EoFFFe what's your lingo, have you many lingos, are you a regular speaking champion?

[Alive-Cat]

I know a few people here speak more than one language! Come forward, brothers and sisters. When did you learn, why did you learn? School? Fun? I don't know?

If not, have you ever tried? Would you ever try?

I am 99% moving to Japan end of 2015/start of 2016, so basically a little over a year from now. Other than the greetings and such trivialities, if I were to find myself in Japan right now I would be a lost little puppy not understanding any words or anything that was occurring around me. I know English is pretty common everywhere but still, not as common as one would hope. I'm hoping if I begin learning now (from some kind of thing I will find on the internet or order or whatever) that if I try hard every day for a year or so, by the time I have saved up my target funds to go there with, I may be able to communicate my wants and needs to the beautiful people to some extent, at least. Like 'i am starving please i will die if i don't eat' etc.
I just assume if I start trying hard to learn now for the next year I will definitely be in a better position when I actually go than I would be if I had done nothing, anyway!


And now, finally, for your hearing pleasure, here is a rap song in six different languages!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRLMDeF7x9Y


Your friend and humble servant, Alive-Man xxxxxxxx

[Jess]

Languages aren't my strength.

I speak English only. I know tiny bits of French and German, but it's more words than sentences.

I wish I was one of those people who picked up languages really easily. :jess:

[Perducci]

English. I know tiny bits of Welsh because I've lived in Wales for the past 25 years but really, does Wales even count?

[Shorty]

Nope. I know a handful of French words, a handful of Spanish words, and a handful of Swedish words. That is all.

[Pumpkin]

I know French and English and have been slowly learning Spanish, but I'm not very far along

[Shiny]

English and Spanish, but I pretend I speak neither of those if anyone comes up to me asking questions in either of those languages.

[chionos]

English, some Spanish, the beginnings of Russian, read (not speak) Greek and Hebrew, and a few things here and there in French & Japanese (mainly from playing FFXI lol).

I'm really not good at all at languages because I have a terrible memory, but I work at them a lot because I like languages so much. I wish I had the memory for it.

[Colonel Angus]

I took French in high school, but can only parle vous a oui bit of it. I never could understand the people on the audio tapes. :(

I took Japanese in college, but the best I can do is write my name in Nihongo. Maybe I know a few things here & there, but I can't remember much. :(

I know some Spanish curse words because of my grandfather, who is fluent is cursing in Spanish. I know a few other words & phrases, but not much, amigo. :(

& I know a few Italian words & swears, thanks to my grandmother, but not much else. :(

[Christmas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC83NA5tAGE

[chionos]

Spanish definitely sounded great. I didn't think Japanese sounded so bad. Different from all the others. Cutesy. Not so terrible though lol.

[Christmas]

Not horrible in this song, but in general. Japanese and German are just horrible. Gives me bloody ears.

Traumas from World War 2, boobies pie? :bigsmile:

[Colonel Angus]

Not horrible in this song, but in general. Japanese and German are just horrible. Gives me bloody ears.

Traumas from World War 2, boobies pie? :bigsmile:


I've got goddamn shrapnel in my ass, you ingrates.
漬物を食べて、汚れたアメリカの悪魔ます！

[Christmas]

Not horrible in this song, but in general. Japanese and German are just horrible. Gives me bloody ears.

Traumas from World War 2, boobies pie? :bigsmile:


I've got goddamn shrapnel in my ass, you ingrates.
漬物を食べて、汚れたアメリカの悪魔ます！

Holy crap, run Angus. Boobies Pie might bomb Hiroshima again just for this! :(

[Colonel Angus]

The only bomb that Boobies Pie is familiar w/ is the Jägerbomb. ;)

[Colonel Angus]

CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT
:cry:

[Miss Mae]

I know a little Portuguese - Brazilian Portuguese specifically. My best friend lived in Brazil almost all of her life, so she learnt English and Portuguese from birth; she's been teaching me bits and pieces since I started talking to her when we were eight. I'd probably know more if she liked Portuguese more than English, but as it is she loves that I am somebody she is allowed to speak English with.

[Yellow_Magic]

For a guy who's lived in as many countries as I have, I'm notoriously poor with languages.

Technically, English isn't even my mother-tongue, but because I had the type of parents who were all "ENGLISH MASTER RACE" it ended up being the language I was best at.

As a result, I can read, write and understand Urdu and Sindhi fairly well, but I'm pretty poor at speaking to be honest (doesn't help that I didn't live in my native country for very long, but that isn't really an excuse). In the same token I can read Arabic and have a faint understanding of sentence structure, but my vocabulary's abysmal.

I studied French at GSCE level (still try to pick up a few words from time-to-time) and am self-teaching Japanese.

[Alive-Cat]

Impressive languages, everybody! You are inspirations to my life :greenie:

[Colonel Angus]

Has anyone tried the Rosetta Stone programs or something similar? Man, they can be expensive, but I've heard good things.

[Alive-Cat]

Has anyone tried the Rosetta Stone programs or something similar? Man, they can be expensive, but I've heard good things.

I have not even heard of it! What is this

[Colonel Angus]

Has anyone tried the Rosetta Stone programs or something similar? Man, they can be expensive, but I've heard good things.

I have not even heard of it! What is this
It's a computer/mpg player program that teaches you the language (whichever you bought) through immersion, which is how we naturally learn our native lanuages. They even have different levels for the more popular languages.

[Alive-Cat]

Has anyone tried the Rosetta Stone programs or something similar? Man, they can be expensive, but I've heard good things.

I have not even heard of it! What is this
It's a computer/mpg player program that teaches you the language (whichever you bought) through immersion, which is how we naturally learn our native lanuages. They even have different levels for the more popular languages.

How expensive is this shenanegans? I might go for it! Unless it's so expensive I can't eat! We all must eat

[Colonel Angus]

Has anyone tried the Rosetta Stone programs or something similar? Man, they can be expensive, but I've heard good things.

I have not even heard of it! What is this
It's a computer/mpg player program that teaches you the language (whichever you bought) through immersion, which is how we naturally learn our native lanuages. They even have different levels for the more popular languages.

How expensive is this shenanegans? I might go for it! Unless it's so expensive I can't eat! We all must eat

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dsoftware&field-keywords=rosetta%20stone&sprefix=rosetta%2Caps%2C293

There are various prices. Full sets seem to be in the high US$400s. You won't be eating for another year.

[Alive-Cat]

They're not getting all that money from me! :nonono:

[Christmas]

Has anyone tried the Rosetta Stone programs or something similar? Man, they can be expensive, but I've heard good things.

I have not even heard of it! What is this
It's a computer/mpg player program that teaches you the language (whichever you bought) through immersion, which is how we naturally learn our native lanuages. They even have different levels for the more popular languages.

How expensive is this shenanegans? I might go for it! Unless it's so expensive I can't eat! We all must eat

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dsoftware&field-keywords=rosetta%20stone&sprefix=rosetta%2Caps%2C293

There are various prices. Full sets seem to be in the high US$400s. You won't be eating for another year.

Holy, that's expensive. It is much cheaper to be like Boobies Pie and hates the language. I think I will go with her way. :bigsmile:

[chionos]

I have the Russian Rosetta Stone. It really works but you have to stick with it. A good microphone helps, btw, as some of the articulations are very precise and very difficult. For instance, I had to get a new microphone for the software to accept my version of Здравствуйте. Zdravstvooytye. The software is very picky about some of the sound combinations, especially those pesky consonant mashups.
It's worth the money, but it's not a miracle; there's nothing automatic about it. The structure must be adhered to and meticulously followed to actually make progress.

[Alive-Cat]

I have the Russian Rosetta Stone. It really works but you have to stick with it. A good microphone helps, btw, as some of the articulations are very precise and very difficult. For instance, I had to get a new microphone for the software to accept my version of Здравствуйте. Zdravstvooytye. The software is very picky about some of the sound combinations, especially those pesky consonant mashups.
It's worth the money, but it's not a miracle; there's nothing automatic about it. The structure must be adhered to and meticulously followed to actually make progress.

For the funds, and the way you describe it, I'm not gonna go for it! I would only pay such a crazy sum if it was a miracle :greenie:

[Miss Mae]

Rosetta Stone is pretty cool (and can be http://halomapscoukclan.net/images/smilies/Pirate%20Emote.GIFed if you feel like living dangerously). Also there's a site called Duolingo that I find really helpful and it's free. :jess:

[Pumpkin]

I was about to bring up Duolingo, but Mae beat me to it xD

I find it helpful!

[Alive-Cat]

Thank you for all these interesting suggestions that may help me on the path to enlightenment!