Some Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL)
Do you speak any languages other than English?
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My daughter is Caucasian, but speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. She is also very tall.
She was visiting Taiwan about a year ago when two Oriental ladies knew she was a tourist, but thought she spoke only English. One lady says to the other one that my daughter is too tall and carries on her rant for several minutes (Like my daughter could help it....)
Finally, my daughter spoke to her in Chinese that she didn't think she was too tall and continued talking to the other lady for several minutes in Chinese. The one Oriental lady was so embarrassed that she would not look at my daughter after after that.
She was visiting Taiwan about a year ago when two Oriental ladies knew she was a tourist, but thought she spoke only English. One lady says to the other one that my daughter is too tall and carries on her rant for several minutes (Like my daughter could help it....)
Finally, my daughter spoke to her in Chinese that she didn't think she was too tall and continued talking to the other lady for several minutes in Chinese. The one Oriental lady was so embarrassed that she would not look at my daughter after after that.
I was working in a supermarket and a Hispanic husband and wife are shopping in produe dept. The husband asks in English how much for the whole watermelons on display. I said $3 each...
In Spanish he tells his wife that this price is crazy and out in the street he can buy 2 for the some money. In Spanish I tell him I don't make the prices and he is better off buying the watermelons out in the street.
The guy almost [censored] in his pants and immediately apologized.
LOL
In Spanish he tells his wife that this price is crazy and out in the street he can buy 2 for the some money. In Spanish I tell him I don't make the prices and he is better off buying the watermelons out in the street.
The guy almost [censored] in his pants and immediately apologized.
LOL
Originally Posted By: Kruse
My daughter is Caucasian, but speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. She is also very tall.
She was visiting Taiwan about a year ago when two Oriental ladies knew she was a tourist, but thought she spoke only English. One lady says to the other one that my daughter is too tall and carries on her rant for several minutes (Like my daughter could help it....)
Finally, my daughter spoke to her in Chinese that she didn't think she was too tall and continued talking to the other lady for several minutes in Chinese. The one Oriental lady was so embarrassed that she would not look at my daughter after after that.
Two Asian women.
Rugs are Oriental.
My daughter is Caucasian, but speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. She is also very tall.
She was visiting Taiwan about a year ago when two Oriental ladies knew she was a tourist, but thought she spoke only English. One lady says to the other one that my daughter is too tall and carries on her rant for several minutes (Like my daughter could help it....)
Finally, my daughter spoke to her in Chinese that she didn't think she was too tall and continued talking to the other lady for several minutes in Chinese. The one Oriental lady was so embarrassed that she would not look at my daughter after after that.
Two Asian women.
Rugs are Oriental.
Originally Posted By: ctrcbob
Originally Posted By: Kira
I can founder about with the bit of German I learned in high school.
Since I'm humanly sensitive and irresistibly urbane I can pick the most necessary words and get a point across.
My grammar isn't bad, it's non=existent.
WANT AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE? .....You do! GREAT
What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages?......bi-lingual
What do you call someone who speaks 3 languages?.....tri-lingual.
What do you call someone who speaks 1 language?.......American.
Kira, you beat me to it.
As for me, I speak;
1. A dead language, Sicilian. Only spoken by the children of immigrants who went to the U.S. , Canada, Australia, and the very old in Sicily. The last few generations in Sicily only speak the national language, Italian. (Different than Italian).
2. Italian (good but not as good as Sicilian).
3. French. (Can't hold an intelligent conversation, but know how to order food in the market, ask for and give directions, etc; won't starve in France).
4. Spanish. (Same as French above. Won't starve).
Trying to learn Brazilian Portuguese but still have a way to go. (Won't starve there either).
As for Number 1 above, I talk with my Australian cousin, born and raised in Brisbane Queensland. Although we may start out speaking English, we sometimes have trouble understanding each other due to his (my) accent and different meanings to common words, so we revert to Sicilian, the language of our ancestors. Just like speaking with my parents, aunts and uncles.
That’s awesome Chief. Very cool bro.
Originally Posted By: Kira
I can founder about with the bit of German I learned in high school.
Since I'm humanly sensitive and irresistibly urbane I can pick the most necessary words and get a point across.
My grammar isn't bad, it's non=existent.
WANT AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE? .....You do! GREAT
What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages?......bi-lingual
What do you call someone who speaks 3 languages?.....tri-lingual.
What do you call someone who speaks 1 language?.......American.
Kira, you beat me to it.
As for me, I speak;
1. A dead language, Sicilian. Only spoken by the children of immigrants who went to the U.S. , Canada, Australia, and the very old in Sicily. The last few generations in Sicily only speak the national language, Italian. (Different than Italian).
2. Italian (good but not as good as Sicilian).
3. French. (Can't hold an intelligent conversation, but know how to order food in the market, ask for and give directions, etc; won't starve in France).
4. Spanish. (Same as French above. Won't starve).
Trying to learn Brazilian Portuguese but still have a way to go. (Won't starve there either).
As for Number 1 above, I talk with my Australian cousin, born and raised in Brisbane Queensland. Although we may start out speaking English, we sometimes have trouble understanding each other due to his (my) accent and different meanings to common words, so we revert to Sicilian, the language of our ancestors. Just like speaking with my parents, aunts and uncles.
That’s awesome Chief. Very cool bro.
Originally Posted By: JustN89
Originally Posted By: Dyusik
English, Russian. I am thinking about studying Spanish. Makes it hard to do my job when people can't tell me they are dying. Irritating that I have to learn another language for some one else's needs, yet we are in the same situation.
What prompted you to learn Russian and how did you do it? I've been wanting to learn Russian for a long time but haven't had the time to devote to it yet.
Other way around. I'm an immigrant.
Originally Posted By: Dyusik
English, Russian. I am thinking about studying Spanish. Makes it hard to do my job when people can't tell me they are dying. Irritating that I have to learn another language for some one else's needs, yet we are in the same situation.
What prompted you to learn Russian and how did you do it? I've been wanting to learn Russian for a long time but haven't had the time to devote to it yet.
Other way around. I'm an immigrant.
Originally Posted By: Icecube
English and French, both perfectly.... it’s pretty cool to see all the English words that come from French. And the French from Latin, which I studied for 5 years but remember very little, albeit it allows me to read and understand a little Italian and Spanish...and some Portuguese.
The French taking over England made the language half Latin. My ancestry is English with a bit of Cherokee. I took French in school, and grew up just outside of Louisiana. I moved to a Latino area and picked up Spanish pretty fast. I’m the translator at work if the Latinos are not there. I get compliments on my Spanish, but It really blows people away when I start speaking French to Haitian or African immigrants.
English and French, both perfectly.... it’s pretty cool to see all the English words that come from French. And the French from Latin, which I studied for 5 years but remember very little, albeit it allows me to read and understand a little Italian and Spanish...and some Portuguese.
The French taking over England made the language half Latin. My ancestry is English with a bit of Cherokee. I took French in school, and grew up just outside of Louisiana. I moved to a Latino area and picked up Spanish pretty fast. I’m the translator at work if the Latinos are not there. I get compliments on my Spanish, but It really blows people away when I start speaking French to Haitian or African immigrants.
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Russian, English, Ukrainian. Another immigrant here.
BITOGese
Croatian, obviously. Other than that I'm very good in Slovenian. I also understand some Italian (albeit Venetian dialect that was/is spoken locally- my late Nona spoke exclusively Fiumano, and I studied German- not much is left there, but i do remember basics.
Originally Posted By: Broo
I'm a French Canadian, so French is my native language.
Am I right in saying that the French would not call your French, French?
I'm a French Canadian, so French is my native language.
Am I right in saying that the French would not call your French, French?
Originally Posted By: CharlieBauer
Originally Posted By: Broo
I'm a French Canadian, so French is my native language.
Am I right in saying that the French would not call your French, French?
That's true in general. American English isn't quite GB's English; I've met European Spaniards that say Mexican Spanish is way off; and I met one French person who said Canadian French is off quite a bit from the original. I call it "Continental Drift"...hee-hee
Originally Posted By: Broo
I'm a French Canadian, so French is my native language.
Am I right in saying that the French would not call your French, French?
That's true in general. American English isn't quite GB's English; I've met European Spaniards that say Mexican Spanish is way off; and I met one French person who said Canadian French is off quite a bit from the original. I call it "Continental Drift"...hee-hee
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: CharlieBauer
Originally Posted By: Broo
I'm a French Canadian, so French is my native language.
Am I right in saying that the French would not call your French, French?
That's true in general. American English isn't quite GB's English; I've met European Spaniards that say Mexican Spanish is way off; and I met one French person who said Canadian French is off quite a bit from the original. I call it "Continental Drift"...hee-hee
One French person told me he couldn't understand Canadian French at all.
Don't think a Brit or American would say that about each other except when accents are strong.
Originally Posted By: CharlieBauer
Originally Posted By: Broo
I'm a French Canadian, so French is my native language.
Am I right in saying that the French would not call your French, French?
That's true in general. American English isn't quite GB's English; I've met European Spaniards that say Mexican Spanish is way off; and I met one French person who said Canadian French is off quite a bit from the original. I call it "Continental Drift"...hee-hee
One French person told me he couldn't understand Canadian French at all.
Don't think a Brit or American would say that about each other except when accents are strong.
When we lived in Louisiana the locals told us folks from France say they speak a very archaic form of French compared to what denizens of France speak today.
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Bud_One
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English and Spanish
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