Melania Trump is no doubt a lovely woman

[mothra1orbit]

but her English is really rudimentary. How many years has she lived here? Does she speak English at home? Is her son bilingual? She is said to speak seven languages, but is she counting English as one of them? Seriously. I feel like she must live in a bubble not to have become more fluent.

And no, I can't speak Slovenian. I speak French about as well as she speaks English, but I would never claim fluency.

I truly don't mean to attack her; I just find this very, very curious. I know people who have lived here only a couple of years whose English is excellent, and I don't understand why a woman who has enough money to pay for language lessons (if she needs them) is still so halting in her speech.

[Dembaby2016]

1. I know right

Even my grandmother who is bilingual speak good english better than her. I just mute my TV every time she is on the mic.

[Mike Nelson]

2. She is pretty...

...and I like her accent. But she doesn't have my vote. Her speaking about "values" is dishonest. Trump promotes bad values. She seems to be promoting values Hillary Clinton speaks about - I'll stick with Hillary!

[CincyDem]

3. She probably doesn't get a chance to actually speak much in The Don's presence

He probably like to surround himself with listeners. It's also possible that she might not be making the socialite friends in his circle and many of her conversations are in fact in Slovenian with other Slovenians.

I don't have a lot of experience with this but having worked in a couple countries overseas, I give multi-lingual folks a lot of credit, even if it's not done well. What we don't know is that her fluency is after coaching. Some folks just don't have an affinity for foreign languages, especially when you add the pressure of public speaking, likely to a digital audience of millions.

And what I know for sure is that as poorly as she speaks English, it's better than I speak Slovenian !!!

[matt819]

4. Why give her the benefit of the doubt

She may be pretty in a model-type way, but she has an ugly soul, like her husband.

[Madam45for2923]

5. One of my friends learnt perfect English from 1 year of watching daytime-soaps!

She's also European and also speaks a few languages!

[Siwsan]

6. I wonder if she is raising her son to be bi-lingual.

And it would also be interesting to know where her household staff is from. If they are Slovenian, like her, the odds of her getting much practice in modifying her accent would probably be limited. I suspect that the donald spends much more time talking at her, than talking with her.

[Jerry442]

7. I don't know about her being a lovely woman.

The best way I can look at her is that she's someone who made some really bad irreversible choices at a young age.

There are other viewpoints.

[HipChick]

8. I have an accent...her english is atrocious..

she has been in the US long enough...

[Avalux]

11. She lives in a very sheltered world. Something we will never know.

Everything she's saying sounds nice, but it means nothing. Someone else wrote that speech and she's reading it. It's almost comical since her husband Donald is a contradiction to her words.

[onehandle]

12. Laziness. My European father was 100% fluent and lost his accent within five years of living here.

Also she lied about being a college graduate, which says something as well.

[TrekLuver]

13. Trashbag didn't marry her for her verbal prowess...that's for sure.

I will give her the benefit of the doubt but I thought the same thing when I first saw her. I was a little surprised that she wasn't just a little bit better with English. I could completely understand if she was living in a Slovakia neighborhood and she was able to just get by...but she's not.

[aaaaaa5a]

15. Trophy wives aren't appealing to working suburban women. NT

[HockeyMom]

17. He married his Daughter

IMHO.

[mothra1orbit]

20. You're right

I wonder how many *first* wives were in that audience!

[karynnj]

16. I.m with you in questioning the fluid in 5 languages, but they say she "speaks" 5 languages

and that would include English. Many Europeans grow up speaking many languages - especially those in small countries. If she speaks 3 other languages as well as she does English - and obviously is fluid in Slovenian, I think this is a fair statement.

However, I ASSUME someone wrote this speech for her. The English vocabulary and grammar is far better than she ever speaks in response to questions. To me, the speech sounds way too much like lines from Evita at parts. From "a New Argentina"

EVA
There is only one man who can lead any worker's regime.
He lives for your problems; he shares your ideals and your dream.
He supports you for he loves you, understands you, is one of you;
If not - how could he love me?
WORKERS
A new Argentina!
The worker's battle song!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people rings out loud and long!
EVA
Now I am a worker; I've suffered the way that you do.
I've been unemployed, and I've starved, and I've hated it, too.
But I found my salvation in Peron - may the nation
Let him save them, as he saved me.

[mothra1orbit]

19. I think she did a pretty good job

delivering the speech which was clearly written for her. I am confident that she spent many hours rehearsing the speech to get her pronunciation as good as it was.

The suggestion by another poster that she associates mainly with other Slovenes (friends and staff) is on the money, imo. And it would be a shame if she's not teaching her son to speak her language.

It is hard, though, to understand how anyone could live here for over ten years and be exposed to so much *talking* in person, on tv, etc., and still have such a heavy accent and--as we've seen in unscripted interviews--a limited vocabulary.

[MFM008]

18. Meh

.....

[Ilsa]

21. I had a hard time understanding her today.

Her copied speech during the convention was pretty clear though.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

22. No doubt?

Define lovely woman, please.

[mothra1orbit]

24. Come on, guys

I have no doubt she's a lovely woman = my ass is covered in anticipation of my being called a bad feminist for attacking a sister.

[womanofthehills]

23. I don't get why anyone would think she is "a lovely woman"

A lovely woman would not be promoting such a sick evil man. I think she is an evil woman.

[Lucinda]

25. She is much better in interviews...I think the speeches terrify her... n/t

[WillyBrandt]

28. She is an immigrant who has talked shit about other immigrants

Casting aspersions on their legality. Not cool.