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Sandpiper Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:13 PM
Original message
How many DUers speak multiple languages?
Just curious to know who is fluent in a language other than English, and what that language is.

I speak Portuguese
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seabeyond Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:14 PM
Response to Original message
1. nada
wink
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historian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:14 PM
Response to Original message
2. me too
plus french italian and a portuguese version of spanish!
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Commie Pinko Dirtbag Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:15 PM
Response to Original message
3. Portuguese, Spanish (nt)
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bigbillhaywood Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:15 PM
Response to Original message
4. Pig-Latin, Trash Talk and Sailor Speak. And a little English.
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Runcible Spoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:16 PM
Response to Original message
5. auf Deutsch or en Espanol?
Edited on Thu May-13-04 05:17 PM by FarceOfNature
is my star working yet??!!?? YAYY!! IT IS!!
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bigbillhaywood Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:16 PM
Response to Original message
6. We speak American here, you pinko Commie bastard! nt
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sangh0 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:16 PM
Response to Original message
7. Visual Basic, Fortran, Cobol, Cache, SQL
Yeah, I know. You didn't mean THAT type of language
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Nimble_Idea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:49 PM
Response to Reply #7
34. if you can speak fortran that would be amazing!!
for (int day = 05/13/04; i < 11/02/04; i++)
{ cout <<"Shrub sucks";

}
cout<<"Victory for Dems!!";
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DRoseDARs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:17 PM
Response to Original message
8. I lack fluency beyond English, but...
...I have Spanish, French and Hebrew (not Judeo-Christian-Islamic, just interested) coming out of my mouth.
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Solon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:18 PM
Response to Original message
9. Passable French, though out of practice.
Bonjour mon ami!
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BonjourUSA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:21 PM
Response to Reply #9
13. Salut mon pote
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Solon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:47 PM
Response to Reply #13
33. Gooday Mate...
sorry bad aussie accent. I have a question, do you think immersion is the best way to learn another language? I love French, but it is hard to retain because, living in America, I was only able to use it twice in 10 years.
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BonjourUSA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 06:03 PM
Response to Reply #33
42. I think so
I read English, I write very bad and If you'd talk to me you should repeat till you get very nervous
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Padraig18 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:18 PM
Response to Original message
10. I speak English, Irish, Spanish and French.
:)
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no_hypocrisy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:29 PM
Response to Reply #10
18. When you say "Irish", do you mean Gaelic? That's supposed to be
a challenge to learn, like the native Welsh language.
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Solon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:45 PM
Response to Reply #18
32. I would love to learn Gaelic, I wonder if English speakers...
would have a leg up on that?
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BonjourUSA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:20 PM
Response to Original message
11. Français et un peu l'anglais
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burythehatchet Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:30 PM
Response to Reply #11
21. ma epouse ex est francaise
me, I speak passable french and hindi
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BonjourUSA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:43 PM
Response to Reply #21
30. C'est très bien
Correct :
"Mon ex-épouse était française"
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kerry-is-my-prez Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:21 PM
Response to Original message
12. A little Spanish, very little French and trying to learn Italian
I get them alll mixed up with each other, however.
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devilgrrl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:22 PM
Response to Original message
14. I'm currently learning Italian.
:-)
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AspenRose Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:23 PM
Response to Original message
15. asi asi en espanol
Edited on Thu May-13-04 05:24 PM by DesertedRose
and some ASL (sign language)
some proficiency in both, definitely not fluent (yet)

Out of practice in french.
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powergirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:32 PM
Response to Reply #15
23. yo hablo espanol tambien
You quiero Juan Kerry para el presidente. POR FAVOR:bounce:
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leyton Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:26 PM
Response to Original message
16. French, German...
not quite so fluent in French as I once was, fluent in German for the most part, half-fluent in Latin.
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no_hypocrisy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:28 PM
Response to Original message
17. Italian, German, French, Spanish & a little International Sign Language
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BonjourUSA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:56 PM
Response to Reply #17
37. Je suis impressionné
Je ne sais pas si vous pouvez lire les accents losque j'écris en français. Sinon, cela doit être complètement incompréhensible.

I don't know if you can read accents when I write in French. Otherwise, that must be absolutely incomprehensible
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cmayer Donating Member (289 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:29 PM
Response to Original message
19. After 4 years of Spanish in HS...
I found out that I had to take 300 level courses, as if I could really speak the language.

I chose instead to start with German 101 for 4 semesters. I ended up flunking German 204.

But surprise! I find myself able understand written and spoken Spanish, German and French. (I never studied French. I read "Being and Nothingness" with two English translations by my side)

You never know what will slip in sublimely.
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Mountainman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:30 PM
Response to Original message
20. A bit of Spanish
Edited on Thu May-13-04 05:33 PM by Mountainman
I work for a Mexican Naional and the majority of people here speak spanish. It gets me that the lowest paid workers here know are fluent in more languages than me.
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livetohike Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:31 PM
Response to Original message
22. Rusty in German
and passable Spanish. Also some Slovak, but I only speak it with my family.
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pnorman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:33 PM
Response to Original message
24. I thought that "multiple" meant more than one,
beyond one's native language. But if it includes bi-lingual, then I can speak Japanese with fair proficiency, and can read it at about the same degree.

pnorman
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Sandpiper Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:34 PM
Response to Reply #24
27. I phrased the question that way intentionally
Some people speak one language beyond their native tongue, some more than one. I wanted to hear from both groups.
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noiretextatique Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:33 PM
Response to Original message
25. some italian and spanish
Edited on Thu May-13-04 05:33 PM by noiretblu
i can't seem to retain my fluency though.
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Lisa0825 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:34 PM
Response to Original message
26. I am probably halfway between beginning and intermediate w/ Spanish,
and taking a class now. I fully intend to become fluent. It's a mission with me now! I'm hoping to do a 2 week immersion class in Mexico sometime in the next 6-12 months, and I'd love to live in Mexico someday.
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nadinbrzezinski Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:35 PM
Response to Original message
28. Spanish and I cna defend myself in Hebrew
a smattering of German and Ydish, and if I work at it, can
read some French...
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Maestro Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:38 PM
Response to Original message
29. Spanish and English -nt
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loudsue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:44 PM
Response to Original message
31. I'm from Texas, originally, so I don't speak English too well.....
but I can speak enough Spanish to get by, and enough Greek to get myself back to the hotel from the museum, with a detour or two.

:kick::kick::kick::kick:
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:51 PM
Response to Original message
35. Ank speaks French, Arabic, Mandarin and a smattering of others
I can muddle along in French (barely).
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AgentLadyBug Donating Member (212 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:55 PM
Response to Original message
36. does spanish still count as another language?
si es asi, entonces yo hable varias lenguas...
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moondust Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 05:56 PM
Response to Original message
39. Atrophied Russian.
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CBHagman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 06:01 PM
Response to Reply #39
40. I love it!
My German is getting rusty. It's time to go see Gerhard and shake things up.

I've also had Hebrew, French and Spanish lessons but can't manage in any of them. Maybe when I retire...
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K8-EEE Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 06:03 PM
Response to Original message
41. Spanish and Can Get By In French n/m
x
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lakeguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 06:07 PM
Response to Original message
43. Swedish!
Jag kan svenska...
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davidinalameda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 06:08 PM
Response to Original message
44. I speak Southern
which is a dialect different from standard English

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paritom Donating Member (121 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 06:12 PM
Response to Original message
45. French, LSF, ASL
I am fluent in French and French Sign Language (LSF). Very Rusty ASL though I'm trying to get it back and bits and pieces of Italian and German.
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Andy_Stephenson Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 07:27 PM
Response to Original message
46. German and
spanish...does english count?
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Cuban_Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 07:28 PM
Response to Original message
47. English, Spanish and Ameslan.
:)
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Bluebear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 07:30 PM
Response to Original message
48. German
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bobbieinok Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 07:38 PM
Response to Original message
49. German
also had 5 years of French years ago

can still read fairly well - need to check verb tenses to be more sure - can speak only very basic phrases with poor accent - can understand spoken 'ein bisschen'

I once said to French students 'je parle francais ein bisschen' - they howled, but it took me a while to realize what I had done
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Mayberry Machiavelli Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 07:50 PM
Response to Original message
50. Chinese. I used to think I knew some French, but a recent
trip there convinced me otherwise.
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mike1963 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 07:52 PM
Response to Original message
51. I'm fairly fluent in Spanish, can get by in Italian & Portugese & spent
enough time in Japan to exchange a few dozen polite phrases & q&a there.
Funny, I can read French with little problem but I have absolutely no verbal skills with it. :eyes:
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southlandshari Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:06 PM
Response to Original message
52. Arabic and Shona (and distressingly bad Spanish)...
...and the only language classes I ever took in school were in German (two years in high school and a torturous year in college to satisfy liberal arts requirements). I can count to ten in German and that is about it. Picked up Shona as a volunteer at a Methodist school in eastern Zimbabwe in the early 90's and Arabic after that working for the YWCA in the Middle East. Can't read or write it but can speak it well enough to fool native speakers (if we don't converse more than ten minutes or so!)

As for Spanish, I can only say "where is the pain?" and "don't be afraid" after a week helping a pediatric dentist in Venezeula. Don't ask - it was a terrible trip where our church group hosts thought all Catholics were going to hell and made people in need of medical assistance the Jesus movie on a big screen on the banks of a crocodile infested river before we could see them. Ugh....
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Feanorcurufinwe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:10 PM
Response to Original message
53. I've been working hard for two years
to learn French. Took it in hs but never got very far. I'm just at the point where I am begining to be able to think in French when speaking or listening... but 'fluent'? I may never get there. I'd have to live in France for a while to be able to claim that, I think.
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bikebloke Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:12 PM
Response to Original message
54. A few
Swedish, which gives me a foot in the door with Norwegian and Danish.
German. French.
A struggle with Dutch, Spanish and Italian.
A taste but long faded with time - Finnish, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Gaelic, Hindu
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Astarho Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:12 PM
Response to Original message
55. un poco español
agus gaelge bheag

and bits and peices of many others. If I really worked at it I could be better.
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Cleita Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:12 PM
Response to Original message
56. Used to speak Spanish as fluently as English.
Forty years of non-use of Spanish changes things. I have problems now remembering words and phrases and my tongue and cheeks hurt from the pronunciation muscles I haven't used in a long time.
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elf Donating Member (805 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:13 PM
Response to Original message
57. almost
fluent in French and Dutch, German is my language and fluent in English.
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loathesomeshrub Donating Member (669 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:17 PM
Response to Original message
58. 1 year of German, decent French and Arabic
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arwalden Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:19 PM
Response to Original message
59. German... Functional, Basic Conversational
enough to get around a city in a cab, and order food, and get a hotel room, and shop. But that's it.

-- Allen
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nonconformist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:20 PM
Response to Original message
60. I can't say I'm fluent in anything but English, but
I can understand Spanish fairly well, but struggle with speaking it. I can get by on my Italian.
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Lydia Leftcoast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu May-13-04 08:51 PM
Response to Original message
61. Professional competence in Japanese
As an undergraduate, I majored in German and minored in French, but they are now rather rusty. However, I can still read them, and if I were to go to Europe, I'm sure my speaking skills would return.

I also have basic, conversational Spanish and Chinese, and I can muddle along a bit in Norwegian and Russian.

Yes, I'm a language buff.
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