How many of you are proficient in more than three languages?

@Sreekala (34312)
India
October 4, 2008 5:03am CST
I just wanted to know about your proficiency in language. How many languages you can handle easily, means, can read, write and speak. In India most of the states have their own regional languages but the national language is Hindi. I know members here are from different countries so can you please tell me which is your mother tongue? Do you speak your mother tongue at home else you prefer English (I know English is a language which is using all over the world). Are you a person, who does not know your mother tongue? Please share your preference and likings.
6 people like this
28 responses
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
4 Oct 08
Hi! Sreekala! I know my mother toungue i.e. Hindi very well and I believe that I have equally good command on a foreign language i.e. English. I can speak, read and write both the langauges with equal ease. Besides, I know Punjabi and Urdu. I cannot write or read scripts of Punjabi or Urdu, but I can very well understand both the languagues. Also, I know little bit of Kannada and Bengali languages. Have a great weekend!
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
6 Oct 08
I learnt a little Bengali through some self help books and during the course of my service of I came across many Begali laungaue knowing colleagues, who helped me understand the language. As far as Kannada is concerned, I did a certificate course from Delhi University, many many years ago..........but since I did not remain in touch with Kannnada........I cannot recall it much..... Have a great day!
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
Ok Deepak, thanks again for spending time for me.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
4 Oct 08
Hi Deepak, happy to know that you can understand many languages. I guess you are proficient in two languages i.e., Hindi and English and you can speak Punjabi and Urdu, very good. Please tell me how you learned Bengali and Kannada? Do you intend to learn more languages? Thanks for the quick response and a great weekend to you too!
2 people like this
@slot100 (546)
• Hungary
4 Oct 08
Actually I speak quite some languages, which I speak perfectly, and with perfect knowledge of the written word as well. My mother tongue is Dutch, and ofcourse English I know perfectly. Further I speak as well perfectly German, French, Hungarian and Danish. Further I know as well a little bit Spanish, Italian and Romanian, but ofcourse, I am still learning for these languages! My target goal is to be able to speak and write more then 10 languages. It's something I always wanted!
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
4 Oct 08
Oh really great and all the best for achieving the goal. I have zero knowledge about foreign languages.(except English, because English is also a foreign language in India even though it is using as an official language). Can you please tell me, is there any similarities in between Dutch and French. Thanks for having your time and have a great day. Happy learning also.
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
4 Oct 08
Thank you very much for sharing the information because all are new to me. Thanks a lot again. keep sharing.
2 people like this
@slot100 (546)
• Hungary
4 Oct 08
In Dutch and French? Well I don't think so..Maybe a couple of words that looks like it, but the most of it is much different then the Dutch language! In my opinion, the English, Spanish and Italian language, all those 3 looks like French! There are many words that look the same like it, which makes it ofcourse easier to understand one another. But the Dutch and German language I must say, they're are about the same! Only the grammar is different, but most of all the words looks very much the same like in the Dutch language!
2 people like this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
4 Oct 08
Well, my mother tongue is Malayalam. I grew up in the middle east but my parents insisted I speak Malayalam at home and I was taught to read and write the language. Arabic was a compulsory language for us to learn and so I can speak, read and write Arabic too. Since I studied at an Indian school, I had to learn Hindi too. I had Tamil neighbours, so I can speak Tamil but can't read or write the language. I now live in Bangalore...so I know how to speak Kannada (and can understand a little bit of Telugu) but I can't read or write either language. But the most comfortable language for me is English (I think in English even when I speak other languages). So, totally that's 4 languages that I am proficient in and can understand and speak around3 others. I find that I am quick to pick up new languages (along with different dialects and accents)
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
4 Oct 08
oops I forgot URDU...remembered when I saw Deepak's post...I can read and write it too. Quite similar to arabic.
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
6 Oct 08
Though I have to agree that my parents had a part in instilling the love for languages in me, I think each person is different and some people pick up languages easily while some people find it hard even after learning for years. Of course, some people don't have the inclination too...and that makes things hard.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
Hi, You are well versed in 5 languages, really great. I think staying in different places will help you to learn more languages. Your parents are also great because of them you learned your mother tongue. But I must appreciate your interest in learning that is the plus point. Keep it up. Thanks for sharing your valuable time. Have a great day.
• United States
4 Oct 08
My mother tongue is Punjabi and I remember enough of it to carry a conversation (I came to the States when I was 4), I am learning French in high school, I have a cornucopia of a vocabulary for English, and I know some Spanish.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
I am pleased to read your response. Thanks for the same and have a great day.
@snpyvin (1518)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 08
The mother tongue of my country is Melayu. But i do speak not just this, i speaks English, Chinese and my own race language.I agreed that English is use around all the world but i can said that there are still many out there doesn't speaks English.I prefer to speak my own race language than Melayu. I only speaks this mother tongue language with the Malays or Islam people.
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
Ok, I agree that many people do not speak English. I said in generally. Thank you very much for your response. Have a great day.
@vathsala30 (3732)
• India
21 Nov 09
Hi Sree I am proficient in 5 languages. ie. english, hindi, tamil, telugu, kannada and I can speak malayalam too, but not as fluent as the above languages. I can even read and write english, hindi, tamil and telugu and can read kannada and malayalam
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
24 Nov 09
Hi vathsala, It is nice to know that you too know our native language (Malayalam). Knowing five languages is really fabulous. Which is your native language then? Thank you so much for sharing. Have a nice day.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
24 Nov 09
Hi dear, Nice to read your malayalam but a word of caution, never use any other language in mylot it may trouble you in future. So please be careful on this thing. I think you can learn malayalam easily by watching Asianet channel in TV. P.S. I received your PM will write you soon.
• India
24 Nov 09
Hi sree ende mathru bashe tamil anam. enikki malayalattil korichi korichi samsarikka ariyum. ezhudam,padikkam, padicchu, ende nadu tanjore. he he don't laugh. What can I do. i want to learn fluently and can read mathru bhoomi also and manage to write simple words. But there are no malayalis in and around our house. So I used to watch asianet and other malayalam channels and try to grasp the words and learn.
1 person likes this
@Buchi_bulla (8298)
• India
18 Nov 09
I know five languages thoroughly well. They are English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. I can talk, read and write all these languages. I can manage malayalam, urdu. Korachedanne ariyum. Valara nannayittu ariyadu. But I always wanted to learn malayalam. May be I will do soon and ningalode malayalathil samsarikkum.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
19 Nov 09
Hi Buchi, You know tamil too then it is easy to learn malayalam. But writing is entirely different any I hope you can learn our native language soon and I am promising my helps to you. Learning five languages is really great. I am appreciating your dedication. Thanks for joining.
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
6 Oct 08
Hi I am from Pakistan My Mother Tongue is Punjabi, I an read, speak and write as well Our National Language is Urdu, So i can read, write and speak for Sure Third Language i can read, write and speak( may be not that fluent) is English. At home we use Punjabi and Urdu Take care
1 person likes this
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
6 Oct 08
u r welcome dear thanks for appreciating it Best Regards
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
7 Oct 08
Regards to you too.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
Ok Cupid, Thanks for your valuable time. I am happy that you also know three languages. Thanks again have a great day.
@mayka123 (16584)
• India
6 Oct 08
My mother tongue is Konkani...which I know a bit but have lost touch because nobody at home now speaks this language, Then I know English very well, Hindi being the national language I can both read and speak. Marathi is our state language which I know to both read and speak. My husband was from Gujarat so I know to read and speak Gujarati too. So I think that makes it five languages.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
Hi Mayka, Thanks for the response. I am happy to know that you are well versed with five languages, very good. Have a great day.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
7 Oct 08
Hi Mayka, I know Malayalam (my mother tongue), English and Hindi. As I am residing in North now,I am speaking Hindi but I am using our mother tongue at home so that our kids will be able to speak the same.
@mayka123 (16584)
• India
6 Oct 08
What about you? How many languages do you know....and which are they???
1 person likes this
@arthi_88 (1516)
• India
4 Oct 08
WEll my mother tongue is bengali and at home we always speak in bengali...As of proficiency in languages...I can perfectly read or write four languages..Bengali, Hindi, English and Nepali..
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
4 Oct 08
Hi Arthi, Thank you for the quick response. It is nice to know that you can handle four languages. But tell me how you learned Nepali? Have you ever been there? Do you intend to learn more languages? I am just asking by curiosity. Have a great day.
2 people like this
@arthi_88 (1516)
• India
4 Oct 08
I grew up in a convent residential school in Darjeeling where we had many Gorkha students whose mother tongue is Nepali...Since I was there for 15 years learning there language was not tough...and moreover their written form is quite similar to hindi though not exactly but the spoken is completely different....I know the language since std 3...And yes i would love to learn other indian regional languages especially from the south as i don't ubderstand a single word of the south indian languages!!!
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
4 Oct 08
Ok, now I understand how you learned Nepali. I know it is easy to learn a language in childhood. Don't worry I will help you to learn one of the South Indian languages. Keep smiling.
2 people like this
@shibham (16977)
• India
7 Oct 11
Assamese, bengali, nepali, english, hindi can speak and understand. Bhojpuri, oriya, gujrati, spanish, bodo, miching and maitai can understand but little trouble in speaking. Take care.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
8 Oct 11
Hello Shibham, You know many languages Thanks for sharing
@priesh72 (65)
• India
21 Nov 09
I know tamil, english, hindi, kannada and telugu to speak. can read and write tamil, english, hindi. I speak my hubbys mother tongue in home since mine is tamil and my hubbys is kannada. In my family i used to speak my mother tongue only
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
24 Nov 09
Hi priesh, Are you from Tamilnadu, just guess from your proficiency in languages. You can speak five languages, really well and thanks for sharing. I know only three languages. Thanks for the friend invite. Hope you will enjoy here in mylot. Have a nice day.
• India
19 Oct 11
Sree beti I am born and brought up in Orissa, my grandfather came here in 1904 from Madhyapradesh, present Chaatisgarh.Sambalpur was in MP later merged in Orissa. Odiya is language of Orissa, it has some dialets too in different parts of Orissa, thus i can speak , read write Odiya (oriya).. I can speak read write Hindi, can speak Chattisgadi (in home this is our language). I can talk in Bengali, Urdu; write in Urdu too Well about English, i can read write speak, i taught Physics in colleges in English only.. I can also speak in Tagalog, i learnt this in Philippines.. Thanks for sharing Best of luck. Professor
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
28 Oct 11
Hello Sir, You knew so many languages and I am glad to know the same. Hope your health is alright and had a great time in Diwali. Take care and have a nice time.
@surekharathi (14146)
• India
12 Mar 13
hhehe....dear friendI know two languages of life talking and laughing. But in regarding talking I can speak and write four languages known that is Hindi, Marathi, English and Marwadi (Maheshwari) our language. But English is poor no speak and write properly.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
13 Mar 13
Hi dear, You know 4 languages that is really great. I know only three dear. Regarding your English speech, I don't think it is bad, when you called me first time, we spoke in English and it was not bad either. But in Hindu you speak so fast
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
13 Mar 13
Please read Hindi instead of Hindu
@shana123 (2095)
• India
5 Oct 08
Hi sreekala, hope your an andhra wala :) , i know two languages , obviously one is english , i know to write , read and speak well and other is my mother tongue , the language i like the most of all , and hindi , im not a master in hindi but then i can read and write , just because it is national language i just learned to read and write , will soon try to speak in it .. lol.. well is your mother tongue is telugu or what? you dint specify it here ...?
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
I am not from Andhra. I am proud to say that I am a Keralite but this is an international forum so I feel happier to known as an Indian. That is why I never mention about my state or mother tongue. What about you? You also didn't say about your mother tongue. How do you feel that I am from Andhra? Anyway no problem, we are Indian and be proud on that. Thanks for the response and have a great day.
• China
5 Oct 08
Hi,Sreekala, My mother tongue is Chinese,English is my working language,it is my dream to hold more language,but,I like English best except Chinese!
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
7 Oct 08
Do start working to fulfill your dream. All the best and thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
@srikool (936)
• India
8 Oct 08
hi sree..i am very poor in this..my mother tongue is tamil..i know tamil and english..i planed to learn hindi..i feel very bad about my condition..i have to improve this..you asked a nice question..have a nice time
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
10 Oct 08
Hi Srikool, Let me ask one question first, is it your real name, nice and cool. Please don't feel bad, just asked because really I heard such a name in first time. Don't worry you can learn Hindi very easily. I think Hindi must be a compulsory subject in school, if so, you must know how to write and read then speaking is the only problem. So don't feel bad try your best and learn it quickly. My best wishes are with you. Thanks for the response and have a great day.
@amlegend (945)
• Pakistan
5 Oct 08
i know Urdu that is our national language and Arabic which i learned from my father and i am good in both and well english i am using here. and the local languages well sindhi,punjabi are the one's i can read,speak,write and i love to learn other languages and will do it some time in near future.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
7 Oct 08
You don't know Hindi. I thought people from Pakistan can handle Hindi very easily. May be I am wrong. Do you think any similarities in between Urdu and Arabic? I think you can say easily because you know both languages. Thanks for sharing the same and have a great day.
• India
5 Oct 08
hi sreekala. i can read and write malayalam(a language spoken in south india) with ease as it is my mother tongue...and in addition to that i can handle both english and hindi...english being the universal language is the medium of teaching in 90% of schools and colleges and i learned hindi as a result of living in north india for a period of 3yrs which is more than enough to get acquainted with the language...i have learned a bit of french as well...i am not so much proficient in it, but i can manage to read and write french on a small scale....
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
6 Oct 08
Hi, I am very happy to know that your mother tongue is malayalam which is mine also. From your response I guess that you are living in North, do you work in north or studying? Happy to know about your language proficiency. Thanks for the same and have a great day.
@jelai24 (221)
• Philippines
5 Oct 08
hi......anyway may mother language is visayan language in philippines....i know also in english but no totally good in speaking lolz....also a little bit in japanese language......o hayo gusai masu?....
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
7 Oct 08
Thanks for sharing. I hope you did not scold me in the last part of your response, because I didn't understand. Nice to know about your proficiency in languages. Have a great day.