by Pole 45 Replies latest jw friends
What languages do you speak/write/read (can be ancient ones as well)???
I speak/write/read Polish, English and Russian. I know basic Swedish and some survival phrases in Finnish as well. I can poorly read Latin. I started learning French last week. That would be it. What about you?
Do you think Europeans are generally better at languages than Americans? WHat about Australians?
P.S. - my first fluffy thread :)).
I speak English....took some Spanish but didn't do very well although I tried hard. I speak "American grunt" that would be white trash mixed with some ebonics and depression era words. Does that count as a second language?
The Europeans need to know more than one language if they travel around.... Look at Switzerland, three different languages spoken in one very small country. I remember being at a party in Zurich, and everyone there was changing from French to German to Italian,to the Zuercher dialect without any difficulties.
I speak and read and write French (duh), I lost my German (was fluent once)(still can read and understand) and some English....
I live in Europe and it sure seems to me like Europeans are better at languages. Most people here speak at least two, whether they are native German or immigrants from Eastern Europe or the Turkey.
I would like to say that I speak German, god knows I try, but I'm not sure many Germans would agree with me.
I speak English and am fluent in several regional dialects of USA english.
A little pidgeon Spanish, and can still read a little German but not practiced enough to keep up in conversation
Seems to me, that in Europe, with all those countrys in close proximity, travel and media bleedover being what it is, a person would be hard pressed not to pick up another tounge (or two).
Hill----------
English and French and a smattering of......ahh, that would be telling!!!
English, enough French to get by living here (although telephone conversations are still a real "treat"), and a little German (I understand more than I can speak). In Europe, they are better for one simple reason. When they are in school, from practically the very start, they are required to take whatever their native language is, AND English. Then they also can take a second language, much like we Americans took a foreign language in high school. So my cousin, who is German, speaks German, English, and French fluently, and I believe has taken another language as well.
I am a typcial one-language American, who speaks acceptable English.
I think I have a knack for language though, because when we travel, I pick up the local language enough to get by. When we were in Poland, the locals told me I spoke without an American accent, a high compliment. I forget as soon as I come home though. I understand Spanish pretty well, if it is spoken slowly. But my best friend is bi lingual, and that may make a difference.
Asian languages elude me though. I can't seem to learn those well enough to even do well on a greeting.
My 8 year old grandson is going to take Spanish this year. He said something like "it should be easy. I learned English pretty easily".
I am a native english speaker. I have American Sign Language, Level 2. And I can read the french on my cereal box.
I speak American , a derivative of English. I can also read and speak French on an elementary level.
