What languages do you speak? (page 5)

bebu

I USED to speak French fairly well. I USED to speak Japanese. Now I only speak English. There really aren't any easy opportunities to put languages into practice around here--except Spanish, I guess... but I still haven't had any opportunities/contacts with Hispanics here either.

I learned in Japan that I couldn't fit more than one foreign language into my brain. I tried to help a trendy French lady who couldn't communicate with an elderly Japanese hostel manager, and never got a word out in French... just Japanese, no matter how hard I tried. I was aghast. The French gal finally blew smoke in my face and walked away.

bebu

Narkissos

I learned in Japan that I couldn't fit more than one foreign language into my brain. I tried to help a trendy French lady who couldn't communicate with an elderly Japanese hostel manager, and never got a word out in French... just Japanese, no matter how hard I tried. I was aghast. The French gal finally blew smoke in my face and walked away.

It is difficult! I remember having to translate from English to Portuguese once, and I was surprised I had to do it mentally via French, even though I didn't "think in French" when using either of the languages. I guess this can be learnt with some practice though.

RAYZORBLADE

English of course.

French (more Quebecois), I need to be immersed in it for a day to become quicker at my processing/replying in conversation.

Tagalog (Filipino). Lived in the Philippines for an extended period of time. I mastered the basics with intense immersion. If anyone thinks that Tagalog is based on Spanish: dead wrong. It's similar to many Malay-Polynesian dialects. You will hear some Spanish words (colonialist days), but you'll hear way more English mixed in with Tagalog and/or other Filipino languages: Illocano, Cebuano, Pangalatok, Kapampangan, Ilongo to name but a few.

Thank you. Merci. Salamat.

What languages do you speak?

bebu

Narkissos

RAYZORBLADE

frenchbabyface

Maverick

Gerard

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