Thread: foreign languages

Who here is fluent in a foreign language? And what is it?

I only speak English but there are several languages I want to learn. I downloaded Rosetta Stone (with all the languages) a while back and I need to install it on this computer. I've used Rosetta Stone in the past. I tried to learn Dutch but I lost interest after a month. For 2012, however I'm going to get serious about learning a new language. I haven't decided what I'm going to study, but the languages on the short list are Spanish, Japanese, French, and Mandarin. I want to learn Finnish but fucking Rosetta Stone doesn't offer that language yet.

My hopes in making this thread is that at least one person here can fluently write one of those languages and then agree to correspond with me for practice.

Well ok. Is this you saying you know how to use Google Translate or do you actually know French?

I took German for 3 years back in the early '90s. I still remember a good chunk of it, but couldn't carry on a conversation if my life depended on it.

I can usually read and understand small snippets of German, but don't ask me to write anything that doesn't involve beer.

I study Spanish off and on but I'm not fluent. I could give you some good resources though.

Hablo un poco el espanol. Hace dos anos que he lo hablado, pero recuerdo demaciado que si necesito decir algo, puedo decirlo.

That was hard. I don't remember much Spanish but I was always pretty good at grammar.

Well I mean it's the closest language to English. I thought it would be easier.

http://www.livemocha.com/

Originally Posted by piranhas

http://www.livemocha.com/

cool thanks

I'll teach you Spanish if shitface gives me my espees back. Thems the rules.

Well actually I lied when I said I wasn't sure. I signed up for Japanese I a month ago. But I still want to learn those other languages. Just not right now.

I can speak pig latin.

eesay histay is igpay atinlay

The second most spoken language in the USA is Spanish. That's why I chose it. I knew it would be more useful to me and I'd actually have a chance to use it. After learning some and about the culture of the Spanish speaking peoples there were a lot more reasons to learn. Loads of places I'd love to visit.

Yeah.... I don't really want to live in the USA. I don't really want to live in any Spanish speaking country. The only reason I want to learn Spanish is because I find it annoying as fuck when I'm hanging out with a group of "friends" and then suddenly people go into Spanish mode like I'm not even there. Also I want to eavesdrop on strangers.

Oh

I want to go to South America.

I want you to go to South America as well.

Join me, and together we will go to South America.

Ich speche Deutsch y hablo espanol

But I haven't used either in a few years outside of adult spring break in Mexico so I probably sound like an autistic child... But I could pick it up with a week of immersion easily.

I was able to carry on an hour-long conversation about international politics with some random old dude in a bar in France so I'm decent at that language.
If you decide to get into any language, I'd recommend the Pimsleur series for the first primer you get (I listened to the Italian CDs on the plane and train rides there and was able to ask for directions around town and exchange pleasantries and basic conversation no problem), and if you get into French specifically, the Michael Thomas series is awesome at helping you learn conversational French.

If you want to concentrate more on writing than speaking, you'd want to go a different route - even some mobile phone apps can help you in that department as they can make the vocab and grammar into a game with scores etc.

Has anyone here tried Rosetta Stone? The commercials make it out to be a wonder product.

It's insanely expensive. I'd shop around first to see if there's anything else with a similar reputation.

well i mean anything is free if you know where to look

That's true. I forgot you guys are all pirates. Everybody at my other forum is a goodie two shoes biggity bitch.

Originally Posted by KT.

The commercials make it out to be a wonder product.

^^^^^^^^^


What is your goal, to be able to talk fluently, or to be able to read and understand some nouns and verbs?
If you want to speak the language, get Pimsleur from your yo-ho-ho sites and use that Mocha link or whatever to practice with natives in their own language. If you want to act like a 2 year old and point to something and say it's name, get Rosetta Stone