Languages!

[Kanon]

Speak any? Whats your competency level? How'd you learn? If you could learn ANY language in a day, which language would you pick?

I don't know any other languages than English but since year 10 I've been really really keen to learn one! I've done french from Prep-Year 9, but language was always the bludge/muck around subject at my schools so we never really paid attention and I don't really say that I know French. I really want to learn Mandarin but I don't really know how to get started, any ideas?

[jeanweasley]

I'm quite competent at my first language, however, I was never fluent as back home, I spoke mixed (with English phrases).

If I could learn a language, I'd want it to be Spanish so I can talk to my grandpa in his home tongue. I would have also loved to be fluent in French, although I did do it from Year 7-9. Another language is Latin and my favourite, Gaelic, although I know nothing about its roots or history, I know that it's difficult but that it sounds really cool.

[alondouek]

I learnt Hebrew from Prep-end of Year 10 and can speak it okay, and French from Year 8 through VCE and can speak it semi-fluently. I'd love to be able to continue it at uni, but apparently I can't without doing a Dip.Lang due to my double degree.

Beyond that, I'd like to learn other European languages (using French as a starting point), and move on to Arabic (which is spoken by some members of my family) and Mandarin. Latin would be another interesting one to learn, despite the arguably few practical applications.

Polyglots FTW!

[spectroscopy]

tbh if i could insta- learn a langauge i'd learn basque because id never be able to learn it otherwise LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

i speak english (obvs), fluent greek, though im rusty now, ancient greek i can understand perfectly well but when i try to construct my own sentences its always grammatically incorrrect.
learning russian now with strokes language learning program and im up to the b2 course now
i learnt mandarin from grade 2-10, LOL i like chinese and its not that hard tbh, apart from learning all the characters - dear lord HAHA
languages are fun i spend half of my time researching them

if you want a challenging language try learning something polysynthetic !
theyre nearly all useless but you get infinite bragging rights to all linguists LOL

[ninwa]

I really want to learn Mandarin but I don't really know how to get started, any ideas?

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/foreign-languages-and-literatures/21f-101-chinese-i-regular-spring-2006/

Of course, speaking-wise there's really no substitute for face-to-face classes or actually living in China, but you can still get quite far with these online courses.

Whole bunch of other FREE courses here: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

I speak German (beautiful language, love it), bit of badly pronounced French, Mandarin (my mother tongue) and I would hope English. Learning all of the official UN languages is on my bucket list.

[EvangelionZeta]

Seconded what Nina said - if you have materials to study with and enough self-discipline, you can get quite far with a lot of languages.

I'm able to speak English, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, and also read Ancient Greek.  I've also done a bit of Latin and Indonesian - hoping to get my Indonesian skills up to scratch in particular, as I've only taken it up recently but really quite enjoy it

[Scrono13]

Learn Italian, it is the best language, without a doubt!

[Art Vandelay]

if you're interested in language acquisition check out poliglotta80 on youtube, an italian polyglot who has some killer tips and trips.

[Furbob]

I've been learning Japanese since year 7 and I 've been continuing since - currently doing Japanese advanced 5 (aka Jap 11)

I still think I cant hold a deep or natural conversation since I havent been throw in Japan and forced to speak it for a month or so but I find just being the the country seems to help a lot. A girl who in my year level who was quite behind spent a month in Japan and holy-poop she could speak a lot faster and naturally when she came back

I picked up mandarin chinese this year and im enjoying it a lot. Somehow I feel at home when the teacher talks about chinese culture since I experience it personally with my mum's side of my family (she speaks cantonese though but the culture's still there)

unis provide you with communities and clubs where you can practice your skills and I highly recommend learning languages!

[Fyrefly]

^ I speak what Furbob speaks.

I kind of want to learn Khmer, even though I know it'd be useless in the business world.

[Furbob]

^ I speak what Furbob speaks.

I kind of want to learn Khmer, even though I know it'd be useless in the business world.

she's my clone + she totes stalked my timetable and we ended up in chinese together and became the bestest of freidnz xoxo

I even drawz a pikcha for her :3

[Art Vandelay]

does anyone else understand fluently but not speak/read/write their mother tongue? so frustrating -.-

[Stick]

My mother tongue is English but my grandparents speak Italian and I continued Italian up until the end of Year 11 (and I would have done it this year had a class run - don't get me started...). Writing the language was my strength, but I wasn't too bad at reading it either. I'm hopeless at speaking and listening though. XD I hope to continue Italian at university, but I'd really like to learn it over the summer holidays in one of those intensive courses that can actually get you speaking fluently in just a short period of time. Given that I do have a good grasp of the language already, I feel that this is all that I'd need to seriously take my skills through the roof.

[grannysmith]

does anyone else understand fluently but not speak/read/write their mother tongue? so frustrating -.-

+1

[brenden]

I'd insta-learn Latin, simple because it would make a whole lot of other languages easier to learn.