If you could learn another language, what would it be and why?

by RA Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:48 am

I was talking to a friend today about we (and by we I mean us who aren't multilingual) take our native language for granted. I was just wondering if there was a language that any of you don't speak that you think is interesting and you'd think learning would be worth-while.

by azriel Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:58 am

Hello RA

Id like to be able to understand German, then I could really know what the students are saying about us when they invade our shores every summer Suspect

by Mrs Figg Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:11 pm

Welsh. Its no use to me but I am half Welsh so its part of my dna. its odd, when I listen to it theres not one word I can recognize, it might as well be Mandarin.

by halfwise Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:20 pm

Python, by which I mean the computer language. Wink

For human, I would like to actually master spanish. I've had a couple years of it, but all such things just slip through my ears. I'm about as conversant with Spanish as I am with matrix algebra, which means I can think my way through the theory but usually have to look details up, and so plod my way through. I'm fascinated by Mexican cuisine and would like to confidently investigate it at its source.

by Bluebottle Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:45 pm

azriel wrote:Id like to be able to understand German, then I could really know what the students are saying about us when they invade our shores every summer

You have germans invading your beaches every summer? Shocked

That's weirdly poignant somehow.

I'd have to say german too, I think. Considering how many germans I've known and only being able to speak a couple of words of the language.

by bungobaggins Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:01 pm

Probably Spanish, but I took French in school and a little in college, so I might want to go back and master that, too.

by David H Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:09 pm

I'm probably about the same level as Halfy at Spanish and German. I've got a couple years study, and enough travel to know I can sort of get by, but not really enough to converse without a lot of pantomime.

If I were going to really work on a language, I probably logically ought to go do a Spanish total immersion program in some little town in South America. But there's something deep inside me that still craves to study something non-European, something that follows completely different grammar rules like Tibetan, or Turkish or Urdu. Or maybe even some nearly lost indigenous dialect from the darkest part of the Amazon! Yeah, that's it! Nod

by bungobaggins Mon Jan 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Has anyone here used the Rosetta language programs?

by Bluebottle Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:27 pm

Ah, french. Yeah, I'd freshen up my french too while I was about it. Oui, bien sur. Nod

by halfwise Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:18 pm

David H wrote: But there's something deep inside me that still craves to study something non-European, something that follows completely different grammar rules like Tibetan, or Turkish or Urdu. Or maybe even some nearly lost indigenous dialect from the darkest part of the Amazon! Yeah, that's it!

I tried learning the West African tribal language Mende. But the pronouns mutate with tense, and the verbs mutate in the middle of the words to agree with pronouns, and it may as well have been Venusian. Dashedly idiomatic, too. (Standard greeting: "where is your strength?" reply: "There is no rust on God") I figured I had enough problems without taking that on too. I prefer life with an unexploded head.

by RA Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:53 pm

halfwise wrote:Python, by which I mean the computer language.

Oh memories Smile

But man programming is not for me Razz

bungobaggins wrote:Has anyone here used the Rosetta language programs?

I've tried some of them. They're alright for learning pronunciation and for some listening skills. They're not as good for learning to read or write in a language. Rosetta Stone also never actually gives any definitions; it sounds odd but it's something you're supposed to stick with and learn over time I guess.

As for me, I think Japanese is a cool language. I can't speak a word of it, but I'd like to one day.

by David H Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:09 pm

[quote="Recoveryanonymous"]

halfwise wrote:Python, by which I mean the computer language.

As for me, I think Japanese is a cool language. I can't speak a word of it, but I'd like to one day.

My sister speaks enough Japanese to get by. She says the Japanese people are universally amazed at hearing a foreigner attempt to speak their language, in more or less the same way you and I would be startled to meet a talking pig. Shocked

by David H Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:17 pm

halfwise wrote: Dashedly idiomatic, too. (Standard greeting: "where is your strength?" reply: "There is no rust on God") I figured I had enough problems without taking that on too. I prefer life with an unexploded head.

To be fair though, idiomatic English slang is a nightmare for nonnative speakers too. At one point in my life I had maybe a dozen phrases and 3 or 4 dozen words of Tagalog, but only the faintest hints of the grammar. Wish I'd had a book or something to help decode it.

Edit: Oh and by the way,

I prefer life with an unexploded head.

How does that reconcile with your love of theoretical physics? Wink

by Mrs Figg Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:27 pm

yep Spanish and Japanese are good choices.

by RA Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:18 pm

I'm probably going to take some classes too to try and learn Japanese. For the grammar and rules and stuff Very Happy

by Bluebottle Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:18 pm

They do say Japanese is the hardest language in the world to learn for an english speaker, but I guess that kind of makes it interesting in itself.

by Bluebottle Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:20 pm

Now, for all the time you english speakers on here has spent around norwegians, noone wants to learn norwegian? How is one to interpret that exactly? Razz

by RA Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:24 pm

Bluebottle wrote:They do say Japanese is the hardest language in the world to learn for an english speaker, but I guess that kind of makes it interesting in itself.

I wonder if that works in reverse; is English really difficult to learn for a native Japanese speaker?

If it is, then hey, I already know that language Very Happy

so I'm off to a good start!

by Bluebottle Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:42 pm

I guess, yes... and no. Laughing

As part of the reason Japanese is seen as difficult is that it's a completely different branch of languages from english, or norwegian for that matter. And partly no, as the problems are internal to the Japanese language due to their history and culture. Stuff like;

Grammar in Japanese is a bit messy, with verbs doing all manner of bizarre things, adjectives behaving exactly like verbs at times, and all of this having to be changed depending on who is saying what to whom under what circumstances (what is called “respect language” in Japanese).

Japanese, by contrast, has complex rules about when and where the hiragana shows up with characters. These rules are sufficiently troublesome to challenge many native speakers. Then there are personal and place names, which are given readings almost at random, often completely unrelated to the standard pronunciation for the character.

http://www.languagerealm.com/japanese/hardestlanguage_jp.php

by halfwise Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:03 pm

[quote="David H"]

halfwise wrote:
I prefer life with an unexploded head.

How does that reconcile with your love of theoretical physics?

Theoretical physics is much simpler than Mende. Nod

Likely goes for Japanese as well.

by Bluebottle Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:19 pm

Yeah, theoretical physics just deals with straighforward stuff like the inner workings of the universe. Language deals with life, love.. everything really. Nod

by Mrs Figg Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:29 pm

ok teach me some Viking then. how do you say hello, goodbye, thank you, and where can I get some pizza? that's all you need to survive.

by Bluebottle Tue Jan 27, 2015 12:15 am

Hei, ha det, takk og hvor kan jeg kjøpe pizza.

Smile

by bungobaggins Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:31 am

Det snør det snør tiddleboom!

by azriel Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:37 am

Oh I love "tiddleboom" !! bounce

If you could learn another language, what would it be and why?

If you could learn another language, what would it be and why?

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