Learn a language

[Gullscorer]

Apart from the odd word here and there, I've never learnt a foreign language, partly because I've never travelled much, partly because I've never been a sociable outgoing person, and also because it's taken me all this time to master my own native tongue. However, I'm beginning to wonder what fun, what experience of life, I might have missed by not learning enough foreign words to string a sentence or two together.

Enough foreigners have visited our part of the world over the years for me to form a few friendships (mostly female!), thankfully because the rest of the world learns English as a second language, but I'm thinking it's about time for me to learn a little French or Italian or Japanese or Chinese or Hindi or Malayalam or Russian, and then to see a little more of the world and to put myself about a bit..

These days you can easily learn something on the internet for free. This Russian course, for example, looks interesting: http://learnrussian.rt.com/ There are similar courses for most countries, though I'm still undecided as to which language(s) to go for.

How about you?

[AustrianAndyGull]

My 4 year old is learning German.

As for me, I speak some German, and a bit of Icelandic.

I know basic school stuff in French.

The Germanic languages aren't so popular now, it's all Spanish this and Italian that but I love Germanic linguistics. It is weird how when you hear Scottish people (especially ones from the highlands and islands ) you can hear the similar sounds in their voice that Icelanders speak.

[OllieGull]

I speak a bit of German.

[Gullscorer]

Mention of Icelandic reminds me that there are links between Scottish/Gaelic and the Norse/Nordic languages.

For example, the old Scottish word 'bairn', meaning 'baby' or 'child', is still in use in Scotland and parts of northern England, and is inherited from its Germanic ancestors. The word in Old Germanic was 'barno' from the verb 'beran' "to bear", which remains in all English dialects. 'Bairn' is the Scottish form, but Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish retain it as 'barn'.

German and Dutch switched to 'kind', and English to 'child', which goes back to a 'kil-d'. The root 'kil-' was an old Germanic word meaning "womb" while 'kind' is related to English 'kin', to "generate", and to the 'gyne' in gynecology.

[usagullmichigan]

My 5 year old is learning spanish and french. She is very good at spanish and she loves learning them.

[Scott Brehaut]

I can speak French and a little bit of Norwegian.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I can speak French and a little bit of Norwegian.

Can't speak feckin English though! :na:

[Gullscorer]

Here's a site (one of many) to learn Japanese, a language which I find easier than many European languages:
http://www.byki.com/fls/free-Japanese-s ... nload.html
Vorsprung durch Technik..!!

[AustrianAndyGull]

My daughter has an Icelandic name

It is actually Faroese but if you tell people up in this neck of the woods that it is Faroese they ask if I've got Egyptian relatives!!

It is Icelandic for bright

I've now blighted my daughters life for good. She has to now physically spell out her name to anybody she comes into contact with!

I get really p*ssed off when people don't prounounce it properly. It is spoken like Bjork the singer.

[ferrarilover]

How is that pronounced, Andy?

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

:devil:

You bugger you! :na:

[Gullscorer]

I always thought Bjork was a tennis player..

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yeah, Bjorn Bjork! :na:

[Gullscorer]

You must b jorking, surely... =D
I wasn't bjorn yesterday... :~D

[Robiberto22]

i speak spanish and english - my 4 year old is good at the ol' spanish too, but got a U in gcse german - which i thought i was good at oh well, i'd suggest starting with an easier language like french to begin with Japanese is a bitch to learn for example, Italian is ok as well