Knowing more than one language

[Dextroden]

So, to put it simply, I am currently trying to relearn Spanish with the help of [Redacted]. (I don't want to get in trouble for advertising. If it isn't a problem, I'll reveal the name of the free app later.)

It started with onevof the security guards at my work surprising me with a fair range of Spanish and decent bits of Portuguese and German. I mentioned that story to a friend, who then mentioned who was using an app to learn Italian.

Longwinded story over. The point of this thread is to ask:

Do you know more than one language?
How/when did you learn it/them?
Is it something common for your area or something for a personal reason? (I'm thinking of trying Filipino in the future, as a fair amount of my neighbors speak it.)

[FatLer]

Speaking fluently 3, can understand around 3-4 more.

School, general curiosity, games, interesting people were the source. Languages are cool to learn about world and people as a way to grasp their knowledge.

[Cyberowl]

So, to put it simply, I am currently trying to relearn Spanish with the help of [Redacted]. (I don't want to get in trouble for advertising. If it isn't a problem, I'll reveal the name of the free app later.)

It started with onevof the security guards at my work surprising me with a fair range of Spanish and decent bits of Portuguese and German. I mentioned that story to a friend, who then mentioned who was using an app to learn Italian.

Longwinded story over. The point of this thread is to ask:

Do you know more than one language?
How/when did you learn it/them?
Is it something common for your area or something for a personal reason? (I'm thinking of trying Filipino in the future, as a fair amount of my neighbors speak it.)

My parents are from Poland, I live in Germany. That's 2 languages. I learned English and Latin in school, so that's 4. I want to learn some Asian tongue or Spanish if the opportunity rises.

Polish and German came naturally, English was an easy "grind", considering how I had it from 5th grade until I finished school. A lot of media and the internet being English helped a lot. Latin was kinda meh, but I have a general grasp of many foreign words now, since Latin is in so many languages.

[Zantos]

I don't know any but would love to learn Japanese. I mostly pick up words from anime I watch. Sad thing is, I am unsure as to how I will keep a mastery of it beyond importing all my games. As for if another language is common in my area, Spanish is.

PS. If that app is really good for learning a new language, could you private message it to me?

[Revi]

I know Norwegian and English fully, can write Danish, and can read very simple German. And ofc I understand Danish and Swedish spoken/written simply because they're so similar to Norwegian.

English comes a bit from school, and mostly from just using it and being exposed to it (games, media, talking to english-speaking people on the internet). The written part of Danish comes from having family there and reading books in Danish. German comes from school but have deteriorated drastically since then, because I don't use it.

I'm guessing you're from the US. The the way you think of a second language is how non-english speakers think of a third language, so we're lucky in that respect.

I wish I knew more language well tbh, want to improve my German at some point. I think it's a great idea, just be prepared to spend a lot of time on it, and use spanish speaking friends/coworkers to practice once you get that far.

[Deleted]

No point really - English language is the most common learnt/taught around the world. I know English/Polish/Russian/French, but I still use English, even in france xd.

[Fencers]

Do you know more than one language?

Yes. English (native), Spanish, French and some German.

How/when did you learn it/them?

Spanish I just picked up from working in a professional kitchen, growing up around a lot of Spanish speakers and my husband speaks Spanish fluently (he is Spanish). French I learned in High School (I'm sure actual French speakers would find my pronunciation awful) and German I learned a bit in school but I can only say basic things. I know some basic words in Chinese too.

I know some Yiddish words. But I am not a good Jew. LOL

Is it something common for your area or something for a personal reason?

Spanish is common in my neighborhood, past work environment and household. Yiddish was occasionally spoken around the house when I was a kid. The rest was personal curiosity.

[haxartus]

Pretty much everyone in Europe but the most uneducated speaks at least 1 extra language, a lot of people speak 2 extra languages. It's just the environment that requires it. Most business is done in English yet most people are not in an English speaking country, and on top of that you have companies from one country opening offices in another, and if you happen to know their local language you have a bonus points in the interview. Most people end up with 3 languages, their main language and 2 extra ones they had to learn through school, often English and German or something like this.
Schools in a lot of places start teaching English in the 1st grade and a second language in the 7th grade or something like this, along with the country's main language, of course.

[Dextroden]

I know Norwegian and English fully, can write Danish, and can read very simple German. And ofc I understand Danish and Swedish spoken/written simply because they're so similar to Norwegian.

English comes a bit from school, and mostly from just using it and being exposed to it (games, media, talking to english-speaking people on the internet). The written part of Danish comes from having family there and reading books in Danish. German comes from school but have deteriorated drastically since then, because I don't use it.

I'm guessing you're from the US. The the way you think of a second language is how non-english speakers think of a third language, so we're lucky in that respect.

I wish I knew more language well tbh, want to improve my German at some point. I think it's a great idea, just be prepared to spend a lot of time on it, and use spanish speaking friends/coworkers to practice once you get that far.

Yeah. Me and that Security Guard had a discussion like that last night. The heavy amount of pot melting over here means we should all know two languages. (Really three, but hey, baby steps. Gotta get past "Live in America? Learn English!" First.)

[JohnBrown1917]

Dutch, and English is a extremely common 2nd language(on average, people speak 2.5 languages here). I can also understand German, and a tiny bit of Japanese. I would love to be-able to read Japanese, but it looks rather hard for somebody as dyslexic as me.

[GennGreymane]

Harder to lean a Language in the U.S as u will almost never really need it unless u travel and if u gain a skill in a foreign language u never use, it fades which is why I do not remember Mandarin very well.

But I know English and ASL (American sign language) English primary and ASL near fluent

some Spanish to only really understand it when spoken to me rather than speak it well.

I also learned some Mandarin, but when I came back to the U.S I never used it so it faded.

[Deleted]

Do you know more than one language?
How/when did you learn it/them?
Is it something common for your area or something for a personal reason? (I'm thinking of trying Filipino in the future, as a fair amount of my neighbors speak it.)

Everyone from Sweden knows English, the younger generations about as good as those who speak it natively. On top of that we get to choose between German/Spanish/French in school to learn for 3-4 years (depending on the school), after that one can choose to continue to learn it if one so desires.

I was learning German for four years, absolutely hated it, since I didn't care for the language at all I learned very very little, and to this day only know a couple of words and phrases.

I do however have an immensely large interest in Japan, its language as well as culture, as such I am currently studying Japanese, hoping to one day be able to speak it fluently.

I have no real interest in any other language, I even care little for Swedish since our population is only of around 9.5 million and we already speak English well enough. English is the language to me, it is the language used between most people whenever they need to converse and neither knows the others language. It may have its faults and inconsistencies at times, but so does every language that has been around for a long time.

[Mihalik]

Native level 3 languages.

Fluent 2 more.

Lower intermediate (but really out of practice spoken, tho understand it fairly well) 1 more.

[belfpala]

English is my only fluent language. However my profession pretty much requires some proficiency in Spanish. Mostly insults.

Oh, and some French. Mostly food-related words.

[AeneasBK]

I learned English and Latin in school, so that's 4.

You really counting Latin as one of your known languages?

[Asetotti]

So, to put it simply, I am currently trying to relearn Spanish with the help of [Redacted]. (I don't want to get in trouble for advertising. If it isn't a problem, I'll reveal the name of the free app later.)

It started with onevof the security guards at my work surprising me with a fair range of Spanish and decent bits of Portuguese and German. I mentioned that story to a friend, who then mentioned who was using an app to learn Italian.

Longwinded story over. The point of this thread is to ask:

Do you know more than one language?
How/when did you learn it/them?
Is it something common for your area or something for a personal reason? (I'm thinking of trying Filipino in the future, as a fair amount of my neighbors speak it.)

I'm fluent in English and Finnish. I have studied Swedish for a good 7 years or so but I'm really rusty and lazy with my studies. I also know tiny bits of German and I've been studying some Japanese.

Both Swedish/Finnish and English are mandatory here. It's not too uncommon for someone to study a fourth language either.

[Deleted]

let's see...

- Finnish, native language.
- Swedish, 2nd native language.
- English, kinda like 3rd native language, since dad is Ozzie.

- Portuguese/Spanish, i spent a year in South America, so i learned those pretty well.
- German, i can read it a bit.

- Korean, just because mine soon to be wife is South Korean ^^
thank god she is language teacher so things are quite a bit easier

[Dextroden]

I keep forgetting just how diverse this board gets. Nothing like a language thread to remind you there are people across the sea going "Do you even linguist?" in three languages.

I also used to know tourist Italian for the Summer I spent in Sigonella visiting family. Got to see Rome, visited Etna Park and learned true sorrow as I experienced Blood Orange Juice and knew I would never taste such purity again.

But yeah. Lost everything but Thank You, You're Welcome and Excuse Me.

Edit: I'm throwing caution to the wind. The app is Duolingo. If this isn't allowed, I'll edit this out.

[Evolixe]

I grew up with English besides Dutch, like 80% of the Dutch population is perfectly capable of having a decent conversation with an English speaking person.

It's kind of become a second native to me.

However English and Dutch are the only 2 languages I dare say I know well.
I can understand German at a basic level, but it's nothing impressive.

[Vea Lea]

i can speak some languages

southwest tai languages
english(read and write ok but talking worse)
chinese(talk is ok but not read or write)