How many languages do you speak fluently ?

[Profpointy]

The wufey


Brains AND Andouiette! That's some meal. Bravo.

Maybe you should have taken the cassette-based self study course I had in about 1985. It seemed to have been built on the premise that the French will always be trying to force you to eat awful things, and the most important language skills you need are those that will help you to foil such attempts. One particular lesson had someone in a restaurant fending off various dishes. I distinctly remember the English voiceover at the end of the lesson "So, it's not the calves' brains or the pig's head pate that's bothering him. He's allergic to garlic!" I think there was a lesson on avoiding horse meat too.

Mostly whilst abroad I specifically choose the item on the menu which I don't recognise and just see what turns up.

I would perhaps be a little more conservative in, say, Japan, but by and large I'll give most things a try

 

[glasgowcyclist]

If you're interested in how we deal with two languages "The Bilingual Brain" by Albert Costa is a great book.

Thanks for that👍.
My copy arrived today and I'll check it out when I get home.

 

[swee'pea99]

That’s also the way that I talk to English friends here (those that speak French every day) – we slip between English and French (often in the same sentence) – but as long as it’s “fluent” and understandable, who cares?

You remind me of this, from a (brilliant) biography of Karl Marx by Francis Wheen:

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[Andy in Germany]

You remind me of this, from a (brilliant) biography of Karl Marx by Francis Wheen:

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Strangely it took me a couple of readings to notice it was in English and German. I have similar conversations with my kids (in terms of language changing, not subject matter)

 

[Reynard]

Strangely it took me a couple of readings to notice it was in English and German. I have similar conversations with my kids (in terms of language changing, not subject matter)

We mix languages in much the same way here.

 

[NorthernSky]

just english for me
we had to learn french in school until 3rd form, then you could ditch it.
if i could back i'd tell my younger self to stick with it.

 

[Chislenko]

Cymraeg

English

Can read Portuguese but can't understand a word European Portuguese say because of the accent they use. I believe they speak clearer in "The Colonies"

 

[Andy in Germany]

We mix languages in much the same way here.

I often have conversations here with fluent English speakers and we seem to default to both speaking our own language. I've often thought this must sound very strange to a third party.

 

[Reynard]

I often have conversations here with fluent English speakers and we seem to default to both speaking our own language. I've often thought this must sound very strange to a third party.

It can do. But as long as the people chatting with each other understand perfectly what's being said, well then that's fine.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

just english for me
we had to learn french in school until 3rd form, then you could ditch it.
if i could back i'd tell my younger self to stick with it.

Hey, it's never too late!

 

[Chislenko]

Hey, it's never too late!

Yes I help out with a local conversation group where learners meet to try and improve their Welsh. The average age of most of the learners is well north of 50.

 

[C R]

Cymraeg

English

Can read Portuguese but can't understand a word European Portuguese say because of the accent they use. I believe they speak clearer in "The Colonies"

The accent in Portugal is interesting, it has a strong North South gradient. The further south the speaker is from the harder I find to understand, by the time it gets to Lisbon it is almost unintelligible for me. Brazilian and African accents I find much easier to follow.

 

[lazybloke]

I had two colleagues who were fluent in French (actually, one of the was French). They inspired me to have another go at learning.

I made some progress with a Michel Thomas course a few years back, but have since moved on a long way with podcasts and Duolingo.
Alas have changed jobs so don't currently have work friends to practise with. Have a French friend from the school run though, so will have to subject her to my long pauses, vacant stares, repeated requests to repeat what she just said, and my butchering of phonetics & grammar. C'est la vie.