes almost passive. The only difficulty is keeping your vocabularies separate... If I try to think of a word in one language, my brain will produce the equivalent in three others before I find the one I want.

[melons]

Welsh, not as great as I used to be but I'm in the deepest depths of Bala now so I've been using it fair bit more. You don't live here and not speak the language fluently. 

[Section_31]

Got some linguaphone tapes for Japanese once, but the introuduction said it had nine different words for wife depending on your income and social status, so thought bollocks to that. I did get a 'Conversational Klingon' tape once for Christmas though, much easier. Qapla! (success) 

[aws]

What's the best way to learn it?

 

I have wanted to learn Spanish for many years, but never got round to it.

Try the "say something in Spanish" site. Very effective online learning system which concentrates completely on speech and ignores all the painful grammar stuff you don't really need.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Languages have always fascinated me, from childhood, and have been a pretty constant hobby throughout whatever I've done with my life. I'm good on German, French and Italian, and can read Latin fairly fluently. Spanish is basic, I can read Arabic script and string basic conversation together, and my reading of Greek is getting better. Next up, I'd love to take a run at Russian, then maybe Japanese.

 

Thing is, once you get started it gets easier very quickly, and progressively easier and easier to learn the more you learn. Eventually your brain understands enough of how languages are built that acquisition becomes almost passive. The only difficulty is keeping your vocabularies separate... If I try to think of a word in one language, my brain will produce the equivalent in three others before I find the one I want.

 

I know what you mean and I only speak 2 Languages. After you become fluent you don't have to translate stuff in your head as you are actually thinking in the Language you are using, but now and again the brain will choose the easiest word that comes to mind and you end up slipping the wrong word into the middle of a sentence. 

[Section_31]

Nee how is hello in Chinese, always say it when I go in a chippy and they love that shit, always ask them can I mow their lawns when they rule the world too and they love that even more,free chicken balls agogo. 

[DirkDiggledinho]

Speak pretty fluent Spanish. Living in Spain now doing an Erasmus year and I can hold a pretty good conversation with any of the locals even though I´ve spent most of the year off my tits and failing everything in Uni.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Here is another thing, it doesn't matter how fluent I am in German I always use English do do maths equations etc. . 

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Here is another thing, it doesn't matter how fluent I am in German I always use English do do maths equations etc. .

Do you ever think in German?

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Do you ever think in German?

 

Yes mate, I probably speak German 90% of the time. I only speak English with other British people and when the kids are brushing up on theirs. When I'm on here or FB conversing in English then I automatically think in English. 

 

I can't remember having a dream in German which is a bit weird.