How many foreign languages do you speak/read?

[tehno]

I'm pretty fluent in English and German.My Russian needs a significant improvement,however.

 

[jtbell]

Might want to mention your native language, for a point of reference, while you're at it.

As for me, (American) English is my native language. My "best" foreign languages (the ones I try to keep up with by reading regularly, at least) are German and Finnish, so I'll put down "two". I've also studied some Spanish and Russian, so I can read street signs and other simple stuff, but I can't say I know them well.

 

[BobG]

My native language is English.

I have the literacy of a two-year-old in about three others.

 

[Kurdt]

English is my native language but I speak German and am fairly competant at French.

 

[radou]

My native language is Croatian. It's obvious what's the first non-native language I speak, und hier ist auch die zweite solche Sprache.

(...et mon Francais est terrible. )

 

[brewnog]

Fluent in English English, can read French, and can speak 'holiday French'. And I can say "cheers" in Finnish!

 

[BobG]

Fluent in English English, ...

Good point. I'm fluent in American English and semi-fluent in English English - at least I know the difference between a zebra crossing and a pelican crossing.

 

[tehno]

Might want to mention your native language, for a point of reference, while you're at it.

Croatian is my native language.

 

[Anttech]

Might want to mention your native language, for a point of reference, while you're at it.

As for me, (American) English is my native language. My "best" foreign languages (the ones I try to keep up with by reading regularly, at least) are German and Finnish, so I'll put down "two". I've also studied some Spanish and Russian, so I can read street signs and other simple stuff, but I can't say I know them well.

Finnish? Have you tried Hungarian also? The ugric language group is fascinating as it sounds NOTHING like any other European language

 

[Quaoar]

It's surprising to me that 2 foreign languages has the most votes at the moment. Also, whoever made the poll should not have made it legal to select multiple options :D

 

[Kurdt]

It's surprising to me that 2 foreign languages has the most votes at the moment. Also, whoever made the poll should not have made it legal to select multiple options :D

Is that a good surprise or bad surprise?

 

[radou]

Croatian is my native language.

Pozdrav, zemljache!

It's surprising to me that 2 foreign languages has the most votes at the moment. Also, whoever made the poll should not have made it legal to select multiple options :D

Actually, most of the people speak 2 foreign languages, at least based on my experience.

 

[Quaoar]

Is that a good surprise or bad surprise?

Good surprise

Actually, most of the people speak 2 foreign languages, at least based on my experience.

I kinda doubt this one...perhaps on this forum where most people are intelligent and affluent that's true, but I'm not sure if it's true in general. I would think that most people speak one foreign language because they're either forced to learn a second language in school (my case), or their parents are immigrants and speak another language at home. And unless you spend a significant amount of time in another country that speaks the language you learned in school, it's doubtful that you're going to be fluent in that language.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

My native language is English. I am fluent and literate in Japanese. When I was young I was fluent and literate in Hebrew, but I have forgotten it, so I only gave myself credit for one foreign language. My wife's native language is Chinese. She also speaks Taiwanese and Japanese. She had a hard time when she came to the US as we could only find schools that teach English as a second language.

 

[radou]

Good surprise



I kinda doubt this one...perhaps on this forum where most people are intelligent and affluent that's true, but I'm not sure if it's true in general. I would think that most people speak one foreign language because they're either forced to learn a second language in school (my case), or their parents are immigrants and speak another language at home. And unless you spend a significant amount of time in another country that speaks the language you learned in school, it's doubtful that you're going to be fluent in that language.

You're right, but I was actually referring to 'well-educated' people in general (whatever that term is supposed to mean).

 

[brewnog]

Good point. I'm fluent in American English and semi-fluent in English English - at least I know the difference between a zebra crossing and a pelican crossing.

To speak true English English you must also know the difference between a toucan crossing, a pegasus crossing, and a puffin crossing.

 

[Anttech]

I kinda doubt this one...perhaps on this forum where most people are intelligent and affluent that's true, but I'm not sure if it's true in general.

I think you would be surprised, in Europe at least the only mono-linguals are typically Francophones and Anglophones. The rest of Europe speaks at least 2 languages, typically.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

American English, with a year of German in college, many hispanic friends as a kid thus a fair amount of Spanish back then, a bit of Russian, enough French to order coffee in Paris, and Pig Latin, which Tsu and I use to keep the cats in the dark.

 

[cristo]

To speak true English English you must also know the difference between a toucan crossing, a pegasus crossing, and a puffin crossing.

What's a pegasus crossing? I've never heard of that before!

With regard to the question, I only speak English; oh, and a bit of French from school, but I doubt that's counted!

 

[Kurdt]

What's a pegasus crossing? I've never heard of that before!

Its a zebra crossing on a fly-over.

 

[Andre]

okay am I the only one for three? Proofs how old I am. In the dark ages of the educational system in the Netherlands, it was mandatory to study three foreign languages (German, French, English) with the philosophy that a small country has a lot of foreign neighbours. German and French are not a problem, but English..

 

[cristo]

Its a zebra crossing on a fly-over.

sounds a very safe idea...!

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

1 English, but I can also speak a little French, although not enough to warrant the title bi-lingual. In my country Anglaterre that practically makes me a polymath j/k.

 

[Anttech]

okay am I the only one for three? Proofs how old I am. In the dark ages of the educational system in the Netherlands, it was mandatory to study three foreign languages (German, French, English) with the philosophy that a small country has a lot of foreign neighbours. German and French are not a problem, but English..

The dutch really are amazing linguists. :) A real heavy Nord Holland accent speaking English, does however sound totally demented, like the CEO of Shell...

 

[Cyrus]

I speak American, DAMMIT!

Why don't YOU speak MY language.

 

[brewnog]

A pegasus crossing is for horses! It's got high-level button buzzer things so horse riders don't have to get off. And there's more space around them too I think.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

The dutch really are amazing linguists. :) A real heavy Nord Holland accent speaking English, does however sound totally demented, like the CEO of Shell...

I actually rarely take offense at having my grammar and spelling corrected by a Dutchman, those crazy Hollanders certainly know how to speak English, even if we don't English in this country has hundreds of dialects and a million and one slang words. Tha knows lad, baint nothing to hear an odd word on the tongue up t'North.

Why aye man, s'like proper English.

Now aint that pretty moi luverr.

She was like reet fit and right gorgeous, and I'd have given 'er a bit of hows your father and no messin'.

Ay ay, slike we're Northern but we ave bit of a laff about the words, and those boook reading Southern nancies aint nothin' on us Northerners.

You're avin' a giraffe aint ya? Northern munkeys, used to be a bath rather than a giraffe, in the war.

 

[cristo]

A pegasus crossing is for horses! It's got high-level button buzzer things so horse riders don't have to get off. And there's more space around them too I think.

That's what I was thinking, but since I've never seen one, I couldn't imagine that there were enough horses being ridden around busy roads to warrant the invention of such a crossing!

 

[Anttech]

aye I ken wit yer saying oh these gallas dialects, tho scots tisnea really English anymore tho, you ken, mucker?

 

[Chi Meson]

I became fluent in Spanish during High school (our teacher was from Barcelona, so I pronouce my "s's" like "th's"). THen I learned German in College. Now the two are mixed up.

"Abren sie la ventana, por bitte."
"Mach die fenster cerrado."