Languages

[ReiTheJelly]

Seeing as how this is a very multi-national forum, I was wondering what languages people know? If you wish, you can indicate whether or not you are completely fluent (read and write) the language, or whether you are just beginning to learn.


Myself, I am fluent in English, intermediate in Spanish and very low-level beginner in Japanese and Polish.

[sensei]

I haven't actually worked with these languages in years, but I used to be able to read a fair amount of Russian, German, French, Italian, Latin, and Old English (Hwæt! We Gardena, in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon!)

I know how to recognize the kanji for "genga," "douga," and "group" as in "group cel," plus the katakana for "photocopy."

[Keropi]

I'm fluent in English and can recognize a very small amount of Japanese.

What little I know of Japanese is helpful for watching raws, but it's not so helpful if the plot of the episode is complex. What little I know is almost useless for conversational Japanese.

What little I know of reading Japanese is helpful for recognizing anime titles and obvious phrases on a page. It was somewhat helpful for playing Japanese ren'ai games, but it was almost useless for reading untranslated Japanese manga or novels.

That's about where I'm at. I think I got D's and F's in Spanish in Fifth and Sixth Grades. I was not a very motivated student back then.

[Angelic-Lair]

Between the two of us, we are fluent in both English and French. We also have a limited working knowledge of German and Japanese, and we know a few words in Spanish.

[pixie_princess]

English is my native tongue. I was raised in a (mostly) Bi-lingual household, so I grew up also speaking Spanish. Never took any classes for it in school, but I am capable of reading it. I am also able to write in Spanish to a certain degree. I took German in Jr High and High School (4 yrs), and still understand enough to laugh at the sillyness of the SuperMoonie's lyrics.


As for Japanese, I speak fangrrl... "Kawaii! Sugoi!" XD

[JWR]

For me it's English and a working bit of German needed for my work.

I also do know an assortment of words and phrases not for "proper" company in Spanish and Armenian.

[Macron one]

The only languages i'm any good at are Dutch, English and Frisian(regional language).
I know just enough French and German to be able to more or less follow a TV program or read a book, but I can't properly speak either language.
The French have a habit of speaking really fast, making the language especially difficult to follow.

By watching anime, i've learned enough spoken Japanese to understand maybe 50% of what's being said.

[iceman57]

French :
Motherlanguage

English :
10 years, phone negociation & face to face meeting with whole Europe (W & E europe), USA, Canada, Japan and Korea.
Automotive industry glossary.
Animation glossary.

German :
Born and lived 20 years on french/german border, living in couple with a girl from Berlin.
Automotive industry glossary.

Chinese :
Intermediate level, excellent accent.

Farsi (Persian) :
Usual terms, local recipes names.

Looking for a knew language to learn between Japanese, Russian, Italian and Portuguese...

[Maiko]

I am fluent in English and intermediate in French. I speak Japanese very well but am terrible at writing it, and reading it takes me a lot of time. I took a year or two of German but I don't remember much. Just enough to understand Rammstein's lyrics . I studied my family's native tongue of Welsh for many years, but am so out of practice coz there is simply no one around to practice it with to keep it fresh.

My brother is almost completely fluent in both French and Spanish, and is now intermediate in Korean since he moved there to teach English.

[Killua]

English, proficient at Latin, can tour France and not have the locals too mad at me, and could live in Japan and not starve.

[graymouser]

Fluent in English. Intermediate in Spanish.

As someone else said, fan girl in Japanese.

[Shampoo]

Neat thread Rei!
Now if any of us needs help with a small translation
we can reference this thread and find a friendly betarian
for some advice.

Being Spanish-American I am fluently bilingual.
Thou as I became older, English suddenly became my
speaking preference even thou my native tongue is
Castilian.
Now that I moved out of Florida, and noone here speaks
Spanish, I find myself stumbling and butchering a few
words when I'm on the phone w/ my mother.
Shes appalled at how crudy my speech has become
since moving. Ack!

Oh! And I'm on the boat w/ the fangirl Japanese lol!
Thou I can get around just fine if plucked and placed
in the middle of Nippon. I know enough to get around
and order food but nothing super.

[zerospace]

I'm fluent in English ... and I know bits of Spanish, French and Japanese. I used to know more Spanish than I do now, but thanks to never using any of it, not much is left. Also, thanks to my Japanese relatives, I've learned more Japanese than just what I knew from anime .

[Palance]

Fluent in English and conversational in Japanese. Something i really want to improve upon this year, with a view to moving to Japan in 2011

[jcaliff]

Native English, and pretty good an Japanese. Writing is tough, but I have little trouble with speaking, listening, and most reading (as long as it's not a technical journal or legal stuff).