Which foreign languages do you know and how did you come to learn them?

1. 82

   Spongy0llamaposted 10 years ago

   Which foreign languages do you know and how did you come to learn them?
   
   As a frame of reference, it would also be interesting to know what your native language is. I also think the difference between learning as a child and learning as an adult is very interesting.

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2. 79

   Tom Voglerposted 10 years ago

   American English is my native language.  I can handle myself fairly well in German, as I took four years of it in high school.  Even as recently as last month, I impressed a few native Germans by carrying on a conversation with them while in Italy.  I also know a little basic Italian, studied using the Rosetta Stone program.  That came in handy a few times when I was over in Italy, mainly by impressing the natives that I knew even a little bit of their language.
   
   I would like to develop my Italian further and maybe study Gaelic (language of Ireland) next.

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3. 75

   brittvan22posted 10 years ago

   My native tongue is English. I learned Spanish from High School and College. I learned Hebrew from Graduate Studies and I learned a bit of Yiddish from watching the Nanny and being exposed to Jewish culture.

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4. 72

   rhondakimposted 10 years ago

   I love, love, LOVE foreign languages and language in general.  I am a native English speaker (American) and I am pretty much fluent in Spanish.  It was my major in college and I practice often with Latino friends.  I took Hebrew for a year in college, too, and started becoming a little bit fluent, but it's been a long time.  I also speak some Italian and some French.  Those I only studied for 1 semester each, about 20 years ago, but somehow I still remember!!!  In fact, I got through Europe this summer between my knowledge and google translate, lol.  I've also started studying German with my Rosetta Stone.  It's fantastic!!!

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5. 73

   lburmasterposted 10 years ago

   French - Bilingual, three years of tutoring combined with a trip to France
   Spanish - Level 2, One year of Rosetta Stone
   German - Level 1
   Russian - Level 1

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6. 89

   IslandBitesposted 10 years ago

   I am a native Spanish speaker. I learned English in school. I also know Italian; I took two years in college.

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7. 82

   classicalgeekposted 10 years ago

   My native language is English. I learned Latin in school. Later I became an opera singer and lived in Europe, where I learned French, Italian, German, and Czech because I lived in those countries and also had to use those languages for work.

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8. 87

   suzettenaplesposted 10 years ago

   My first language is Enlish which I learned at home growing up.  I also speak Spanish and German and learned these languages in school and living in Mexico, Spain and Germany.

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9. 76

   jostersposted 10 years ago

   My native language is German. In school, I learned French (8 years), English (5 years) and, although it is by no means a language that I am able to speak fluently, Latin (5 years). Latin really helps you out with the translation of certain words, but it is not an easy language to learn.

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10. 91

    Thief12posted 10 years ago

    My native language is Spanish, but I learned English in school.

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