que plus langue parle-t-vous? (how many languages do you speak?)

[ShatteredWings]

(i'm going somewhere with this don't worry)

obviosuly, i speak two. english does happen to be my first (i was born in the usa hehe), but i started taking french in 5th grade, and i pick things up fast


Reason for being in this category is simple
Do you think it's a good idea to take another language, or even better, to become bilingual? One of my goals for before i turn 18 is to be literate in two languages, and bilingual (reading comes faster). obviously it doesn't hurt, but in today's society, is it a real advantage?
(yes, this is inciting a debate :D)

[Axellance]

i think that it is helpful and a good idea to become bilengual however i can only speak english

[Mzor203]

Basically, there is no possible way at this point in time where it couldn't be helpful. Colleges want it, other people who you may be interested in doing business with could possibly speak it, so of course it's good to have two languages.

Btw, I speak English, some French, and a bit more Latin.

[Dolphus Raymond]

English - fluently

Spanish - conversational fluency

Dakota/Siouxan - limited fluency (could carry on simple conversations about some subjects)

[Zephyr]

It's a good idea to learn a second language or even a third, no matter what. It can help you in getting jobs and into college as well.

English: Obviously I'm fluent

Spanish: I can understand enough and have a fluent conversation, but haven't mastered it yet.

[ShatteredWings]

dakota? wow i forgot that was an option....but in small-town nowheresvill, not a language option..i wanna take mandarin and german(ya im weird)

[Gavin]

English is my first langauge of tougue, but i've been doing german for 5 years now, and i'm good with that

[Electric Cheese]

english obv, and I'm conversational in German

[ShatteredWings]

hm..how hard is german?

[Electric Cheese]

its easy to grasp, but it takes a while to work out genders (der, die, das etc) and word order is a bitch, but I've been learning it for 5 years now and I'm pretty fluent

[Dolphus Raymond]

dakota? wow i forgot that was an option....but in small-town nowheresvill, not a language option..i wanna take mandarin and german(ya im weird)

Haha, I doubt any schools outside Lakota Reservation areas teach it. I have a book of it. It's kind of useless but I like the idea of doing a small part in keeping he language alive.

[Underground_Network]

English - fluently

Spanish - pretty well, still learning though.. I'm in Spanish 2 - Honors, next year I'm taking Spanish 3 - Honors, and I may then skip straight to AP Spanish [Spanish 5]

German - very little, but my dad teaches me a little bit every once in a while, and I'm writing a novel with both German and Japanese in it, so I'm learning the basics of both languages [German through my dad and I'm self teaching myself Japanese]

Japanese - [read above]

Italian - My dad can speak it well and it's similar to Spanish so I know a bit of it.

Russian - Several of my friends are Russian and have taught me bits and pieces of it, I'm nowhere near fluent though and am not very good grammar wise.

French - Again, nowhere near fluent, in fact I barely know any of it, but my dad wants to teach it to me this summer.

I think being multilingual is helpful in life, but is nowhere near a must.

[Atonement]

Um, technically, I speak only English truely fluently. But, I speak a lot of the Romance languages such as spanish, portuguese, italian, french... and I speak a little I repeat, little, german.

[ShatteredWings]

yaknow what's funny...i have trouble reading in english sometiems (i skim text), but in french, i read with the same dificulty...funny huh..consitering one's first language shoule be easier

[MoveAlong]

I only speak one language (English!), but I really want to learn more than 4 like German, Italian, French and Spanish

[redcar]

I think it is very important to be able to speak more than one language in this world. After all we all don't speak the same language, so why should we expect someone else to know our language. I think education systems need to focus not so much on the shite they are doing now with languages but to go down a road of making people fluent and be able to converse in everyday speak with someone.

I speak English, Irish and German.

[Antares]

HECK YES!
US STUPID AMERICANS NEED TO GET ON THE FRICKIN BALL!
Seriously, our education system is LACKING! Totally. Most Western European and Japan among others have TOTALLY better systems than we do. Also, its like we are wasting our time and money because some kids don't want to be there. It would be benficial if we gave them the type of options they give the kids in Germany and France.


Seriously americans need to not be so...heliocentric. We need to learn second languages like the other kids. If we don't start now when?

[iJack]

In my school we learn , or try to learn spanish,

[redcar]

Another thing I just remembered, you cant get into university without two languages, Irish being one of them. Of course there are exceptions but generally speaking you need Irish and another European language to meet basic requirements for entry.

[Antares]

In my school we learn , or try to learn spanish,
Is it required? Probably not.

[theOperaGhost]

I can obviously speak English fluently. I took two and a half years of Spanish and did well, but I can only read it now. Can't understand it or speak it (barely).

Being musical, I know a lot of words in German, Italian, and Latin.

I made an attemp to learn Norwegian once, but don't know how to say much.

I really want to learn Norwegian, German, and Russian.

I do think it is important to learn at least one other language. In a lot of other countries they start teaching foreign languages early. We have an exchange student from Sweden, who almost only speaks Swedish at home, but he is very fluent in English (I actually thought he spoke English at home). And for you Canadian members, correct me if'n I be wrong, but I know at least in the school close to where I live (I live only a few miles from the Canadian border, and I had a Canadian music teacher) they are required to learn French. I think a lot of colleges in America are also starting to require a foreign language in order to get admitted.

[japanman]

Well =P i dont have to take a forign langauge in highschool Wich means i will become more fluent in japanese plus my new friend ashly helps me out when i misspronounce a word.
So that makes two not fluent in one. I shuld you guys wat my dad told me to do to get into an english learning class XD lol

[Zephyr]

The problem with people not learning a foreign language, at least from being in my school system, is that it isn't required. Here they put it in the same category as Art classes, say you have to take one credit and call it good whereas we have 8 credits left open for electives.

It's ridiculous.

[japanman]

The problem with people not learning a foreign language, at least from being in my school system, is that it isn't required. Here they put it in the same category as Art classes, say you have to take one credit and call it good whereas we have 8 credits left open for electives.

It's ridiculous.
Interesting i wonder why they put it the same catagory as art. so wats the second langauge you speak.

[ShatteredWings]

Is it required? Probably not.

my public school wants me to take two years of a language..i'm gonna take four years...finish up l'francais, and take another one..probably german (i dont think they offer mandrin)

[Gavin]

hm..how hard is german?

At first i got the grasp of it all and i've continued to learn it for years and years

[Underground_Network]

In my school, you need one year of world language, but most people I know are taking at least 2. I'm going to attempt to take 4, but I may finish high school Spanish up by junior year.. which means I may take a break senior year. I think schools should put a bit more of an emphasis on taking a language, or multiple languages, all 4 years. Being at least bilingual is really important in today's society.

[ShatteredWings]

haha i finished up the hs french in my school already...i'm tranfering next year so they'll have french 2, 3, &4...i'm taking (okay, repeating french 2)


anyone mind telling me why this was moved to The white padded room?

[theOperaGhost]

I took a semester of college Spanish my junior year and got dual credit for it, but I had to pay for it. My school only offered 2 years of high school spanish which were equivalent to Spanish 101 and 102 in college and then I took Spanish 201. We don't have an on campus Spanish teacher so we take it over ITV which is a TV internet system.

[japanman]

=D i just found out im gonna takw japanese classes at the jc for two years then when im 18 ill be able to go to a japanese school for a year.

[iJack]

Is it required? Probably not.

actually yes

[mr. self destruct]

I speak both English and German fluently (anyone need a translator?), and i'm currently learning Spanish in school now. Not going very good, but i'm trying hard.

[george]

English - Can speak it fluently obviously

Chinese (Mandarin) - Can speak, write, read, and understand perfectly but I don't like doing any of them except for listening and understanding seeing as how I'd only speak it when I'm in chinese school, sometimes to my mom, and when I'm just messing around with my friend whos Taiwanese too :D

Japanese - I can speak a few bits and pieces like hello, good morning, and numbers up to 100. I went to Japan so I picked up a few things along the way and my mom teached me some .

French - I can speak, write, and read it pretty well but I cant understand it very well. I'm in French 1 right now but in about 4 months once I get to High School I'll be in French 2 :D I think I want to learn Japanese instead of French because I think for some reason that I would be really good at it :D

I think knowing just English and another language is good right there. My mom's friend's son I think can speak 18 languages and their family is filthy rich because of that. So yeah knowing more than just 1 language is really good for you in the college world and the business world where it will really matter. I personally think that the top 3 languages that you should learn are English, Chinese, and Spanish.

[Zephyr]

Interesting i wonder why they put it the same catagory as art. so wats the second langauge you speak.

Espanol!

It is wise to take at least two years of foreign language though, most if not all major universities require it.

[japanman]

I know i just learned that i can take japanese classes at the jc in highschool. but otherwise i might just learn spanish first. :)

[ShatteredWings]

So yeah knowing more than just 1 language is really good for you in the college world and the business world where it will really matter. I personally think that the top 3 languages that you should learn are English, Chinese, and Spanish.

Je ne parle espangle pas!! hehehe

[alicia]

I speak french very fluently, can read, speak and write it better than English :P

Although, I do speak English fluently as well.

Right now I'm learning Spanish at school.

[Electric Cheese]

Mein Deutsch ist güt, aber mein Englisch ist besser

As part of my german degree course (starting sept 09, gap year FTW!!) I have to spend a year in germany, so I've got to get my german skills up to par lickety-spit! I'm awesome at speaking it, im just shit at writing it.

SCHEIßE!!

[ShatteredWings]

haha i can barrly write in english

[Antares]

Mein Deutsch ist güt, aber mein Englisch ist besser

As part of my german degree course (starting sept 09, gap year FTW!!) I have to spend a year in germany, so I've got to get my german skills up to par lickety-spit! I'm awesome at speaking it, im just shit at writing it.

SCHEIßE!!

OMG! I KNOW ENOUGH GERMAN TO KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID!
YOU SAD A BAD WORD!
Yeah, I am fluent in english, speak french very well, understand german :rolleyes:, and know a VERY little jap and chinese. just the basics

[japanman]

You know some japanese =D pm me some basic words you know plz jacob gonna see how good you are!

[iJack]

You know some japanese =D pm me some basic words you know plz jacob gonna see how good you are!

he is good!

[Underground_Network]

I might follow in my brother's footsteps and take Latin when I go to college... But I'm not sure yet. I'm definitely going to keep taking Spanish, and hopefully I'll be considered "fluent" within the next 2-3 years, I'm also considering having my dad teach me French and German, and I'm a little interested in Italian and Japanese, but I may have to teach myself those, as I'm too lazy to take more than one world language class in high school [though a lot of people do do that].

[ShatteredWings]

OMG! I KNOW ENOUGH GERMAN TO KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID!
YOU SAD A BAD WORD!

do tell us les anglais transduction (translate it plz)

[Electric Cheese]

Mein Deutsch ist güt, aber mein Englisch ist besser

SCHEIßE!!

OMG! I KNOW ENOUGH GERMAN TO KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID!
YOU SAD A BAD WORD!


do tell us les anglais transduction (translate it plz)


translation? My german is good, but my english is better

SHIT

[iJack]

translation? My german is good, but my english is better

SHIT

AWWW you said a bad word!! lol, hmm, i could use this, too bad my science teacher could understand what i said...

[ShatteredWings]

AWWW you said a bad word!! lol, hmm, i could use this, too bad my science teacher could understand what i said...

i call my tennis coach an idiot, a duck, a monkey and a dog all the time...:yeah: never figured "voue es un cretain" is an insult

[iJack]

i call my tennis coach an idiot, a duck, a monkey and a dog all the time...:yeah: never figured "voue es un cretain" is an insult

a female dog?

[ShatteredWings]

a female dog?

no just a dog (Chien = dog, iether gender)

[iJack]

no just a dog (Chien = dog, iether gender)

ohh, ok

[Electric Cheese]

I have a phrase book of german insults, for example Scheißekoph, Ficken Sie (formal) Ficken dich (informal) Leck sich am Arsch and so on....

dare I translate them....?

[iJack]

I have a phrase book of german insults, for example Scheißekoph, Ficken Sie (formal) Ficken dich (informal) Leck sich am Arsch and so on....

dare I translate them....?

yes, you dare

[Electric Cheese]

okay
but with HEAVY CENSORING!!

Sh!thead, F*ck you (to a stranger, or to someone posh) F*ck you (to a friend) and the literal translation of "Leck sich am Arsch" means make an arse or something similar, but its meakt to mean "you can get f*cked"

I just think its funny that theres a polite and inpolite way fo telling someone to fuck off!

[Bryan B]

Spanish - Fluently
English - fluently (only some problem in my grammar)
French - Still Learning it

[Malcolm Tucker]

I can fluently speak English, Irish (bog lang.) and German.

I am learning Greek though :P

[ShatteredWings]

okay
but with HEAVY CENSORING!!

Sh!thead, F*ck you (to a stranger, or to someone posh) F*ck you (to a friend) and the literal translation of "Leck sich am Arsch" means make an arse or something similar, but its meakt to mean "you can get f*cked"

I just think its funny that theres a polite and inpolite way fo telling someone to fuck off!


there's a POLITE way to say fck off? lmao

[NextToNormal]

i think its important to know another language. how else are you going to survive in a country that doesnt speak your language?

i speak fluent french, btw.

[Underground_Network]

I can curse in 8 languages, does that make me fluent in all of them? [Japanese, Chinese, German, English, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and French...]

[Whisper]

I don't get how this is a debate

I speak English

In Canada French classes are mandatory
Unfortunately I feel through the cracks

I would like to try and learn it considering I'm Canadian so in order to be understood everywhere here I kind of need it....I'd like to see Quebec before we kick them out

Montreal is bilingual but the rest of Quebec not so much
Which is understandable
but
ya

I speak English
I swear in French

[Underground_Network]

^^ It started off as a debate [debating whether it was important to know multiple languages or not], but then people got bored of that and just posted what languages they're fluent in/know a little bit in/can curse in/enjoy laughing at/bacon/etc. BACON.

[ShatteredWings]

^^ It started off as a debate [debating whether it was important to know multiple languages or not], but then people got bored of that and just posted what languages they're fluent in/know a little bit in/can curse in/enjoy laughing at/bacon/etc. BACON.


what on earth does bacon have 2 do with it?

[Underground_Network]

I don't know. I've had a recent obsession over bacon. It all started back when I was 2 years old... J/k :P

Anyways, back on topic... I heard some people speaking French at a restaurant I went to this morning, and even though I've never taken any French [I have heard my dad speak it], I understood little bits and pieces of it... I'm not sure what I'm going to do this summer... I want to put all my efforts into learning ONE language... It will most likely be French or German, as my dad speaks both those languages near fluently [French fluently, German not exactly fluently, but he speaks it pretty well, he's just incredible grammar wise]

[ShatteredWings]

hahaha nobody's said they know a million languages! i really thought SOME wiseguy would try that

[Whisper]

Rudi knows four fluently
His first is French second is Greek third is English fourth is Sign and he's learning Spanish and German

and Marina a friend of my sister knows 6 er 7 (she wanted to be a translator for along time)

[Underground_Network]

Wow, Rudi knows Greek? Is that hard to learn? I've thought of trying to learn almost every language, but Greek never came to mind.

[Whisper]

They use an entirely different alphabet its smaller than ours but looks sooo much cooler

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk L l Mm Nn Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Αα Ββ Ψψ Δδ Εε Φφ Γγ Ηη Ιι Ξξ Κκ Λλ Μμ Νν Οο Ππ (I dunno if theres a Q) Ρρ Σσ Ττ (They don't have a U) Ωω ΅ς Χχ Υυ Ζζ

EDIT
it got messed up
spaces didnt work
sorry

[ShatteredWings]

They use an entirely different alphabet its smaller than ours but looks sooo much cooler

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk L l Mm Nn Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Αα Ββ Ψψ Δδ Εε Φφ Γγ Ηη Ιι Ξξ Κκ Λλ Μμ Νν Οο Ππ (I dunno if theres a Q) Ρρ Σσ Ττ (They don't have a U) Ωω ΅ς Χχ Υυ Ζζ




wow that's a strange alphabet...

but doesn't russian have a totally different alphabet too?

[Dante]

I think it is important that the United Staes place a bigger emphasis on foreign language. I am jealous when I hear that people younger than me in countries like norway and such, can speak like 4/5 languages...they drill it into them at such a young age..and I think that is so important...

here yea you can take foreign language, but in reality they do not enforce it like they should.

[Whisper]

wow that's a strange alphabet...

but doesn't russian have a totally different alphabet too?

Yes but I haven't bothered to teach my comp Russian...

[Mzor203]

They use an entirely different alphabet its smaller than ours but looks sooo much cooler

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk L l Mm Nn Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Αα Ββ Ψψ Δδ Εε Φφ Γγ Ηη Ιι Ξξ Κκ Λλ Μμ Νν Οο Ππ (I dunno if theres a Q) Ρρ Σσ Ττ (They don't have a U) Ωω ΅ς Χχ Υυ Ζζ



Lol, it does look cooler. I've been attempting on and off over the last couple of years to learn ancient Greek, but It never seems to work. Oh well. It's a pretty cool language though.

[emecrazy]

I think its a good idea to learn another language especially if ur going to travle
i used to work at McDonalds and there were alot of ppl that didnt understand english
so most of them spoke spanish.. iv taken 3 years of spanish and it helped out quite a bit

[MoveAlong]

Rudi knows four fluently
His first is French second is Greek third is English fourth is Sign and he's learning Spanish and German

wow knowing sign would be awesome

[ShatteredWings]

lol. signlanguage would be cool, but that'ed be something i coudln't do...haha


from the girl who wants to learn chinese....

[Camazotz]

I speak Engilsh and a little Spanish. I want to learn Tagalog, but I doubt Id ever even speak it. I dont think its important to learn more than 2 languages. When in life are you actually going to NEED to speak another couple languages? I think all youre ever going to use is your country's most spoken language and its second most spoken language.