Can you speak a foreign language? Which one...

[johnkline]

I don't mean that you took Spanish for two years in high school twenty years ago either.

 

Seriously though, I was considering checking out this Rosetta Stone program to learn another language to see if it's possible or practical thing to accomplish as an adult without a formal language school program versus learning another language when your a toddler, my kids pick up Dora and Go Diego Go pretty well . I remember when I was in the Army, the Defense Language Institute could teach most languages in 10-18 months, I believe.

 

So can anyone here speak a foreign language fluently? Which one, and how old were you when you learned it...

[TornadoOfSouls]

Russian, moved to America at a young age was born in the USSR.

[mikenothing]

My parents are from Mexico, so I know Spanish very well.

 

I want to learn another language soon, suggestions?

[Brick]

Spanish, I'm in teh AP class

went to mexico, but until i took a trip to mexico with the school, its just kinda like, meh. But at the time, I had 4 years of spanish in the classroom, +the trip. But seriously, the best way to pick it up is to be around people who speak it alot

[chakosh]

Farsi. That's what I learned before English, tho. I speak bad Spanish too when I'm drunk enough.

 

I've had good luck learning conversational Japanese and French from the Pimsleur method. I have the 30 lesson one, which isn't terribly cheaper than Rosetta Stone, though.

[nakedzen]

English, swedish and german.

[Sex Panther]

I can speak English. It's a foreign language for some people.

[vangkm]

I can speak Hmong. Also took a few years of Japanese in HS and College as well as 1 of French.

[Brick]

I can speak English. It's a foreign language for some people.

 

[Devinstation]

Spanish, 5 years of it, 2 of those were advanced.

 

Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to use it often except for ordering in Mexican restaurants.

 

I want to go to Spain, but right now it just isn't in the cards. That and the language does not pertain to my new career choice.

[chakosh]

 

Spanish, 5 years of it, 2 of those were advanced. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to use it often except for ordering in Mexican restaurants. I want to go to Spain, but right now it just isn't in the cards. That and the language does not pertain to my new career choice.

 

 

Spain's Spanish is definitely different than Mexican Spanish. I was in Brussels last week, and talking with one of my Spanish colleagues a lot (my Spanish is much better when I've had a couple glasses of Leffe)... Pronunciation is def. different. Hoping to spend some time there later this year and learn more vocabulary.

[duncan]

i speak enough german to get by.

[blargh]

i can speak some russian and a few words of spanish

[HELSTRUME]

Spanish. I dated Spanish girls, and work around Mexicans all day being in construction.

[rememberduane]

Essentially fluent in French though I haven't spoken it much lately. I started at about 11, I'm 20 now. Stopped studying it formally like 3 years ago, but I've kept it up. I speak very limited Arabic and Italian. Taking on Hindi/Urdu and Russian to complement my French. Hopefully I'll be relatively conversant and, more importantly, able to conduct research with them.

 

Rosetta Stone is good {censored}, but you need a good textbook or good formal training to go with it. I think most languages are next to impossible to learn *correctly* without formal training or at least a fluent (preferably native) speaker to help.

[Neilrocks25]

Nihongo sukoshi demo wa mada jozu ja arimasen.

 

Yeah I suck

[rememberduane]

 

Nihongo sukoshi demo wa mada jozu ja arimasen. Yeah I suck

 

 

The question is, can you read/write kanji?

 

My friend took three years of Japanese in high school. Poor guy can barely read like 100-150 kanji.

[Neilrocks25]

 

The question is, can you read/write kanji? My friend took three years of Japanese in high school. Poor guy can barely read like 100-150 kanji.

 

 

Not much but my wife is japanese so she helps me, I am learning very slowly

[q149]

I speak German and a bit of Japanese

[chakosh]

 

Nihongo sukoshi demo wa mada jozu ja arimasen. Yeah I suck

 

 

Woo hoo! I understood that!

 

Nihongo wa musukashii desu. Watashi ga kanji wakarimasem, demo romanji sukoshi wakarimasu.

[Dann'sTheMan]

French - pretty fluent. Started at 9 years old in school. Did it as a minor in University, and spent a year of my degree studying at a French university.

 

Thai - but it's mostly forgotten. Worked in Bangkok as a volunteer with my church for a year.

 

German - still pretty basic. Worked in Berlin for two and a half years and learned whilst I was there.

 

Japanese - still pretty basic, and no I don't read Kanji . Been going there for the last 11 years on business trips, and to visit the in-laws - my wife is Japanese.

 

Big smiles,

 

Andy.

 

P.S. My mother tongue is English. Oh, and I studied Latin for a few years too - which definitely helps with the Western languages.

[Neilrocks25]

 

Woo hoo! I understood that! Nihongo wa musukashii desu. Watashi ga kanji wakarimasem, demo romanji sukoshi wakarimasu.

 

 

Hai.

 

Gambatte ne!

[Neilrocks25]

French - pretty fluent. Started at 9 years old in school. Did it as a minor in University, and spent a year of my degree studying at a French university. Thai - but it's mostly forgotten. Worked in Bangkok as a volunteer with my church for a year. German - still pretty basic. Worked in Berlin for two and a half years and learned whilst I was there. Japanese - still pretty basic, and no I don't read Kanji . Been going there for the last 11 years on business trips, and to visit the in-laws - my wife is Japanese. Big smiles, Andy. P.S. My mother tongue is English. Oh, and I studied Latin for a few years too - which definitely helps with the Western languages.

 

Hi Dan Genki?

[LaXu]

English fluently, Swedish quite well with some practice. Enough French and Japanese to get by.

[JKD]

I! AM! FLUENT! IN! EVERY! LANGUAGE! IN! THE! WORLD!

 

I! CAN! SAY! IT! SLOWER! IF! YOU! LIKE!