Foreign languages

[jamie (not that one)]

Spanish having lived here for quite a while.

 

[pasty]

When I lived in Holland, my missus told me that Dutch was a throat disease and not a language, so didnt bother learning.

I actually found Dutch relatively easy. Living over there for three months helped, but I found watching Dutch tv was the best way to learn. Unlike the Germans who dub everything, the Dutch leave the programme in English and put Dutch subtitles on, so I just listened and read the subtitles.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Assuming by speaking 'foreign', you mean shouting English slowly and loudly at some lazy arsed donkey killer.
Then there are very few languages I'm NOT fluent in.

My father-in-law used to do that very well.

For myself, French and German to degree level, although the German a bit rusty now. And a smattering of Italian and Spanish.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Mandarin - not fluent but ok. Thought I should learn so I can understand the wife.....then decided against it.

 

[mikeyjh]

I speak Danish, which is very handy as everyone here (Copenhagen) speaks English and no-one else in the world speaks it.

Bit like Welsh then - For the record, I can fluently pronoune llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch and gwasanaethau if that helps.

I speak daily to my French colleagues, that might help my francais? That said, I speak daily to my Indian colleagues and my Hindi is shocking.

 

[John Bumlick]

I actually found Dutch relatively easy. Living over there for three months helped, but I found watching Dutch tv was the best way to learn. Unlike the Germans who dub everything, the Dutch leave the programme in English and put Dutch subtitles on, so I just listened and read the subtitles.

My uncle taught himself English mainly by watching kids TV shows.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Italiano senese.

 

[acrossthepond]

French, Portuguese, Russian and lager.......

 

[brakespear]

German at basic conversation level (at least once ), French slightly less, could make a good guess at some Italian and Spanish and I know a few words of Japanese.

 

[daveinprague]

I actually found Dutch relatively easy. Living over there for three months helped, but I found watching Dutch tv was the best way to learn. Unlike the Germans who dub everything, the Dutch leave the programme in English and put Dutch subtitles on, so I just listened and read the subtitles.[/QUOT

Yes, I think this is the main reason the Dutch are such good English speakers.
I once was in a lift at work with two dutch managers I didnt know one morning, and realised
they were speaking in English to each other..
Wasnt really in much for tv, as coffeeshop was next door, and it sort of became my living room.
Plus im bone idle.. enough words to get by in every country ive lived in...In Germany, I had tv that could remove the dubbing....thank god.

 

[16bha]

French & German.
Long time ago, but still really enjoy putting in the effort and flexing those linguistic muscles when on the continent.

 

[Questions]

I can order a beer in 16 languages thanks to a poster I have at home.

 

[perth seagull]

Survival Mandarin Chinese, enough to go shopping and travelling around, but not enough for an indepth conversation.

 

[Ali_rrr]

I can speak a tiny bit of Swedish, mainly swear words and adjectives. So basically nothing.

 

[Mental Lental]

and I know a few words of Japanese.

すごい！

頑張ってね！

 

[W.C.]

Spanish and Japanese, although neither as well as I'd like to.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Turkce iyice konusiyorum ama okulmak ve yazmak daha kotu. - Turkish CHECK

Bardzo dobre mowilem po Polsku ale nie mam czas mowic w Turce - Polish CHECK

 

[Trufflehound]

When I lived in Holland, my missus told me that Dutch was a throat disease and not a language, so didnt bother learning.

It's a common joke.

At least I thought it was a joke until about a year ago. Then a good friend here, who is Irish, but works in a Dutch-speaking office, went to her Dutch doctor about a throat problem that wouldn't go away. His actual diagnosis was that she was speaking too much Dutch, and that having grown up in Dublin her vocal chords hadn't evolved to stand the strain. She left her job, went to work in an English-speaking office, and the problem went away.

 

[Gwylan]

Used to speak German fluently and French near fluently but both have grown a little rusty - good enough for holidays but no longer good enough for chatting in bars, putting the world to rights

Similarly, speak Welsh well enough for holidays and getting by but was never really fluent and speak some basic Italian.

What's really frustrating is that there's so little opportunity to practise languages. When I lived in London I went to a French conversation class every week and that helped keep me in touch but there's nothing like that in Brighton - the only option is a personal tutor (and that's expensive)

 

[daveinprague]

It's a common joke.

At least I thought it was a joke until about a year ago. Then a good friend here, who is Irish, but works in a Dutch-speaking office, went to her Dutch doctor about a throat problem that wouldn't go away. His actual diagnosis was that she was speaking too much Dutch, and that having grown up in Dublin her vocal chords hadn't evolved to stand the strain. She left her job, went to work in an English-speaking office, and the problem went away.

Can believe it... I lived mostly in Den Haag, and it seemed even more gutteral there...