What languages do you speak?

[Greg]

Very little Spanish, I can usually pick a word or two out of a conversation and understand what's being said, but don't expect a detailed reply in Spanish. I wish I were a better Spanish speaker. My wife says she's not fluent, but she does quite well... her Dad was a HS Spanish teacher in SoCal before he retired.

Learned to count in Hawaiian when I was little and remember some words, but that's what you get for growing up in Hawaii. 😁

I've worked with several Navajo and one Native Foreman I was around often was teaching me their language. I had quite a bit written down, but misplaced my book awhile ago. The way they pronounce words blows my mind, it's like nothing else I can relate it to.

 

[RockChucker]

I know enough English to get by…you know…the important phrases like, ”where’s the bathroom?” Or “cheeseburger no pickles.”

 

[4x4_Welder]

I grew up with english and french, learned German in high school, and picked up some spanish in Phoenix, enough to know when people are talking crap about me. Of all those, I have managed to retain some English. I am also fluent in AvE, and the universal language of convincing parts with a large hammer.

 

[Houndoc]

My Spanish is pretty rough. Takes a day or two on vacation for it to come back enough to chat.

I spoke a little German, once upon a time. I wasn't fluent, and it's mostly gone now.



This explains so much...

Dutch, but since I have little to no practice its rusty.

I was surprised, and excited, when I returned to Korea in 2019 (hadn't been there since 1990 or used Korean regularly since about 1996) to find that the language actually returned fairly easily. Key was being immersed in the language I assume. A trip highlight for was a Korean friend telling us that my Korean pronunciation was better than my son's (who had finished his mission less than a year before), although son's overall language skills do far out pace mine at this point.

Back in my early 20s, I was fluent in American Sign Language and Italian. Both of those have slipped somewhat due to little usage in recent years, though.

What was really wild (to me, anyway) was when I would dream in ASL or Italian.

Dreaming in another language is cool. I was also excited when I got to the point that I could carry on a three way conversation, using English with one person, Korean with the other, smoothly.

 

[Kevin B.]

I've worked with several Navajo and one Native Foreman I was around often was teaching me their language. I had quite a bit written down, but misplaced my book awhile ago. The way they pronounce words blows my mind, it's like nothing else I can relate it to.

There's a reason the Code Talkers were so effective. Navajo is a crazy complex language.

 

[TurboMinivan]

aren't those the same ?

That's the old joke. How do you render an Italian person mute? Tie their hands behind their back.

(As with all the best jokes, this one is heavily based in reality.)

 

[comingdown]

German, and lots of Spanish but not fluent. I wish those skills were reversed though as it would prove much more useful her in Merica.