Foreign Languages

[Spiky Bugger]

#1-- When I was trying, unsuccessfully, to become proficient in Russian, I discovered that in order to ask the question, "Where are you going?" you needed to use the correct word for "to go." And that requires that you know if the traveler is walking, driving, riding a bicycle/skateboard or taking a form of scheduled public transportation, like a bus or a plane. AND...you have to know if the journey is one way or round trip.

I figured that any language that required that you know all that BEFORE you asked the question was just screwing with you and who needed it. So I didn't become proficient in Russian. I'm pretty much stuck at, "This is a pencil; that is a window." (Oh...and because it was the Army trying to teach me Russian, I'm pretty good on, "This is a tank; that is a sergeant." If you need those translations, I'm your girl.)



#2--Meanwhile, in German grammar...

 

[DianaCox]

I've lost much of the French I ever learned. I just use present tense, and preface it with some attempt to state a time that the verb will happen. Pathetic, I know.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

German is a LOT easier to figure out if you learn it immersion style. The tables and lists form of learning, still so common in high school and college classrooms, is torture.

I am told that I have a gift for language acquisition. I decided to take a semester of Spanish in college. That system about drove me bonkers. So I did what I did when I first started learning German: I listened to Spanish radio and TV, told my Spanish speaking acquaintances to talk to me only in Spanish, and wandered around those folks with a dictionary in hand.

Besides Spiky, you speak Spanish. Nouns have gender in Spanish and that affects their articles. The only thing German adds is a neuter. So quitcherbitchin' already. You have upside down question marks at the beginning of sentences, too, and how much sense does THAT make?

(I agree about Russian, though: Too much effort.)

 

[newanatomy]

I took two years of French and a year of German in high school. I can only speak food. I speak it in many languages though. Burrito, enchilada, canapés, Hamachi, Bolognese, jager schnitzel, colcannon

 

[kirmy]

I speak Australian, drunk Scottish, Highland, fifer, Home Counties and Liverpudlian. MyGerman teacher once hit me on the head with my ruler and called me a "******* ****". I drew hitler moustaches on her name every time she gave me a handout or exam after then. I made the French relief teacher storm out of the class yelling. All I did was speak with a fetching French accent. I felt the continental types were too sensitive for knock about white trash Aussies like myself. I never perfected a language. I regret that but can say truly terrible things in Auslan sign language. That's something right?