If you could learn one language ...

[TVC]

I'm just back from France. Other than a quick day trip to see the last stage of the tour a couple of years ago it's the only time I've been. I haven't even attempted to speak French since I did my O level in 1984 (and Failed), but I was amazed how much I was able to remember, and by the end I was having proper, if lightweight conversations with the locals.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I studied Putonghua (Mandarin) and Ancient Chinese at university, but I need to brush up my characters. It helps with the Japanese though (at leas the reading - it's no use with spoken Japanese or grammar).

I'd quite like to relearn Norwegian (grew up with it until 7 then forgot it). I'd like to improve my Portuguese for next time I go to Brazil for research. And Sanscrit. I bought myself a Sanscrit grammar and dictionary intending to teach myself but have never had the time.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Gaelic 'cos I love the Hebrides and would like to understand more of the culture.

 

[Haitch]

I feel your pain, Alan.

Þakka þú, Mort.

 

[chap]

Well, if it is in addition to English then Latin, failing that I could always stand to perfect my French - although a lot quicker with Latin.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I keep thinking I might like to learn another language. The problem is there are so many. Which would I choose? I used to learn French and German at night school and eventually took two A/S levels. I think I preferred German, but French is more widespread. Spanish is more widespread still, but I don't like the way it sounds. I studied Italian for a while at night school too. It's not a bad language. I studied Latin at school, but hated it and was rubbish at it. Now I'm thinking I might like to study it again with the OU perhaps, but I haven't got time.

 

[vernon]

Probably quite quick, if you were immersed in it. I have friends who've emigrated and they've picked it up well - but then they have been making the effort to do so.

Decent French would be a priority for me - I reckon I could get by on tour if I had to, with a dictionary. But other places I'd consider living include Scandinavia (esp Denmark) or Holland, so those would be useful too...

Arch, you might be surprised at how much you've retained from school. I've been to France several times as a motorcycle tourist and quickly sorted the transactional French - ordering food, drink, petrol and campsite pitches though I did have the luxury of having English travelling companions.

I took the decision to abandon English when I did my Channel to the Med ride and had a magical moment in mid France when asking for directions from a french man when jockying for position in the comprehension stakes he asked my to stick to French because it was better than his English. A week into the ride and was able to sustain conversations and a week after the ride I found myself dreaming in French.

I took a Lonely Planets guide with me only because it had a dictionary of bike parts in it. It proves useful when I has to purchase a wheel and I could stipulate that I wanted thirty six spokes in it as well as asking for the cassette to be moved onto the new wheel and ordered rim tape as well.

Last year's tour in France advance my vocabulary and understanding of the language and I'm looking forwards to being their again this year.

As for the next language - German or Greek. German would be easier as my wife teaches it for a living and my daughter is proficient in it. I am taken by the sounds of spoken Greek and I can read the text phonetically without understanding what it means unless the phonetics match ouzo, keema, whisky, lemonade and Karelia Filtro

 

[Crankarm]

There's so many languages spoken around here I think I'll stick to English as everyone more or less speaks it. We Brits are crap at languages anyway. If people from other countries don't understand just repeat what you said a little more slowly with slighly more volume .

Wouldn't mind learning Geordie. When I was 14 an English teacher read his leaving speech to the whole school in his native Geordie tongue. It was very entertaining. Didn't have the foggiest what he was on about, but it sounded good and got many laughs from fellow Geordies and those in the know.

 

[vernon]

There's so many languages spoken around here I think I'll stick to English as everyone more or less speaks it. We Brits are crap at languages anyway. If people from other countries don't understand just repeat what you said a little more slowly with slighly more volume .

Wouldn't mind learning Geordie. When I was 14 an English teacher read his leaving speech to the whole school in his native Geordie tongue. It was very entertaining. Didn't have the foggiest what he was on about, but it sounded good and got many laughs from fellow Geordies and those in the know.

Dialects can be wondrous things. My childhood English had a vocabulary populated with romany, viking and gaelic words. On arriving in Leeds in the mid seventies, I was accused of being a Geordie but although capable of speaking it fluently my vocab sub-set set me apart.

The Iona and Peter Opie book: 'The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren' is a fascinating read from an era (1959) when spoken English was less homogenised than it is now.

 

[chap]

I keep thinking I might like to learn another language. The problem is there are so many. Which would I choose? I used to learn French and German at night school and eventually took two A/S levels. I think I preferred German, but French is more widespread. Spanish is more widespread still, but I don't like the way it sounds. I studied Italian for a while at night school too. It's not a bad language. I studied Latin at school, but hated it and was rubbish at it. Now I'm thinking I might like to study it again with the OU perhaps, but I haven't got time.

You don't like the sound of Spanish, me neither - too raspy. Although it's a bitter-sweet victory that shall be replaced in 2012 when the official language of Spain will be Estuary-Geordie*.





* I was about to deem it Estuary-Geordie Spanglish, but lets face it, those that relocate there seldom wish to integrate and learn the language or customs of the place, so English it will remain.

 

[Fnaar]

Apart from my English (which is pretty good ) I can speak Spanish (very well), easily get by in French, Italian and Portuguese, can manage in Catalan and Gallego, and can understand German to a point. But I'm boasting. For me, a good sign is being able to make an innuendo-based joke in another language. Then I feel I've "arrived"

 

[XmisterIS]

My hat is off to anyone who can learn more than one foreign language without getting confused!

I can speak a little French, but since I've picked up my German again, whenever I try to speak French I inevitably wander over in to German!

For example, I went into a shop in Paris last year when I was visiting my Uncle who has a little time-share flat out there and said something like, "Excuse moi, s'il vous plait, je moechte ein paar Brotchen, bitte! Danke shoen." That was met with a particularly astonished expression from the girl behind the counter!

If I lapse into German then I'm done for, the rest of the sentence comes out in German!

EDIT: Yes, it was a Baeckerei!

 

[Keith Oates]

I have some Mandarin but would like to be much more fluent. I also have a little knowledge of Korean but really only words relating to directions and ordering food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[montage]

Arabic - the job opportunities are endless..... also MI5/6 are desperate for arabic speakers...along with a few others

 

[Auntie Helen]

My hat is off to anyone who can learn more than one foreign language without getting confused!

I can speak a little French, but since I've picked up my German again, whenever I try to speak French I inevitably wander over in to German!

For example, I went into a shop in Paris last year when I was visiting my Uncle who has a little time-share flat out there and said something like, "Excuse moi, s'il vous plait, je moechte ein paar Brotchen, bitte! Danke shoen." That was met with a particularly astonished expression from the girl behind the counter!

If I lapse into German then I'm done for, the rest of the sentence comes out in German!

EDIT: Yes, it was a Baeckerei!

It's a 'schoen' too