The icon says Knigi, btw.

[rebness]

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Spanish:  I speak this with a strange mix of dialects, unfortunately. I use some Catalan words accidentally, don't use the Castillian 'th' and often use Argentinian/Colombian words by mistake. (I tend to say 'linda' more than 'bonita') though I still use Castillian like coger el metro, to the amusement of some.

French: The language I learned as a child and probably the one I am most fluent in (if by fluent, we mean halfway competent). I don't have to keep studying it as with other languages - it's like my brain is just switched on when it comes to French. I can count in the language faster than Spanish and recall words or guess what a word would be more often. Dammit, this is why it's so important to learn a language when you're a child. I wish the UK would stop teaching people from eleven. We should be taught a foreign language at primary school.

Greek: Very basic. I know enough phrases to have a card game with the woman we often stay with in Zakynthos or to shout angrily at an Athenian restaurant owner ignoring me (ahem). I can read the Greek alphabet and, again, guess at meaning of words I don't know but I'm nowhere near competent in the language yet.

Russian: Basic. I took lessons in Russian back in 2007 as part of an adult learning class. I can ask for a cup of tea without milk, tell someone to stop, say I'm English and give directions. I can read the Russian alphabet. Thankfully, a lot of the words I need in Russian are very similar to French, so if you can read the alphabet, you can guess the word.

Italian: Basic. I have only ever learned holiday!Italian. I can read it relatively well, but that's only because of its similarity to Catalan. This is the language I'd really like to learn more.

Comments

[cloudsinvenice]

I still get a silly smile on my face every time I think about the time we followed that guide around at the museum and BASICALLY UNDERSTOOD HIS FRENCH. More of life should be like that/I need to get more French into my life. :D

[rebness.livejournal.com]

That was so, so awesome! It was a lovely Culture!Day. We need to do it again soon. <33

[cloudsinvenice]

We do indeed. And there's a lot more graveyards calling our names! :D

[ozfille]

How did you learn French as a child (I assume pre-high school)? Did your family live in France for a time or do you have relatives who live there?

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Our primary school teacher offered lessons to kids at lunchtime if they wanted to learn it. It was only the basics of French, but it really helped build an understanding of it.

My brother's also fluent in a few languages, so he taught me a lot of French.

[palelaura.livejournal.com]

You're a genius! They do say it's easier to learn more foreign languages once you've learned one.

My primary school did actually bring in a French teacher for us for a couple of hours once a week. I had 4 years of it there. Then at high school I had loads more. Now I remember very little. When I look for a word in my brain, it usually finds a Japanese one instead. I could probably find my way around but it would be difficult and embarrassing. ;^__^

I can read the Russian alphabet and is the plural of book in your icon? I can ask for a hotel...but that's about it. :(

I did one year of Italian but...where is it in my brain? Not sure

I'm so jealous of your ability to retain languages!
Languages are awesome.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Oh, my brother is much better at learning languages but I am far better at guessing what a word in a language he doesn't speak means. I have an ear for stuff like that.

Ha! I hate it when languages run into one another. <3

It is the plural of book in my icon! Hurrah! I saw a sassy little mural of that Rodchenko poster in Dublin, so geeked out when I read about it. My Russian will definitely be put to the test in a few weeks' time, so we'll see if I can remember how to ask for a hotel. ^-^

With Japanese, I can remember a fair bit of it, but I guess just knowing a few phrases and the correct way to get a waiter's attention by my tone doesn't really give me language skills! Heehee.

Italian is just one language I have never got around to formally studying. Agh!

And I've just read your post and I'm going to geek out over there right now...

[absinthe90.livejournal.com]

Buongiorno, sono la sua insegnante di Italiano virtuale. Chieda pure, quando più le aggrada.:D

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Si, certo!

Let's definitely talk this weekend. If Sunday's better, btw, I'll be around.

[absinthe90.livejournal.com]

La prima lezione verterà sul cibo: ricette estive e gelato (prevista una parte pratica).

Sunday might just be best! But if you let me know when you're around, I'll tell you more precisely :D

Btw, coming to London in December!

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Anything to do with summer and ice-cream is good for me, bbcakes. >:D

Hurrah! I am seriously considering a nice little sojourn in London this winter. Let's meet up! >:D

[absinthe90.livejournal.com]

Agreed! Your assignment is to learn ice cream flavours in Italian. By eating them.

I'll be there 8-12 december if I have it my way, but I'll be with my cousin, so we won't be able to fangirl too much, but you can still show me cool places around town~ :D

[saffronlie.livejournal.com]

Why does this question say 'what other foreign languages'? 'Other' to what? YES, THAT IS MY ONLY RESPONSE HERE.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Ha, I never picked up on that! How rude of them.

Parlez-vous Spannaish?

[chiibi-lady.livejournal.com]

It's awesome that your fluent, or at least partially in so many languages. I've been studying french for five years now,almost six (Since the 7th grade, I'll be going into my senior year now). My mother is trilinual--fluent in arabic, french, and english, which I hope to accomplish by the end of my senior year. How long would you say that it takes to learn a language--fluently--if you work at it all the time? Does it get easier a you learn more languages? Whats some of the best way to memorize nouns and grammar? Can you read a book in French?