Any language nerms here?

[AnimalNerd98]

What are some other languages (besides English) that you nerms speak/are learning/would like to learn?

I speak French, Hmong, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I am currently learning ASL, Japanese, and Korean. I would really love to learn Spanish, Swahili, and Russian in the future. 

[Flumpweesel]

I tried to learn Hungarian during lock down, but with limited success it's a very unfamiliar language nothing like the Latin or Germanic languages (from my high school learning). I wish I had focused more on language in my school days. 

Sign language, Polish, Urdu and Gujarati would also be in my wish list.

[FishPlanet]

Cool! I speak a little bit of swiss German and high German. I am going to learn more of it this winter. Also, I am learning ASL (American sign language). 

This is one phrase: Hallo. Sprechen sie deutsch?

Edited December 8, 2021 by FishPlanet

[Tanked]

I tried learning German, as half of my family tree seems to be rooted there. I got to the point where I could probably converse with the average 2 year old.  My teacher had a Flemish/French accent so it was an uphill battle.

[sudofish]

Morse code lol. J/K and I forget most of it. I've always wanted to learn another language though. I'm a big online PC gamer so something like Chinese or Russian would probably be the most helpful.

[JettsPapa]

I'm afraid English is the only one I speak, though I know a few German words.  My parents both grew up speaking German, but it was completely different dialects, so they didn't use it much when I was growing up.

Living my whole life in southeast Texas I of course know some Spanish, but not enough to carry on a conversation.

[Taco Playz]

I know a little bit of Spanish but it's because I was forced too when I was younger. 😆

[Silvia]

Italian is my first language. Thank news born in Italy and moved in the USA when I was 23.

[Andy's Fish Den]

Sadly, two years of high school Spanish and all I can remember is how to count to 10. 

[PineSong]

I'm the worst stereotype of an American, even though I grew up with a trilingual parent and did spend time with family who spoke those languages to each other, I speak only English. I took German in college and learned how to say "The bell was very large", "My leg hurts", and in a pinch, "I don't know. Please ask Scott". 

Really a disgrace and I regret it.

 

 

[Flumpweesel]

On 11/30/2021 at 11:20 PM, PineSong said:

"I don't know. Please ask Scott"

Thats great one of my friends only answer in their French exam was "please can you repeat that in English" 

[SWilson]

On 11/19/2021 at 11:41 PM, AnimalNerd98 said:

What are some other languages (besides English) that you nerms speak/are learning/would like to learn?

I speak French, Hmong, Mandarin, and Cantonese. I am currently learning ASL, Japanese, and Korean. I would really love to learn Spanish, Swahili, and Russian in the future. 

I'm learning (well, re-learning) Cantonese!  I was born in Hong Kong but lost it after moving away when I was young, and was a dumb kid wanting to assimilate to American culture so I refused to speak it with my mom.  Such a shame.  I'm taking lessons now, it's slow going but coming back.  "Sik tang mm sik gong" is my main Cantonese phrase. lol

So amazing to be a polyglot! Good on you! 

[Streetwise]

Growing up in Vermont, I studied French from an early age. Montréal is the nearest large city. I am better at reading than listening. Quebéc City has time capsule French.

[AnimalNerd98]

On 12/3/2021 at 4:41 PM, Streetwise said:

Growing up in Vermont, I studied French from an early age. Montréal is the nearest large city. I am better at reading than listening. Quebéc City has time capsule French.

Je n’ai jamais su que les personnes de l’état Vermont étudier le français. Je viens de l’Ontario, donc j’ai étudié le français dans l’école élémentaire jusqu’au lycée.

[AnimalNerd98]

On 12/3/2021 at 4:18 PM, SWilson said:

I'm learning (well, re-learning) Cantonese!  I was born in Hong Kong but lost it after moving away when I was young, and was a dumb kid wanting to assimilate to American culture so I refused to speak it with my mom.  Such a shame.  I'm taking lessons now, it's slow going but coming back.  "Sik tang mm sik gong" is my main Cantonese phrase. lol

So amazing to be a polyglot! Good on you! 

Haha, hey, there is no shame! I feel like if you’re not actively learning and speaking the language every day, it is really hard to keep up! My relatives still say I have a “zuk sing” accent. Even my sister who has lived and worked in HK now for a couple years still has people that call her “gwai mui.” Hopefully everything goes well with your lessons, ga yau 👍🏻

[Tanked]

My first trip abroad was to Austria.  My first lesson learned was: Just because they won't speak English, doesn't mean they can't.        I know enough travel German to prevent starvation, getting on the wrong train or using the wrong WC.  It did not help when repeatedly trying to tell the Austrian hotel staff that the bathroom drains in my room were clogged.  3 days later I came down to breakfast only to find the dining room closed because of water pouring out of multiple holes the ceiling.  Ah schadenfreude!

@sudofish  I had forgotten about  Morse.  Had to choose between Morse Code and Semaphore as Boy Scout.  Morse was the better choice.  I still have ...---...  rattling around in my head with a few other letters.

 

[sudofish]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:15 AM, Tanked said:

My first trip abroad was to Austria.  My first lesson learned was: Just because they won't speak English, doesn't mean they can't.        I know enough travel German to prevent starvation, getting on the wrong train or using the wrong WC.  It did not help when repeatedly trying to tell the Austrian hotel staff that the bathroom drains in my room were clogged.  3 days later I came down to breakfast only to find the dining room closed because of water pouring out of multiple holes the ceiling.  Ah schadenfreude!

@sudofish  I had forgotten about  Morse.  Had to choose between Morse Code and Semaphore as Boy Scout.  Morse was the better choice.  I still have ...---...  rattling around in my head with a few other letters.

 

I learned morse code and typing at the same time in the military. I'll just say a room full of guys in camo typing with a stern faced drill sergeant pacing about is a very weird experience lol. But I can type close to 100 word per minute so it worked.

[lindabee53]

My first language was French, French Canadian dialect, but I haven't used it since high school.  My dad was in the Navy and we moved around a lot and always had instruction in whatever language was local.  Besides that, my dad was a linguist, so I was exposed to a lot and even learned some.  I took German in high school and Russian in college, and lived in Russia for a while, but I've forgotten most of what I knew.  I'm getting older and don't have occasion to use anything but English and Spanish, which I've picked up a bit of along the way - hey, you live in Texas, you can't help but learn some.

[Tanked]

On 12/8/2021 at 11:31 AM, sudofish said:

I'll just say a room full of guys in camo typing with a stern faced drill sergeant pacing about is a very weird experience lol.

You just described both my code teacher (military communications), and my HS typing teacher (never smiled).  Considering the way technology went, I should have put more effort into my typing.  Thanks for the memories!  

[Torrey]

On 11/20/2021 at 1:28 AM, Flumpweesel said:

I tried to learn Hungarian during lock down, but with limited success it's a very unfamiliar language nothing like the Latin or Germanic languages (from my high school learning). I wish I had focused more on language in my school days. 

Sign language, Polish, Urdu and Gujarati would also be in my wish list.

Before my stroke in February, I was not fluent in other languages (you really do lose it if you don't use it) if I tried to translate....

But if I was immersed in any of the languages for a few weeks, I was able to remember how to think in the languages I have studied. I'm not a great translator, because I literally *think* in whatever language I am living in. 

My mum taught me French and my dad spoke decent Spanish, so my parents made sure I would never starve or be rude (learned please and thank you and proper sentence structure and conjugation to get the majority of my needs met) in any French, Spanish, or English speaking countries. 

In high school I learned Mandarin Chinese and tested out of Spanish and French. 

Due to the Vietnam war happening, and NC serving as a refugee support hub for the war, I went to school with a decent number of Hmong refugees, and I learned enough Hmong to be polite to the aunties and the grandmothers. 

Growing up in NC, I also learned Tsalagi. 

I left the states by the time I was 21, and learned several different variations of Spanish, as Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala have very different dialects. 

Portuguese in Brazil is very different than Portuguese in Portugal. 

Once I returned to the states, I learned Dinétah, and I started learning Russian in 2012.

I learned enough German to not pee on the sidewalk and to not starve.

Back in February and March, I got to relearn english😅

If I think about it too hard, I can't remember any of the other languages... but if I am half asleep and my spouse speaks to me in Spanish, I have zero problems carrying on the conversation. I just can't think about it too hard. 

I'm hoping to be able to travel again, and immerse myself to see if languages start coming back. Practicing with a computer app simply isn't doing the trick. 

@Flumpweesel, I have zero idea why my post "replied" to yours.

Either I have fat fingers, or my phone is possessed. 🤔

[lefty o]

took german in high school, cant speak it, but if a german speaks very slowly i can pick out words i know. picked up the needed words in countries ive been to in the pacific, but remember very few.  i speak crusty sailor pretty well , even though its been a lot of years!🤪

[Flumpweesel]

@Torrey nice to be included! 

But what an amazing collection of language and cultures you where exposed to. 

Strokes are cruel, my stepdad has had 4 since last Christmas and the frustration of having to think so hard about conversation is evident.  It has been explained to us like everything is still in there but the brain has forgotten where it put it. Like an internal hunt for the car keys. 

I had few bilingual friends growing up who where hilarious when drunk and suffered language slip (a more social version of your half asleep).

 

[eatyourpeas]

I grew up speaking Italian as first language, then Spanish.

My dad and his sister only spoke French to each other, our dialect was closer to French than Italian, so it was not hard to pick it up. I did take it in university because I love the morose attitude of my french friends, Camus and french food.

I used to know enough Turkish to get by when I was traveling there.

Now I am trying to learn Russian, Japanese and German so I can figure out what my daughter is saying when she speaks to her friends.

I love Brazilian Portuguese, and think it is the sexiest language I have heard spoken.

Can't translate, though. My brain just switches as needed.

[Torrey]

On 12/17/2021 at 4:11 AM, Flumpweesel said:

Strokes are cruel, my stepdad has had 4 since last Christmas and the frustration of having to think so hard about conversation is evident.  It has been explained to us like everything is still in there but the brain has forgotten where it put it. Like an internal hunt for the car keys. 

I am incredibly lucky, because I don't appear (according to all the brain imaging) to have any "permanent" damage. I am also lucky because my spouse and I met when we chose to go back to school, and ended up in a few classes together. One was "Learning & Memory"

After the stroke, I spent 15 to 20 minutes, 2 to 3x a day, crawling on my hands and knees on the floor. That cross lateral activity is not just for babies' locomotion. It's an important part of creating neural pathways, and is a key part of stroke recovery at cutting edge neurological centers. 

Swimming and hydrotherapy are also beneficial, if available. 

Of course, preventing future strokes is also helpful, so my doc has me on massive amounts of fish oil supplements... which increased my 'good' cholesterol and offers beneficial protection from strokes.

I do worry about our health care system going forward. My doctor believes my stroke was a side effect of post covid syndrome. With over half of the people who had covid developing post covid (aka long haul) syndrome, that's very disconcerting to consider...

I truly hope that your stepdad can make a full recovery. It's frustrating to feel trapped in a body that no longer responds as expected. 

[eatyourpeas]

I'd like to think about it as "discovery" as opposed to "recovery", but there are days when it is hard to look at it that way.