Who else is learning another language?

[melnjones]

Taking a break from studying my Brazilian Portuguese because I'm brain-dead and an insomniac and would rather be sleeping but apparently CAN'T:mad: So, who else is learning another language? What is it? Why are you learning it? Have you learned other languages before this one? Is that enough questions to sufficiently distract me from the fact that I want to be sleeping but can't?

My answer- I have studied Spanish and am pretty fluent. I'm learning Portuguese because I'm interested in doing community development and ministry in Brazil and Mozambique.

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Japanese

I need it for not only my work, but also my daily living.

[melnjones]

2. cool

I can say this tongue twister in Japanese that's about hay or barley or something like that, but that's about where the road ends for me.

[Art_from_Ark]

5. Is it, by any chance, "Nama mugi, nama kome, nama tamago"?

Raw barley, raw rice, raw egg

[melnjones]

9. THAT'S IT!!!!!

And thanks for the translation...my Japanese friend didn't know the word "raw." I've been wondering exactly what it meant.

[NuttyFluffers]

6. japanese here too

i don't need it for work or my daily living, yet, but i hope i will in the future. it is my BA major. (i also have relatives who speak)

previously i was studying spanish in high school and half my family speaks it. i on the other hand, cannot (or i can, but it's at a child's level. not enough complexity and nuance). after that i dabbled in other languages, french, hebrew, arabic (had to take classes in it as a child), chinese, vietnamese (i have relatives who speak), german, italian (have relatives...), hindi, portuguese (i have relatives...), tagalog (i have relatives...), a touch of korean (previous roommate), etc. basically it was the shotgun method of learning language. very bad idea. i've since learned then in the value of discipline and teachers in learning such things. but, i have a surprising ability now of picking up more than my fair share of bits and pieces of conversation in foreign languages -- i still have yet to find a good use for that.

[SKKY]

3. I'm constantly learning Spanish...

...I'm fluent (My wife says so, the Navy says so), but I personally don't feel fluent. I still struggle with it. I don't have the "knack" for languages.

[melnjones]

4. I think that sometimes the more

of a language you learn, the less fluent you feel! That's how I feel with Spanish also.

[SKKY]

10. That's a very good point. It seems the more I learn...

...the more there is to learn. It's a never ending process.

[Lisa0825]

11. That's EXACTLY how I feel!!!

I took spanish classes back in high school/early college, but never got fluent. Since then I had a 2 year long distance relationship with a man in Mexico, and also fell in love with the country and culture, so I keep going back as often as I can. My Spanish is improving somewhat, but I still feel like I have to think SO HARD to speak.

[NewJeffCT]

7. I'm very slowly learning Mandarin Chinese

from my wife, a native speaker. My learning has slowed down since the birth of our daughter, however. I can understand a decent amount of it at times after 3 years of marriage. However, I speak much less than a decent amount and forget about writing...

[jukes]

8. learning iraqi arabic

online; just co,,on phrases @ this point.

[BurtWorm]

12. I was intensely studying Latin a few weeks ago.

I went through four units of the Cambridge Latin course (most of it for the second time in three years) in about a month and a half. I can't say I've retained much of it. But I did get to the point at which I could do a rough translation of the Icarus portion of Ovid's Metamorphosis. If you asked me to do it again today, I might not be able to.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. I'm reviewing Chinese when I get a chance

No particular reason, I just like the language and plan to visit China and/or Taiwan again some day.

[radwriter0555]

14. French & Italian, and I'm TRYING to convince the child to learn Urdu.

It just seems there should be SOMEONE I know who speaks Urdu.

She's so obstinate. **sigh**

[Dzimbowicz]

15. I have studied four foreign languages

German (fluent), Polish (working knowledge), Russian (working knowledge) and Spanish (almost fluent).

Why did I study these languages? The first three: German, Polish and Russian, because I needed to know them in order to complete the research for my doctorate. I learned Spanish in high school (1970-74), then actually used it in the Marines and now in the public school system.

BTW, does signing count as a language? If so, I can sign rather well.