The icon says Knigi, btw.
Aug. 5th, 2011 08:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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.
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.
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Date: 2011-08-05 06:15 pm (UTC)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...