I'd like to learn Arabic at some point, but I'm getting to the point where my brain is fairly ossified and learning new languages is increasingly painful. Especially ones with entirely new writing systems. I self-learned the Cyrillic alphabet when I was a kid, but I still struggle mightily with Hanzi even after two years of formal instruction.
Depends on your definition of "speak". I'm moderately fluent in German and Mandarin, and used to be pretty good in Russian, Japanese and Spanish, but have gotten seriously rusty after 15+ years of disuse.
And I know a small smattering of Czech, mainly how to say good day (dobry den) and how to order a beer (adno pivo, prosim). And really, that's all you need to know when you're in Prague. Everything else is window dressing. :P
I'd like to learn Arabic at some point, but I'm getting to the point where my brain is fairly ossified and learning new languages is increasingly painful. Especially ones with entirely new writing systems. I self-learned the Cyrillic alphabet when I was a kid, but I still struggle mightily with Hanzi even after two years of formal instruction.
German, bad Latin and around 20 words of Japanese, but I think that last doesn't count.
And a bit of elvish (Sindarin). That needs to be on the list, seriously ;D
I'd like to learn Arabic at some point, but I'm getting to the point where my brain is fairly ossified and learning new languages is increasingly painful. Especially ones with entirely new writing systems. I self-learned the Cyrillic alphabet when I was a kid, but I still struggle mightily with Hanzi even after two years of formal instruction.
The writing system isn't too bad, actually... what you need to watch out for is the grammar/case system, which wants to kill you and take your lunch money. Pronunciation is difficult, but manageable with a lot of time spent walking around making funny noises.
All-in-all, not too bad--especially if you managed to tackle Russian, which I hear has roughly the same difficulty.
does 1337 5p34k count as a language?
Hello threre, Russian guy here. There's no such language as "American". It's called English for a reason, you goddamn egocentric.
Pronunciation shouldn't be a problem after managing Russian consonants and Chinese vowels.
* The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the US Department of State has compiled approximate learning expectations for a number of languages. Of the 63 languages analyzed, the five most difficult languages to reach proficiency in speaking and proficiency in reading (for native English speakers who already know other languages), requiring 88 weeks, are: "Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean". The Foreign Service Institute considers Japanese to be the most difficult of this group.[2]Although I suspect they just need Arabic, Japanese and Mandarin a lot more than they need other tough languages, and therefore have to teach more people it.
I'm planning on studying Russian and German since I need them for my future career, and Polish for the hell of it.Hell yeah! Learn Polish, you'll be able to read Stefan Banach's works in original!(and that probably sums up the big names in mathematics from around here)
Hell yeah! Learn Polish, you'll be able to read Stefan Banach's works in original!(and that probably sums up the big names in mathematics from around here)
and I can ask where the beer is in German.
Vector, you just made my day. I was something of a Grammar buff in middleschool, and I still think that.I'd like to learn Arabic at some point, but I'm getting to the point where my brain is fairly ossified and learning new languages is increasingly painful. Especially ones with entirely new writing systems. I self-learned the Cyrillic alphabet when I was a kid, but I still struggle mightily with Hanzi even after two years of formal instruction.
The writing system isn't too bad, actually... what you need to watch out for is the grammar/case system, which wants to kill you and take your lunch money. Pronunciation is difficult, but manageable with a lot of time spent walking around making funny noises.
Yep, you need to use your throat often in Arabic... and the back of your tounge. I have yet to meet an American that can say my name right.Pronunciation shouldn't be a problem after managing Russian consonants and Chinese vowels.
There's some really weird and rare ones, which stump the best linguistics student I know when it comes to their proper pronunciation. Just consider them special prizes that come with the language :D
I speak English, Japanese, Sindarin, some Latin, and enough German to visit Germany.
I want to learn Russian, the North Germanic languages, and Arabic.
On a semi-related note, does anybody know how to get the weird double-s symbol that sort of looks like a capital B?
On a semi-related note, does anybody know how to get the weird double-s symbol that sort of looks like a capital B?
Hallo, Cheeetar! Ich haise Vester.
Tagalog, very little Latin, and very little German.
Also, English.
I love German. It is the language of... anger? I don't know, it sounds inherently rough.The language of anger! You made me laught out loud :D
Hasn't ß been replaces with ss?In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, but not yet in Germany.
It's probably because of Rammstein, you know. But German sounds far better to my ears than French. Oh, the French. They don't even pronounce half of their letters, the wasteful twits.I love German. It is the language of... anger? I don't know, it sounds inherently rough.The language of anger! You made me laught out loud :D
According to my German prof, yes. But, how did you do that?AltGr + ć
According to my German prof, yes. But, how did you do that?AltGr + ć
Hehehe, I bet you don't have "ć" either :P
I have something to confess...
I am a native English speaker, but I can hardly speak my native tongue, taglog. I am, as Jose Rizal said, "Worse than a smelly fish" for not knowing my native language.
I took Mandarin, but failed miserably.
But German sounds far better to my ears than French. Oh, the French. They don't even pronounce half of their letters, the wasteful twits.
I have something to confess...Same here, albeit with Arabic. I avoid conversing with other Arabs because my Arabic is bad, and my Arabic is bad because I avoid speaking it. Vicious cycle there, and it was a miracle that I passed my ministry exam. Well, the professors helped everyone cheat, but my point still stands.
I am a native English speaker, but I can hardly speak my native tongue, Tagalog. I am, as Jose Rizal said, "Worse than a smelly fish" for not knowing my native language.
I took Mandarin, but failed miserably.
And the French should be used to hearing it with a German accent, as many times as they've surrendered to Germany. :PBut German sounds far better to my ears than French. Oh, the French. They don't even pronounce half of their letters, the wasteful twits.
I can't stand the way French people speak French.
Their accent is so arrogant and pretentious.
French with, say, a Germanic accent is actually pretty awesome.
Cut to Napoleon and WWI.And the French should be used to hearing it with a German accent, as many times as they've surrendered to Germany. :PBut German sounds far better to my ears than French. Oh, the French. They don't even pronounce half of their letters, the wasteful twits.
I can't stand the way French people speak French.
Their accent is so arrogant and pretentious.
French with, say, a Germanic accent is actually pretty awesome.
I see your one win and one stalemate, and raise you a Franco-Prussian War and WWII. Series record: 2-1-1 in favor of Germany (we'll call WWI an overtime loss for Der Deutschesreich).Cut to Napoleon and WWI.And the French should be used to hearing it with a German accent, as many times as they've surrendered to Germany. :PBut German sounds far better to my ears than French. Oh, the French. They don't even pronounce half of their letters, the wasteful twits.
I can't stand the way French people speak French.
Their accent is so arrogant and pretentious.
French with, say, a Germanic accent is actually pretty awesome.
I saw a documental of National Geographic once, in which a guy traced human migrations through languages. He started off with bosquiman, which he said was the oldest language (and the only one to use clicks in it) and went eastward towards asia and finally native americans
Yu r ze amerikan sterotoipIs that the stereotype nowadays? Most colleges in the U.S.A. want only students who are fluent in at least two languages.
Yu r ze amerikan sterotoipIs that the stereotype nowadays? Most colleges in the U.S.A. want only students who are fluent in at least two languages.
Whoops. I meant "has taken at least two consecutive semesters of a foreign language."
I self-learned the Cyrillic alphabet when I was a kid, but I still struggle mightily with Hanzi even after two years of formal instruction.
Whoops. I meant "has taken at least two consecutive semesters of a foreign language."
Two, I thought it was four.......years :o!!!
Whoops. I meant "has taken at least two consecutive semesters of a foreign language."
Two, I thought it was four.......years :o!!!
Yeah, it's four years. Four years is a drop in the frickin' bucket when it comes to learning a language, though (at the high school level, at least). I've been studying French for 15 years and Japanese for 8, got excellent scores on the AP tests and numerous language awards from my school... and I still don't consider myself fluent.
I gueeessed thaaat.
Also, whyyyy are weeee talking liiike lame ghooosts?
Ever been to the countries you're studying? I'm sure you have, but that's important too (especially if you can nab an immersion program!).