What language(s) do you speak?
By maclanis
@maclanis (2357)
Belgium
June 11, 2008 7:17am CST
Hey! Even though everyone speaks English here, I know there are a lot of people who's motherlanguage isn't English, just like me. I myself speak Dutch most of the time (I'm from Belgium) and I believe my second most spoken language is English. I also speak French and German (I make a lot of mistakes in German, however).
So my question is: What is your native language and what other languages do you speak?
8 responses
@ShealM (388)
• Canada
11 Jun 08
I speak French (Joel, Quebecer slang and "proper" French), English, understand Creole, a bit of German, Gaelic and fluent in ASL (sign language). I am very firm in my beliefs that not only is language a window into cultures and hold the history of the culture that it comes from but the more languages you know the better off you will be in the work force and in life in general.
1 person likes this
@maclanis (2357)
• Belgium
11 Jun 08
You know sign language? That is so cool! For some reason, I've always wanted to learn that... It just seems so fun to communicate without actually saying, typing or writing anything.
I agree that languages are important in life but a language isn't always needed to explore cultures.
Thank you for responding!
@ShealM (388)
• Canada
11 Jun 08
I am hearing impaired. Significant hearing loss on the left side. I learned it as a hobby in college and took extra classes during my college days. I love ASL, expressive facial language as well as with the hands. So much to say without actually saying it.
I agree, language is not the only window into learning about cultures but it sure helps to see what a culture is like through it's language. Some family are always telling me I should have been a linguist and not an IT tech.
@liquorice (3887)
•
11 Jun 08
I'm impressed that you and some others here speak so many languages. My first language is English, but I lived in France a while ago and so I also speak French (although I'm a bit rusty now!) I wish I spoke other languages, it's such a useful skill to have. I learnt German at school but I can't remember very much now, and I also learnt basic Hebrew but I only remember how to say really simple things like greetings. L'hitraot!
1 person likes this
@liquorice (3887)
•
11 Jun 08
Yes, I'd like to learn another language one day. I always fancied learning Greek!
L'hitraot means goodbye, or literally something like 'until we meet again', or 'see you later'. Good luck in your German exam!
@maclanis (2357)
• Belgium
11 Jun 08
You can always take a course to study a language you are interested in! I know a lot of people who study or have studied languages such as Italian, Spanish... I'm sorry you don't really remember how to speak German, I'm not very good at it either. I have an exam about it tomorrow, though! Hebrew? Wow, that's an interesting language. So does L'hitraot means 'hello' or something?
Thanks for your response.
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
11 Jun 08
wow! i find french and german langauges so difficult! that's impressive of you!
anyway, i am from the philippines and i speak tagalog (mother tongue) and english. now that i've been living here in sweden for 11 months, i do speak swedish which was at first so impossible for me to learn. but now, i can say i am a little fluent with the language already.
in my country, we have so many dialects... around 120 or more according to researches. and i do speak 4 and understand 5.
anne
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
11 Jun 08
the reason why we have so many dialects in the philippines is that the country is composed of 7,107 islands. so, the dialects are just so many depending on what region in the country. it's kinda crazy really but fun and unique in a way.
@nanayangel (7879)
• Philippines
12 Jun 08
Hi there Maclanis!
I speak Tagalog, my native tongue, the language of the majority here in the Philippines. I also speak English and a bit of Aklanon, the dialect here in the province of Aklan, which is a province in the Philippines.
@chechuva (1275)
• Philippines
11 Jun 08
i speak Filipino. it's my first language. i live in Philippines.
and i have another dialect, Ilocano.
here in Philippines, we do study english. and there are schools also who teach other languages.
wow, good for you. you know lots of languages! that's a big plus!
@maclanis (2357)
• Belgium
11 Jun 08
Well, where I live almost everyone has to learn these languages at school. Except for German, I think. I'm not really sure though! I agree that's a good thing that we learn this many languages. But I think that's also because Dutch isn't spoken that much if you compare it with French or English.
Thank you for your response!
@chirantani (1379)
• India
11 Jun 08
English is not my mother tongue too. My mother tongue is Bengali,but apart from it I can speak Hindi,Oriya,English and German( I am learning it).
1 person likes this
