cathmom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Advanced in German and Spanish, novice in French, slowly trying to pick up some Swedish to get to a conversational level. Obviously superior in English since it's my native language. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) Novice: ASL, Cherokee, Spanish, and Latin...with a brief intro's to German and Italian. I can also recognise some French (written), but not speak it. As a child, we were taught Chamarro (mix of Chamarro, Spanish, and English) when attending the DOD school in Guam. In my early childhood, I was able to speak some Geechee, but lost that ability after age 5 or 6 due to military moves and my being banned from speaking it further (my stepdad had issues). Yes, the children are learning as well: ASL, Cherokee, Latin...and soon they will be working on Spanish again as we've moved into a heavily populated Hispanic area. Edited May 15, 2009 by mommaduck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Novice: ASL, Cherokee, Spanish, and Latin...with a brief intro's to German and Italian. I can also recognise some French (written), but not speak it. As a child, we were taught Chamarro when attending the DOD school in Guam. Yes, the children are learning as well. Are you Cherokee or are you just fond of this language/culture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) Are you Cherokee or are you just fond of this language/culture? My husband and I are both part Cherokee. It's a side that we can strongly relate to. Our goal is to be fluent in ASL and Cherokee with Spanish running a close up...my husband already understands Spanish and can speak some as he spent a lot of time as a kid with his best friend's family (from Spain) and only Spanish was permitted in their home. Edited May 15, 2009 by mommaduck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I'm bilingual and "superior" in Afrikaans and English. These are 2 of the 11 official languages of South Africa. Afrikaans was my first language and I was immersed in English from age 4 (pre-school). Intermediate in Dutch. I can read and understand everything, am understood when I speak, but I have a really hard time writing it - especially with the grammar. Novice in German. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I speak French and English fluently. French is my native language. I started taking English as an 8th grader in France, spent my Junior year of college abroad in Saint-Louis and 2 years later moved to the US with my husband. We have been living here for almost 12 years now. I have a novice level in German at this point, which is pretty sad since I took German from 6th grade till the end of high school and used to be able to handle a day to day conversation pretty easily. I think if you were to drop me off in the middle of Germany it would come back eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I was going to post that I used to be advanced in Cuban. :D I grew up in S. FL. and learned to speak it that way, but I cannot read or write much. *I* thought I was speaking Spanish all along until I went to Chile and was informed that what I was speaking was NOT Spanish! :lol: LOL I can't imagine a Chileno's face the first time you ask him where you can catch the "gua gua". lol Ay, you should watch this video. I think you'll get a kick out of it. I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpoYG-e_g2U Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Russian -- intermediate Spanish -- intermediate/advanced Modern Greek -- advanced toddler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 http://www.polandbymail.com/get_item_bk2554_say-it-the-polish-way-book-cd.htm goes with http://www.oneness.vu.lt/ I just found it few days ago http://www.polishgrammar.com/ http://www.polonia.com/HURRA-PO-POLSKU-1-STUDENTS-WORKBOOK-P11859.aspx I have a friend in Poland who teaches Polish to foreigners and she told me about this series being developed http://www.hurra.edu.pl/ http://polish.slavic.pitt.edu/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/polish/soap/ http://www.polish-translators.com/grammar.html http://grzegorj.w.interia.pl/kurs/ http://cierniak.eu/learnpolish/PolishFlashCards.pdf http://www.byki.com/fls/free-polish-software-download.html?l=polish Fainie!! Dziekuje bardzo! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Modern Greek -- advanced toddler :lol::lol: That's how I feel with some of my languages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I used to speak Japanese fairly well - never as well as Jean. I am rusty now but can still get along. If your goal is to speak Japanese on a level that you can understand most conversations and make yourself understood in most situations, I think Japanese is a pretty easy language. It's hard to achieve reading and writing fluency, and it's hard to master the subtleties. It's hard to be really socially just right. But as someone who could never cope with French because of the accent, I must say Japanese was a great relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Russian and Chinese were deemed the hardest to learn but Japanese was right up there. Of course, I can't find the link right now but the research referred to the amount of time it took a native speaker to become literate. In my experience, Japanese was easy to start - it took no time to be functional at a very basic level. However, it's apparently very, very difficult to become fluent. I never got close to that. I do recall reading about a 19th century missionary who said that Japanese was invented by the devil to prevent missionaries from teaching them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Superior in English. Advanced in "Cat." (I can read those ear twitches like a pro....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I do recall reading about a 19th century missionary who said that Japanese was invented by the devil to prevent missionaries from teaching them. LOL That's funny. Ironically that's how I feel about Polish sometimes. It's so difficult to get to even a very rudimentary working level in the language (for me anyway :D)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 LOL That's funny. Ironically that's how I feel about Polish sometimes. It's so difficult to get to even a very rudimentary working level in the language (for me anyway :D)! We so appreciate when people are trying to learn our language!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Superior in English. Advanced in "Cat." (I can read those ear twitches like a pro....) :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 How did you learn Mandarin? Then ended up spending most of 23 years in and out of Asia. I didn't spend all that time speaking Mandarin, but lived and worked in the language for quite a period of time on top of two years of intensive study. We only moved back to Scotland from China last year. You can see my old blog here. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Yep... 1982-1986. 8th and 9th grades at Hovedgarden Ungdomskole, 10th grade at the Oslo American School. There used to be one other OAS alum on this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 German at Superior Level when I am concentrating. It is my native language but after having spent twenty plus years in the U.S, I am sometimes more "superior" in English. French at an Intermediate Level at best ;) My DS was not interested in learning any languages but ended up studying German for his college requirement. I am sure he chose it because he knew he could get some help at home. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 2- Eng and Span. But have studied Russian, German, Japanese and Aramaic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooh bear Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Bore da, Pooh Bear! I'm learning Welsh on a BBC website. I've finished level 1, and can greet people and introduce myself. But that's it. How do you ask for a cup of tea in Welsh? Dach chi isio panad? My family is from North Wales, which pronounces Welsh differently than South Wales. I wish I could have grown up in Wales. All my cousins learned Welsh from the moment they started school. Most of their elementary school lessons where completely done in Welsh. None of the grown ups in the family can speak Welsh except for my great Nain May I ask why you are learning Welsh? It's not a language a lot of people would pick. The 'dd' and 'f' trip a lot of people up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Novice - Uzbek and German (took classes in school) Intermediate - Hebrew ( It used to be advanced, but I'm not using it enough now. Learned when I lived in Israel). Advanced - English. Superior - Russian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 How about.........I know enough Spanish and French to get into trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 How about.........I know enough Spanish and French to get into trouble. :lol: Goodness! And I bet you have stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof165 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Superior in English and German Advanced in Latin Novice in Spanish (used to be advanced) Sonja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Actually in Poland you can take one semester or one year courses of Oxford British or American English...and it's not only pronunciation... Tak. I was talking to my cousin when over there. She said "ass" for some reason (can't remember what we were talking about" and my jaw dropped. This is not a word Australians use when talking to people they've only just met, even if they are cousins. Then I remembered she learns American English and relaxed :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 In my experience, Japanese was easy to start - it took no time to be functional at a very basic level. However, it's apparently very, very difficult to become fluent. I never got close to that. Aren't all languages like that? Well, I say languages, but I guess it is culture more than language. It is impossible for me (a hearing person) to attain native like proficiency in Auslan. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 We so appreciate when people are trying to learn our language!!! Ha! My aunt dragged me along to visit some third cousins who I'd never heard of and who'd never heard of me. They asked if I spoke any Polish and she said I knew "dzien dobry" and "borscht." Cheeky old woman. On the way home I lectured her in Polish heraldic practise, and she was shocked I knew more than her. Heheh. "Herby" is not usually a word in a beginner's vocab ;) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Novice in Spanish (used to be advanced) Sonja Why do you say that? I really doubt it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Novice..German and Korean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Novice: Italian Intermediate: Spanish, but it would only take being in a daily talking situation to push me into advanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmosis Mom Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Because that is where I live:001_smile: They are fairly similar. In Sweden technically it is also part of the national curriculum to learn some Norwegian and some Danish. Norwegian is easier for me to understand than Danish. Same thing in DK; it is part of our curriculum to read something in Norwegian and Swedish with Norwegian being much easier to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted May 16, 2009 Author Share Posted May 16, 2009 "Herby" is not usually a word in a beginner's vocab ;) Rosie no, that would be super advanced level... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Dach chi isio panad? My family is from North Wales, which pronounces Welsh differently than South Wales. I wish I could have grown up in Wales. All my cousins learned Welsh from the moment they started school. Most of their elementary school lessons where completely done in Welsh. None of the grown ups in the family can speak Welsh except for my great Nain May I ask why you are learning Welsh? It's not a language a lot of people would pick. The 'dd' and 'f' trip a lot of people up. I'm learning Welsh from South Wales! On the website you could pick either North or South, and I didn't know which was more common. So I picked randomly. :) I'm doing okay with the sounds so far, but I struggle with the "ll". :) A lot of my family come from Wales, and I like how it sounds. I've no one here with whom to speak, so that's a downer. :) But it's fun, and I enjoy the lessons. I hope that my boys will pick up on some of it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 (edited) My native language is Papiamento. English: Superior Spanish: Advanced Dutch: Intermediate (used to be Superior -- it's been 12 years!) French: Novice (used to be Intermediate -- also been 12 years) Portuguese: Novice (took one class in college, aced it, spoke it) I want to learn to speak Italian! :) I have Rosetta Stone and dh and I are learning, but we haven't done it in a long time :tongue_smilie: Oh yeah, and I'll be learning Latin alongside ds and dd when the time comes! Edited May 16, 2009 by sagira 6 Languages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooh bear Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I'm learning Welsh from South Wales! On the website you could pick either North or South, and I didn't know which was more common. So I picked randomly. :) I'm doing okay with the sounds so far, but I struggle with the "ll". :) A lot of my family come from Wales, and I like how it sounds. I've no one here with whom to speak, so that's a downer. :) But it's fun, and I enjoy the lessons. I hope that my boys will pick up on some of it as well. I love how Welsh sounds. That is one of the things that I do miss about the UK. Hearing Welsh and seeing all the roads signs in English and Welsh. The LL sound does take some practice. Try saying these towns Dolgellau Llanelli Llanylltyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschool_mom Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I only really speak one language--English. I took three years of Spanish in high school and a couple years in college, but I feel as though I never really learned it (despite getting straight A’s). I can read a little of it and recognize some words, but I could never hold a conversation. I’m just starting to learn Latin and really enjoy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Depends on the age of the child I am talking to!! And seeing I have lots of kids, that's lots of languages. :001_smile: Okay, not even funny but I'm tired and delirious and need to go to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof165 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Why do you say that? I really doubt it! Tell me, why did you write that? Just curious. :001_huh: Sonja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Tell me, why did you write that? Just curious. :001_huh: Sonja I would assume it's because a drop from advanced to novice is a pretty big drop. I bet you didn't lose as much as you think you did - esp. if you were around it even for a little bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Tell me, why did you write that? Just curious. :001_huh: Sonja Yes, Jean is right. That's why I asked. If you were at an advanced level, it is still in there. I was at an advanced level with both German and Spanish, and then didn't speak either for about 10 years. When I started again, it came back. The definition given in this thread for novice is "the ability to communicate minimally in highly predictable common daily situations with previously learned words and phrases." That means only being able to say set phrases: exchange greetings, ask how you are, ask how much something costs in a store, etc. IMO, the only way someone could go from advanced to novice is if they had some kind of accident or brain injury. So I was just wondering what your situation was, why you felt you were only at a novice level. Sorry if it bothered you! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Same thing in DK; it is part of our curriculum to read something in Norwegian and Swedish with Norwegian being much easier to understand. Norwegian seems to be an interesting hybrid between the two. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 :lol: Goodness! And I bet you have stories! Mostly people laughing at whatever I've said. I did tell someone once that all my horses were at home taking showers. And I've learned the first thing you need to learn to say is "Excuse me, I'm sorry, please pardon my ignorance." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I'm probably an intermediate in German these days. I was an exchange student to Germany many years age. My memorable mistake was telling an Alaskan hunting story and using the word meaning sh*t instead of shoot. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I'm probably an intermediate in German these days. I was an exchange student to Germany many years age. My memorable mistake was telling an Alaskan hunting story and using the word meaning sh*t instead of shoot. :lol: LOL Ooops! hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in Jax Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 English, Spanish (barely novice), Hindi (barely novice), Gibberish (fluent!). ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Hindi and Gujarati, Intermediate. Spanish, Novice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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