Spoken Languages

[Karen]

English is my main language.

I know a few words - enough for very, very simple conversation in French, but only if the other person speaks slowly enough! I know a handful of words in Spanish (thanks to Sesame street and an immigrant friend, mostly), can count to 14 in Swedish and know a few other words - not enough for a conversation by a long shot, and know a random handful in Polish (really random) and ASL, and can say hello, thank you, and "I don't want that" in Mandarin.

My grandfather was gifted in languages and was fluent in 5 (Swedish, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish) and could make himself understood in a few others when necessary - he was police chief of a mill town with dense immigrant populations. He didn't have the benefit of any college education, just learned on his own. He was Swedish, his wife (grandma, my beloved grandma) was French-Canadian, and she didn't want us to learn anything but English, so we wouldn't be discriminated against. We were to be "just American." So my French is largely "school French" which was very different than the French the older generation spoke at family gatherings!

[jackmilliesmom]

I am Irish so I speak both english and irish and speak both fluently depending on what part of the country I am in, funnily enough can read and speak irish but cannot for the life of me cannot write it properly....

[jenluckenbach]

Just English.

[Zippy]

Only English.
I am taking Spanish 2.But I am not very good at it.

[critter crazy]

English is my Primary language, but Can speak pretty good Spanish. Been a while since I have had to speak it, but am trying to teach my kids Spanish. My Father was Mexican, and I grew up in LA, so It was pretty much a prerequisite!

I used to know a bit Of Japanese, but Cant remember as words as I used to know.

[Sirrahsim]

I am only fluent in English
I can count and say a few phrases in German, French, Spanish. I also learned just enough Japanese to get my job done and be friendly when I worked at the club in Japan but I wouldn't be able to hold up my end of a conversation for any length of time

[angelbow20]

I Know english but can speak some hungarian since my granparents and motheres side is all from there. I dont think I really know anything else though.

[sirrahbed]

English here too. I studied Spanish in highschool and then German in college. I picked up some Spanish from Sesame Street and from living in Texas. Amazingly, I can listen or read German and follow the drift pretty well.

I wish I had continued in at least one second language

[sparks19]

I am Irish so I speak both english and irish and speak both fluently depending on what part of the country I am in, funnily enough can read and speak irish but cannot for the life of me cannot write it properly....

I am with you.... I can't really write the other languages at all. But in school those courses were always my favourite.... French and German.

I had to learn some Japanese when I was taking Judo... that was pretty neat.

I don't know about in Ireland but I heard from a German Air crew once that they are required to learn to speak english in Germany... of course that might have just been for the air force though. Is it a requirement where you are? LOL I guess if part of the country speaks english it would be a benefit but is it something taught in schools as a regular class or is it a special class?

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I only know english, but have always wanted to learn something else.

[Laura's Babies]

I speak deep south english only ya'll!

[Edwina's Secretary]

In addition to English...I speak/read/understand and some write (that's the hardest!) Spanish....not as well as when I lived in Mexico...it does fade if you don't use it...I can read enough French to navigate the subway in Paris, the roads and a menu. I know Chicago Polish (hello, how are you, please, thank you, yes and no) and a few words in Slovenian (although my father says my accent is terrible.....)

[jackmilliesmom]

I am with you.... I can't really write the other languages at all. But in school those courses were always my favourite.... French and German.

I had to learn some Japanese when I was taking Judo... that was pretty neat.

I don't know about in Ireland but I heard from a German Air crew once that they are required to learn to speak english in Germany... of course that might have just been for the air force though. Is it a requirement where you are? LOL I guess if part of the country speaks english it would be a benefit but is it something taught in schools as a regular class or is it a special class?

We are born speaking english and we learn irish in school but I love it and I love visiting the Gaeltacht (gail tact is the best way to say it in english) I get to speak irish all the time and especially love hearing the older people in the are speak it. There are different pronuciations of words in irish depending on the province you go to but I love it nonetheless. It comes from my love of history and learning about the hedge schools where the children used to have to be taught in the hedges and ditches of ireland because the british army during the famine times closed and burned all of the schools because they were catholic and not protestant its a long story but an interesting one and the only way they could warn the priests and the children that the army (peelers) were coming was to shout out in irish for them to scatter...

Do you serve in the air force where you are? I have a german friend who once told me that they had to learn english in school because most of the businesses in germany are linked with english speaking countries and he said it was the most difficult language to learn because of all the similar pronouncing words such as through and threw and so on....

[IRescue452]

My native language is English. I also speak Spanish and Japanese quite often.

I know a few phrases in Thai, French, Swahili, German, and Korean. I've spent the past 4 years living with people from 42 different countries so I picked a bit up.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

My first language is Dutch. I also speak French and English fluently. I used to speak German too, but since I haven't used it for more than 20 years, I have forgotten most of it. I am still able to talk to people in German though