Do you speak another language?

[ComaChameleon]

So, the title already asks the question

Do you speak another language?

What language?

Why did you learn it? Was it in school, or because of friends, just for fun?

How fluent are you?

Do you maybe have another mothertongue? (Just like some from the team here do too)

What language would you love to learn and why?

So for me it's:

-German (mothertongue)

-English in school starting in grade 5 (everyone has to, there is no choice)

-French (rudimental, was forced in school, never wanted it and I don't have any feeling for the language... Had it 6 years)

-Dutch as I started university in the Netherlands (studied in English), I began to learn the language by scratch to be able to speak with my fellow students during break as -most of them- were dutch. As we live just on the border, it's very helpfull. But I was able to understand them before as they're both very common to each other. In shops the sellers don't change to german anymore, so I'm fluent enough, I guess.

I would love to learn Norwegian as a friend is from Oslo and it would be nice to talk to her in another language as English (as it's not our both mothertongue)

Japanese is interesting too (idk why, it just feels like it would be)

And a bit of Russian/Polish/Turkish would be helpfull in job. But as I think the people living here have to learn my language instead we learning theirs, I wouldn't do. Just for being able to understand what they're talking to each other when we are in the same room [it's not very polite to do so... But they do. And you're standing there and you don't know if they're talking about nice flowers or planning to kill you the next 5 minutes].

[ComaChameleon]

@jonsie

what the heck is a "numpty ferang"? It sounds so funny

Thats why I would like to know a bit of Russian/Polish/Turkish. You never know what they talk about (at work especially)..

@Glory1

The fast-speaking is really a problem. One of my best friends is half Italian, half Portugues (but born in Germany). I always knewn a bit Latin (never had lessons tho), so I was able to understand a bit, but her Italo-Portugues-German-mix with her parents (he Italien, she Portugues) was very hard to understand

When I was in the Normandie I hated the people there just blocked if you talked in English and just "understood" French - sometimes not even that. Even harder in Avignon, they heard we were talking (quietly!) in german to each other what to order in the bakery. A friend was very fluent in French (she even took voluntary after grade 10) and ordered in French and they just ignored us... Very rude.

I had to re-take French in economy-school and were put into the advanced course (just because I had it 5 years with a break of 5 years) - I begged every day to be put into ground course, the teacher always said no. So after the first exam (where I REALLY did everything I was able to) I had to change to the other course, must have been really bad In groundcourse I got a 2 (1+ = best, 6 = worst).

@Cleoriff

It's sad you had to give it up - but I can understand you did. And still travelling doesnt get better with age.

If you love functioning bureaucracy (it sometimes take a bit, but efficient) and a it will be done immediately you should move to Germany

As you might know:

[Cleoriff]

You won't get an answer from many on here at the moment @ComaChameleon

Most of us are watching England V Croatia...we are currently 1-0 in the lead

[Glory1]

Thanks for the reminder I totally forgot!

[sheepdog]

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@ComaChameleon wrote:

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@sheepdog

Where did you live? Brunssum? Or NATO airbase GK?

Sittard-Geleen and Roermond is kinda my hood. I'm from Heinsberg.

That's right, the Limburgs dutch is very easy to understand as it's close to our "Platt"/Kölsch.

Some of the Limburgs people even have trouble to understand the actual Holländer as they have an weird accent.

The Belastingdienst is always very pleased to help (and put someone in place speaking your language).

The Dutch are smart, they watch English films in English with subtitles. We Germans always have everything dubbed. So the other countries can learn english easier.

...

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Neither! Slightly more northern at RAF Bruggen (well a small village nearby rather than on the base itself). Just looking at Google maps I never realised how close the Air Force bases were at the time. All gone now or re-purposed as it was in the UK.

[Anonymous]

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@sheepdog wrote:

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@ComaChameleon wrote:

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@sheepdog

Where did you live? Brunssum? Or NATO airbase GK?

Sittard-Geleen and Roermond is kinda my hood. I'm from Heinsberg.

That's right, the Limburgs dutch is very easy to understand as it's close to our "Platt"/Kölsch.

Some of the Limburgs people even have trouble to understand the actual Holländer as they have an weird accent.

The Belastingdienst is always very pleased to help (and put someone in place speaking your language).

The Dutch are smart, they watch English films in English with subtitles. We Germans always have everything dubbed. So the other countries can learn english easier.

Neither! Slightly more northern at RAF Bruggen (well a small village nearby rather than on the base itself). Just looking at Google maps I never realised how close the Air Force bases were at the time. All gone now or re-purposed as it was in the UK.

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It's a small world  

On the subject of dialects, people from Limburg are often derided for not speaking proper Dutch. At least that's what a couple of stewards from KLM told me

But I'm always impressed when I hear people say that they're learning Dutch, because I've always imagined it to be one of the more difficult languages to master. You can usually get away with making minor grammatical errors, but correct pronunciation is the key to making yourself understood, and when you hear Dutch people speaking, some of those sounds seem to be coming from the back of their throat.

[Anonymous]

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@ComaChameleon wrote:

@jonsie

what the heck is a "numpty ferang"? It sounds so funny

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Let me try and help you

https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/britishisms-know-your-mucker-from-your-muppet/p06dct2h

[Cleoriff]

Ferang is what the Thai call British men. Numpty means idiotic...

[sheepdog]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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 ...

On the subject of dialects, people from Limburg are often derided for not speaking proper Dutch. At least that's what a couple of stewards from KLM told me

But I'm always impressed when I hear people say that they're learning Dutch, because I've always imagined it to be one of the more difficult languages to master. You can usually get away with making minor grammatical errors, but correct pronunciation is the key to making yourself understood, and when you hear Dutch people speaking, some of those sounds seem to be coming from the back of their throat.

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That was my problem as I couldn't get the g sound right and its harsher sounding in some regions. which aggrevated my voice. Though one think I did learn is you don't pronounce "Van Gogh" as "Van Go" or "Van Gough (coff)" and its more like "Van Hock". Cue Eductational Youtube demo of the day: 

[pgn]

Languages: More strings to your bow, never a bad thing.

Great when on holiday to be able to earwig nearby conversations, and drop in a comment in that language if the discussion is getting out of hand... 👹

I learned 5 languages at school (including English) and never thought I would end up married to a person of the one language I learned the least of... So it goes. Mind you, watching George and Mildred dubbed into another of the 5 was entertaining. 🤣

[ComaChameleon]

@jonsie/ @Cleoriff

Is ferrang Thai then or just some phantasie word?

@Cleoriff

I know... I watched that Crime too...

The finale will be very boring as both teams are not even close to my favs...

@Anonymous

That's the hardest part of a non-native-speaker... As I always expect it to be words out of some dictionary that I just didn't knew

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@sheepdog

That's all my hood I thik Brüggen is County Viersen, right?

They were really close, Wildenrath, M'gladbach and Brüggen is like neighborhood... I think Weeze (now airport) was british too.

How would you've spelled Van Gogh?

@Anonymous

It's not really hard to learn as it's close to German. But I guess it's harder for the romanian languages. They loan from German and English and a bit of French.

German and dutch are a bit complicated and many fall into a trap with us differentiating between Du and Sie (you and... you). Du is for people you know, Sie for people you show your respect (like at work it's the boss... In offices even collegues). And Die, Der, Das (the, the, the).

Same for Dutch with Jou and Uw

And yes, Limburgs is an own thing

@pgn

Which ones did you learn? That's much for a british person.. And what is your wife speaking?