Learning new languages

[Phoenix87x]

I've always wanted to learn a 2nd language. Had a couple years of spanish in school, but it never really went anywhere. I've got two fluent Polish speakers at work so I decided to give that a try and am about 3.5 months in using babbel, google translate, polish youtube videos and practicing with the co-workers and I am loving it.

I can actually do very basic back and forth conversations with them at this point and that's WAY farther then I ever got with Spanish. Its so surreal to think and communicate in a totally new language. I'm really enjoying it.


Does anybody else know any other languages than your first language? If so, which ones? Are there any new languages that you guys would like to learn?

[Stadler]

My Dad spoke Polish almost exclusively until he went to school; all the relatives spoke it, and he only learned English because that was the age of assimiliation and "you went to the world, the world didn't come to you".   Even now he can get by if need be.   My daughter speaks French very well (and has spent time in France as a result).  While I can read Spanish passably - context clues! - it is a great embarrassment to me (one of two) that I have only one language at my disposal. 

[TAC]

I’ve mastered Kingshmeglish.

[El Barto]

I appear to be wired for one and only one language. I took French for four years in HS and never really picked it up, and I took two years of Spanish in college with the same result. Like Stadler says, I can decipher written words alright, but when it's spoken it's just gibberish. Truth be told this is kind of a blessing in Texas. I have to listen to enough inane phone calls in English when I'm out in public. With the Mexicans it's just background noise and far easier to ignore.

Interestingly, I was a passable piano player as a wee lad, and I've realized it was an inability to read sheet music and put together music theory that turned me off of it. In a very real sense both are essentially a new language, both written and aural. Without fluency in those two aspects you're essentially hobbled.

[hefdaddy42]

I took Latin in college.  Largely because it is a dead language and I will never need to speak it.

[Skeever]

In addition to English I speak Mandarin at a pretty high level and Cantonese at a "get by on the street" level. I've also started learning Japanese and Spanish at different points, but neither stuck for long (I might be able to get over introductions in the former but that's it; Spanish I pick up a handful of words conversationally and could probably grind through a text if I wanted to). My next project is Swedish, since I oddly have so many Swedish friends.

There are so many tools available that make it fun now - even if getting by with English is easier than ever, it's also easier to pick up another language based on how many resources and native study materials you can find online. I had none of this when I took my first Mandarin course in college.

[lonestar]

I have a half assed fluency with Spanish, took five years in school and followed it with 30+ years of cooking with Latinos. I do get losing conversations, but I think that's more due to my hearing being shit and not being able to discern the subtle nuances, but I usually can catch meaning and intentions. I'm pretty good with reading and writing it as well, sometimes better than my coworkers who had minimal education back in their home country before coming here. I also can curse fluently.

[Lonk]

That's awesome, the main thing with learning a new language is practice, which you seem to be getting.

English and Spanish fluently. I took 3 years of French in College, and was able to communicate on an intermediate/advance level, but haven't use it in 13 years and forgot most of it. Would love to re-learn French, or learn Japanese, but with no one to practice with, is pretty hard.

[Kotowboy]

I started learning French with Duolingo but all the tenses are hard to keep up with and i cant be bothered learning whether its Mister Car or Mrs Car or Mister table or Mrs chair.

[ErHaO]

I know Dutch and English. As with most EU countries, English is a mandatory part of education.

Another mandatory part (a third language) is either German or French, but that is at such a basic level that it proved useless for me. I do want to expand to German some day (reasonably close to Dutch, but at the same time obviously a different language). I feel Spanish is the most useful language for me to learn though, but I doubt I will ever do so.

[MirrorMask]

I'd like to learn German, but I will have to make do with knowing the occasional word here and there and road signs when I'm in Austria.

The very little I know of German I know thanks to songs, that's how I learnt english in the first place, until I was following school lessons I was struggling, once I beame a metalhead and I started to translate Iron Maiden songs, my skills skyrocketed.

[XJDenton]

I speak some Swedish, but not as much as I should. I know some basic Japanese phrases as well.

[Kotowboy]

I speak some Swedish, but not as much as I should. I know some basic Japanese phrases as well.

Arigato! Douitasmishite! Genki Desuka! FINARUU FANTASYORRRR !!!!

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Besides my native English, I know enough Mandarin to get by with basic conversations (took 3 years of classes). I also know enough German and Spanish (from Duolingo and some friends that speak the languages) to pick out words and decipher conversations through context.

[TempusVox]

I know a bit of Latin. I used to be semi coherent in German, having lived in Berlin for 3 years growing up; but I haven't had a conversation in German in decades now. I know a little French. At least enough to get by until someone feels bad for me and switches to English. I can speak Spanish and a bit of Italian. My paternal grandmother taught me and my two cousins some Cherokee words and phrases. And about 4 years ago I started studying Scottish Gaelic. Since the pandemic last year, I've been studying it in earnest. A friends wife is also studying it, so we can at least converse with each other now.

[DTA]

I wanted to learn Russian many years ago and actually found a woman on craigslist who was offering tutoring sessions. We would get together, practice Russian, flirt a bit (she was very attractive but married  ), go to Russian stores (NE Philly area) where I'd practice with people other than her, etc. It was highly immersive and fun and I really recommend finding an in-person tutor if you're interested in truly learning a new language.

[Nekov]

English is my second language. I like to say I'm bilingual even though I butcher it at times. I also studied German when I was in high school and started at it again a couple years back. I'd like to return to it once I finish what I'm studying.