How multilingual are we?

In which other language could you hold a conversation?

  • French

    Votes: 11 27.5%

  • Spanish

    Votes: 7 17.5%

  • German

    Votes: 6 15.0%

  • Any other European language

    Votes: 4 10.0%

  • Urdu, Gujarati, or similar

    Votes: 1 2.5%

  • Chinese or Japanese

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Irish or Welsh

    Votes: 3 7.5%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 22.5%

  • Non, I only speak English

    Votes: 16 40.0%
  • Total voters
    40
Gayle

Gayle

Town Elder
Tackler
In England we sort of assume that the rest of the world speaks our language. So have any of us made the effort to speak anything else. Let's be honest, could we survive in any other country if we met someone who couldn't speak English - quick poll?
 
I speak English and Rubbish......I understand quite a bit of Spanish, but can't really converse in it......I think I could get by though.....if I really had to.
 
I prefer to see it written down to understand rather than spoken but I can get by with a few different languages.
 
Je parle un peu francais mais je ne parle pas trop bien. C'est depuis quatorze et quatre ans que j'ai étudié francais. Ce n'est pas facile. :p
 
I could get by using modern Greek (I wouldn't go hungry or thirsty and I could buy fuel for the car) but as for being able to hold a conversation, that is another matter.
 
West Ender said:
Je parle un peu francais mais je ne parle pas trop bien. C'est depuis quatorze et quatre ans que j'ai étudié francais. Ce n'est pas facile. :p
Click to expand...

Naughty naughty.
 
I struggle enough to understanding those supposedly young exponents of the English language let alone a second one. I took French like most people my age and promptly forgot it after leaving school and to be honest I couldn’t care less. I would like to learn a good stock Gaelic Language, something I feel is much more important than a European Language.
 
I had french and german at school, I used to argue for hours on end that it was pointless and I would never need it! Now look at me! I spend majority of my time in foreign countries. If only I could speak german or french I would be much better off!!! Anyway, I am now not to bad at Russian and could just about hold a conversation, so I ticked other...
Schools should teach a foreign language starting from the age of 4. As they do in the rest of Europe/Asia, thats why they can all speak other languages and the English just seem like they are totally ignorant of everything.
 
I've just added the other option you wanted gayle, non I only speak english. Otherwise we'll end up with people who can't speak another language picking other stuff and the result will be unreliable ;)
 
I've had loads of conversations without sharing a common language, using only the language of lurrvve.;)
 
I will have to tick other because I speak the traditional English version of the International language Esperanto,
Although the language of Esperanto was developed to ease the idiosyncrasies found when attempting to learn a foriegn language, it still takes time and effort to master.
With the English version however such effort and dedication is not needed, because wherever you are in the world you can just plonk yourself down in a cafe and if they didn't understand you the first time you just repeat your order a little louder, if again they don't understand you a further increase in volume until at last they take the bother to listen to what you said and hey presto you get served!
Zamenhof.gif

Dr. Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof
Developer of Esperanto​
 
I tried to learn Spanish at night school before moving here but I must admit that I retained very little. After having lessons here and needing to use the language every day, I find it is getting easier. So there is the key, I reckon, usage.

Now, after four years, I can hold conversations and after a brandy or three I'm fluent!!

Feliz Navidad x
 
I learnt french at school and then forgot it all. Then 5 years ago i went to night school to relearn french - i've forgotten it all again! Dont say much for my memory does it!
 
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