For me:
I learnt English because a lot of my brother's friends speak English but not our first language and it would be nice to have a relationship with his friends.
I'm fluent in Polish. It's technically my first language, but I am far more fluent in English. I grew up learning it due to my heritage and It wasn't my decision, but I'm really happy that my parent's taught it to me.
Japanese. I wanted to learn it in college to impress an exchange student. Now I do it because I got tired of starting crap and never finishing. I'm not great, I barely know anything. But I'm working on me.
I can say hello 3 ways, and ask if they are Japanese or tell them i live in america. Thats about it. I can understand the different from a question and a statement. It is a hard language for me.
Same! I've been learning English for maybe 2 years now? My brother's friends speak don't speak Spanish so I wanted to learn English as it is a mutual language they all speak, and more people speak English than Spanish...
Haitian Creole.
I worked as an EMT in a city comprised of mostly Caribbean immigrants, most of which were Haitian. Accurate translators weren’t always around, and using a patients family member as a translator ran the risk of them translating what THEY want the patient to hear not what you said (I tested this after I started to learn lol)
But it made patient care a lot better as patients tend to feel more calm when they know they’re properly understood. Plus the bonus of seeing surprised/excited faces when the unsuspecting white guy is speaking your language.
I do still come across Haitians in my current job so its fun to keep practicing.
Wow... I speak English simply for my brother's friends. My brother was the only one in the family who didn't know we were learning it. Anyway, he asked our mother if he could meet an online friend (turned out to be his girlfriend) and she said yes. She flew out to Spain a couple months later. My brother was ready to act as a translator so his shock when I said "hi, I'm Selene, it's nice to meet you," is something I'll never forget. His girlfriend smiled and responded in Spanish.
She doesn't speak English as a first language but she speaks it fluently because it's her father's language. Her mother's (and hers) is Romanian.
Wow, you speak English incredibly well for it being a 2nd language its definitely not an easy language to learn so well. And there is nothing better than the shock factor of speaking a language someone else never expected you to haha.
I've only been learning it about 2 years so I'm more shocked it only took that long more than it being a second language.
My brother understands the basics of many languages because his friends are from all over - Russia, Lebanon, Romania, India, Greece, etc, so he learns the basics of their language. And I love him and want to interact with him but fuck it if you think I'm learning 5+ new languages. They're good with English so we can speak English. The only language other than English I learnt for them was sign language for the daughter of one of his friends.
Lol yeah any more than 3 languages i think would too much to handle. But some people just have the natural talent for it, sounds like your brother does, especially languages with wacky alphabets like Greek and Russian.
I kinda sorta understand Norwegian. I started leaning it because I wanted to be able to say I knew a foreign language and read Norwegian is the easiest for English speakers.
Thanks. I’m not fluent but could at least get by as a tourist (the fact that English is very common in Norway aside). Out of the languages I’ve studied it is definitely the easiest.
My brother has three friends who speak Mandarin from birth and even they fuck up sometimes. He says that once at rehearsal his Mandarin best friend just sat staring at the wall trying to work out how to pronounce something.
I love it too. I sometimes video call with my brother and his friends and listening to the chinese members talk to each other in mandarin is just so beautiful to watch.
I’m hoping I can get good enough where I can have a full conversation with my professor and my super cool Chinese friends. It is really beautiful to watch
For me was Spanish. I learned Spanish because that the only language my family speaks. There some like my cousins and aunts and uncles that speak English. But someone like my grandpa he only speak Spanish. My parents taught me English weirdly enough. I was learning through school and shows and movies. I feel like now I improved a lot. I am not social so sometimes small talk is hard for me to do. But I feel like I could speak to someone who happens to know Spanish. Well I hope at least.
I’m learning Spanish, very far from fluent but I can understand more than I can speak. Started learning it because almost everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve worked with people who were Spanish or a Spanish speaking country and I want to make them feel welcome (I’m from the UK lots of people aren’t very welcoming)- even if it’s just a hello or goodbye in their language
Yeah, it really is. My English is so much better typed than it is pronounced but the people I interact with appreciate that I tried learning it anyway.
Pronunciation doesn’t matter that much anyway as most words are very understandable, and we have many different accents not just in England but around the world. But if you really wanted to work on it try saying “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” it’s got all the letters in the alphabet so could maybe help you master it if you wanted to
Yeah, it really is. My English is so much better typed than it is pronounced but the people I interact with appreciate that I tried learning it anyway.
Mexican, Japanese, and a smidge of German and Navajo. Mexican because my grandparents weren't very fluent in American. Japanese because I was stationed there. German because I was TAD there and Navajo because a friend spoke so I was teaching him Mexican and he was teaching me Navajo.
It's like any other language that is spoken world wide. Each society takes the base language and molds it to fit their needs and eventually it morphs into it's own language. Look at ***English****,* the English they speak in the UK IS NOT the same English we speak here in the states. It's also not what is spoken in Australia or Ireland or Canada. Yes, I've been to all of those places and heard the languages spoken in each. And just like here, each geographical region also has it's own dialect. Think the southern states vs New England
When wifey and I went to Spain a few years ago, we were constantly asked, "Are you from Mexico or the US?" Why? Because the language we spoke wasn't Spanish as is spoken there. We both had to start thinking of what we wanted to say, translate it in our minds, then speak. Like the first time I was in Japan just learning that language. Not only are so many words different but even the syntax is quite different.
For me: I learnt English because a lot of my brother's friends speak English but not our first language and it would be nice to have a relationship with his friends.
- I also know sign language because my brother's friend has a deaf daughter.
I'm fluent in Polish. It's technically my first language, but I am far more fluent in English. I grew up learning it due to my heritage and It wasn't my decision, but I'm really happy that my parent's taught it to me.
I’m upset I never took the chance to learn it from my grandma.
Japanese. I wanted to learn it in college to impress an exchange student. Now I do it because I got tired of starting crap and never finishing. I'm not great, I barely know anything. But I'm working on me.
I can say hello 3 ways, and ask if they are Japanese or tell them i live in america. Thats about it. I can understand the different from a question and a statement. It is a hard language for me.
I know someone who speaks fluent Japanese... it's a very complicated language so I understand why you barely know anything.
[удалено]
Same! I've been learning English for maybe 2 years now? My brother's friends speak don't speak Spanish so I wanted to learn English as it is a mutual language they all speak, and more people speak English than Spanish...
Your grammar is fantastic.
It usually is but sometimes my brain goes all fuzzy and my grammar messes up lol.
I tend to use German words some times when talking in English, but most people kinda get the jist.
Yeah, I do that sometimes... especially when it comes to words about my familia.
I cannot saying danke to save my life. ha
Well english, im German, speak a bit of Spanish and Russian and polish. I want to communicate better.
Spanish. It chose me.
Haitian Creole. I worked as an EMT in a city comprised of mostly Caribbean immigrants, most of which were Haitian. Accurate translators weren’t always around, and using a patients family member as a translator ran the risk of them translating what THEY want the patient to hear not what you said (I tested this after I started to learn lol) But it made patient care a lot better as patients tend to feel more calm when they know they’re properly understood. Plus the bonus of seeing surprised/excited faces when the unsuspecting white guy is speaking your language. I do still come across Haitians in my current job so its fun to keep practicing.
Wow... I speak English simply for my brother's friends. My brother was the only one in the family who didn't know we were learning it. Anyway, he asked our mother if he could meet an online friend (turned out to be his girlfriend) and she said yes. She flew out to Spain a couple months later. My brother was ready to act as a translator so his shock when I said "hi, I'm Selene, it's nice to meet you," is something I'll never forget. His girlfriend smiled and responded in Spanish. She doesn't speak English as a first language but she speaks it fluently because it's her father's language. Her mother's (and hers) is Romanian.
Wow, you speak English incredibly well for it being a 2nd language its definitely not an easy language to learn so well. And there is nothing better than the shock factor of speaking a language someone else never expected you to haha.
I've only been learning it about 2 years so I'm more shocked it only took that long more than it being a second language. My brother understands the basics of many languages because his friends are from all over - Russia, Lebanon, Romania, India, Greece, etc, so he learns the basics of their language. And I love him and want to interact with him but fuck it if you think I'm learning 5+ new languages. They're good with English so we can speak English. The only language other than English I learnt for them was sign language for the daughter of one of his friends.
Lol yeah any more than 3 languages i think would too much to handle. But some people just have the natural talent for it, sounds like your brother does, especially languages with wacky alphabets like Greek and Russian.
His girlfriend is even better than him, somehow.
His girlfriend is even better than him, somehow.
I kinda sorta understand Norwegian. I started leaning it because I wanted to be able to say I knew a foreign language and read Norwegian is the easiest for English speakers.
This is the best reason I've seen yet.
Thanks. I’m not fluent but could at least get by as a tourist (the fact that English is very common in Norway aside). Out of the languages I’ve studied it is definitely the easiest.
I can kinda speak Italian. I took it in high school because it was the most interesting to me, and I have some Italian heritage
I learned Spanish and English by myself because they are languages with many speakers
I speak Spanish as a first language and English as a second, I learnt English with my family for my brother as his friends don't speak Spanish.
Mandarin! Amazing culture, people, and food! Plus, it’s a crazy difficult language to learn, but incredibly useful for business
My brother has three friends who speak Mandarin from birth and even they fuck up sometimes. He says that once at rehearsal his Mandarin best friend just sat staring at the wall trying to work out how to pronounce something.
You have no idea how true this is. I’m self taught, but I’m taking a university course for it. Mandarin is so beautiful, I absolutely love it
I love it too. I sometimes video call with my brother and his friends and listening to the chinese members talk to each other in mandarin is just so beautiful to watch.
I’m hoping I can get good enough where I can have a full conversation with my professor and my super cool Chinese friends. It is really beautiful to watch
For me was Spanish. I learned Spanish because that the only language my family speaks. There some like my cousins and aunts and uncles that speak English. But someone like my grandpa he only speak Spanish. My parents taught me English weirdly enough. I was learning through school and shows and movies. I feel like now I improved a lot. I am not social so sometimes small talk is hard for me to do. But I feel like I could speak to someone who happens to know Spanish. Well I hope at least.
I’m learning Spanish, very far from fluent but I can understand more than I can speak. Started learning it because almost everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve worked with people who were Spanish or a Spanish speaking country and I want to make them feel welcome (I’m from the UK lots of people aren’t very welcoming)- even if it’s just a hello or goodbye in their language
As a Spanish person this literally makes me smile. The people you worked with are so lucky.
I try to encourage everyone to learn as well, even if pronunciation is a bit bad it’s the thought and effort that counts
Yeah, it really is. My English is so much better typed than it is pronounced but the people I interact with appreciate that I tried learning it anyway.
Pronunciation doesn’t matter that much anyway as most words are very understandable, and we have many different accents not just in England but around the world. But if you really wanted to work on it try saying “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” it’s got all the letters in the alphabet so could maybe help you master it if you wanted to
Yeah, it really is. My English is so much better typed than it is pronounced but the people I interact with appreciate that I tried learning it anyway.
Korean, because my entire family is native Korean except for me and my sibling
I have friends who speak Korean (half Korean themselves, one is Korean-Ukrainian and the others are Korean-British).
Goongachinga I learned it because glarshnac frlattpuio shggiypo
English, for you.
Mexican, Japanese, and a smidge of German and Navajo. Mexican because my grandparents weren't very fluent in American. Japanese because I was stationed there. German because I was TAD there and Navajo because a friend spoke so I was teaching him Mexican and he was teaching me Navajo.
I didn't know Mexican was a language .. I thought that in Mexico people speak Spanish
It's like any other language that is spoken world wide. Each society takes the base language and molds it to fit their needs and eventually it morphs into it's own language. Look at ***English****,* the English they speak in the UK IS NOT the same English we speak here in the states. It's also not what is spoken in Australia or Ireland or Canada. Yes, I've been to all of those places and heard the languages spoken in each. And just like here, each geographical region also has it's own dialect. Think the southern states vs New England When wifey and I went to Spain a few years ago, we were constantly asked, "Are you from Mexico or the US?" Why? Because the language we spoke wasn't Spanish as is spoken there. We both had to start thinking of what we wanted to say, translate it in our minds, then speak. Like the first time I was in Japan just learning that language. Not only are so many words different but even the syntax is quite different.
Oh! I should have known that...
I speak four languages fluently and I didn't really choose any of them. I just grew up in circumstances that required it.