Who here speaks the most languages? Eh...
Any Polyglots posting here?
Who here speaks the most languages? Eh...
Any Polyglots posting here?
but I'm not English/American anyway so I guess I don't count
What language?
Well, I can say something or other in 30+ languages. (When we were super bored--waiting for a train--my daughter and I went through the list.) However, in most cases I literally know not more than one, two, or three words in those languages; using those same criteria, most college grads probably "speak" more than a dozen languages.
The only language I can actually speak with real fluency (which is what I think "to speak a language" means) is English. I might be able to get by in four or five others, I guess, but it wouldn't be anywhere near to fluency.
In other words, I'm not the winner on this thread.
Fluent: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Conversational level: Chinese (Mandarin), Turkish
Elementary knowledge of: Tagalog, Arabic
Presently studying and learning: Korean
Language learning method: Total immersion in the country where the language is spoken, supplemented with a University course to learn the basics in the language
My models for learning languages: Mormon Missionaries are the most successful and effecient foreign language learners. After just a 3 month, 24/7 total immersion training course in Utah, they arrive in their mission country with decent skills in the new language, and then once there make exponential progress by hitting the streets and talking to people in their language, not English. That is the key - tons of exposure and speaking. Studying a foreign language in your own country without daily prolonged exposure takes much longer, and the attrition rate is consequently much higher.
Ghost: coach -
Freelance translator: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese to English
What would you suggest using if you're not Mormon, and you don't have access to a university class? Rosetta Stone?
Yes, Rosetta Stone works for some - but it is boring, the script is boring -like "the boy is next to the horse" and other sentences like that ad infinitum.
At the end of the day there is no substitute to learning and immersing oneself in a foreign language in the target country, even if it is for just 1-3 months, and you do not speak English there. Your 'ear' has to be exposed to the new language for a type of osmosis to take place. Also in the beginnning it is good to take a course in the language to understand the rules and mechanics of the language. That is less important once you have the basics and rules down.
Ghost
I speak Maltese cos that's where I'm from, and Italian because I watch Italian TV, and English of course because well everyone speaks English anyway
Cool, thanks.
Tista' tg©¤inni jekk jog©¤ġbok?
min int??
I speak latin
I generally talk a lot of bollocks, but hey, I guess I'm right a good percentage of the time. As for the Maltese, never been there but love to go. You seen your Victoria Cross?
Ah, crap, my mistake, it was only a George Cross, but hey. Well done.
My grandfather spoke quite a few, at least to conversational level. You can find books of his on Amazon.com for learning East Armenian, Swahili, Shona, Kirundi, Yoruba, Chinyaji, Luganda, Manyika. Most of those are obscure African languages and I have no idea where they're spoken. Not sure if he was fluent in all or even most, but he did spend years in Africa to write those texts. He spoke Portuguese fluently, and I know could converse well in French, German, and several others.
Damn, Ghost your a BA, how old are you?
HyperWOOO wrote:
Damn, Ghost your a BA, how old are you?
I would sort your English out first before you worried about any other language.
(Sorry, had to say it)
Tehre aint nutin rung wit my english
Seen it indeed, it's quite pretty
Grazzi ©¤afna