Other Speaking Multiple Languages

[Nano]

Most of the peeps around me are born to families with a bunch of different mixed backgrounds (too many to bother with anything other than English), so I don't really personally know a lot of people who grew up with multiple languages.


So...for you bilingual/trilingual/etc out there, how do you feel about being able to speak multiple languages? Do you find it fun, useful, or a bit inconvenient at times? What are some experiences you've had, and if you don't mind telling, what languages do you speak?


As for me, I grew up with Korean at home and English in school/the neighborhood. I'll admit that there were some issues that came along with being bilingual (I used to mix both languages in my sentences from time to time when I was a kid), but I more find it fun and convenient. It's always fun to make someone think you're saying pleasant things when you're actually cursing them out. Well, I don't do it often, because that's uhh...rude? >w>;;;

 

[Gabe]

I'm Brazilian, so Portuguese is my main language. Speaking english really helps a lot, considering i couldn't be here, or meet many friends without it. In real life, it's good too, except when people ask "Say something in English!". The best part is to amaze people with it, reading a label or translating something for them.

 

[Loki Odinson]

Well, I'm actually half-Chinese and half-Japanese, but as per traditional asian culture, I follow my father's side, so my mother tongue is Hokkien (a chinese dialect and my father's 'tribe', I guess one can call it), with my second language as Mandarin. I can understand Cantonese but cannot speak it. I am semi-fluent in Japanese and fluent in English (if I do say so myself). 


Having grown up in Singapore, where there is a mixture of so many cultures and languages, I guess I thought it was normal that a person has to be at least bilingual in order to get along with more people in society. I remember using Chinese and Hokkien was the norm in school, so I didn't really feel special or anything.


Now, the downside to being multi-lingual, in my opinion, is one keeps mixing the languages up, especially if they are similar, like Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien. I have no idea how many times I opened my mouth and a mixture of all three comes spewing out. It is awfully embarrassing sometimes, especially if the person you are speaking to only understands one of those dialects, forcing you to stop, sort out the sentence in your head before you repeat yourself. 


Next downside I have discovered is the tendency to think in your mother tongue, meaning you do have to mentally translate the things in your head if you want to write or speak in another language. I discovered this when I came to Australia and had to improve my English a lot. Unfortunately, I got so used to thinking in Mandarin that in order to understand what the teacher was saying, I had to listen to it in English, then translate it into Mandarin. Vice versa for if I want to say something in English. I think it in Mandarin, then have to translate it into English. Of course, as the years go by and my English improved, it became easier to think in English when I want to converse in English and think in another language when I want to speak in that language.


However, there is always an upside to everything, one of which is, of course, being able to say things aloud that someone else wouldn't understand. You can voice an opinion aloud, curse or make comments then shrug it off and say you don't know how to translate it into English. 


Another advantage is being able to read a wider variety of books, listen to more music, etc. I love reading, so I am always happy to read books that are in a different language without having to run them through google translate or wait for it to be translated. Also, it is great to be able to understand what the lyrics of the music you are listening to is about. I do find K-pop music to be rather great, but I actually am not as into them as I might be if I understood Korean, because part of the enjoyment in listening to music for me is being able to understand and follow the lyrics. 


And then, there's the social side of things. Friends are much easier made if one is able to communicate well with each other, after all. 

 

[punkinblackk]

*crying* 


I am fluent in English. (Native language) 


Speak about five phrases in French,


And can recognize very basic Japanese hiragana. (and like... Ten or fifteen words?)


Yayyyy me? 


Haha haha.... 

 

[Cold Ramen Noodles]

I speak English, Spanish and Bosnian and am studying German. 

 

[Kerim]

Well, I've been born in Czech Republic, so I can speak Czech fluently (and understand several other slavic languages, such as Polish and Slovakian), I can also speak English, Spanish and German. Honestly, I'm quite happy with the variety that I have, because I can insult people without them knowing that I even did. Best way to relieve yourself the stresses.


The biggest problems with being multi-linguistic are only when you start learning a new language. That's because all the words and grammar gets mixed up (for example, I've been learning German and my Spanish grammar gets in the way.) But then again, it's also good in some regards, due to the fact that many words are similar in some languages (for example English and German; a hand, die hand.) I don't really tend to speak Spanish and German however, more for the fact that I don't get enough opportunities. Also because I'm a shy insecure lad who thinks they would sound like a dumbass doing so.

 

[lostwanderer]

Born and raised in Philippine soil so Filipino is my native language, however since the media exposure I had as a child was in English, I'm more comfortable in speaking English. It's a common thing here to mix English words into the language since there are a number of words that don't really translate well in the language, however depending on the tone of voice, it can sometimes sound a bit... snobbish? 


I know a few basic phrases and a little this and that in Japanese from anime and my mom who had to learn the language before. And I'll be taking either French or Mandarin next semester, depending on the time. )

 

[charleen]

Born and raised in Philippine soil so Filipino is my native language, however since the media exposure I had as a child was in English, I'm more comfortable in speaking English. It's a common thing here to mix English words into the language since there are a number of words that don't really translate well in the language, however depending on the tone of voice, it can sometimes sound a bit... snobbish? 


I know a few basic phrases and a little this and that in Japanese from anime and my mom who had to learn the language before. And I'll be taking either French or Mandarin next semester, depending on the time. )

na nose bleed ka ate?? lol joke lang 


I was born in the Philippines and lived there for 7 years until I moved to America. I used to have a heavy accent, but over time it got less and less FOB because people would make fun of it, so I was determined to be Americanize. I mean it still peaks through such as with saying specific, I say pacific like Pacific Ocean. I can't help it honestly. Then I've taken 3 years of Spanish, but no comprendo jajaja 

 

[Windsock]

I'm extremely fluent in aphasia.

 

[Axel The Englishman]

English, Dutch, some German and clinging onto what I remember of French.

 

[lostwanderer]

na nose bleed ka ate?? lol joke lang 


I was born in the Philippines and lived there for 7 years until I moved to America. I used to have a heavy accent, but over time it got less and less FOB because people would make fun of it, so I was determined to be Americanize. I mean it still peaks through such as with saying specific, I say pacific like Pacific Ocean. I can't help it honestly. Then I've taken 3 years of Spanish, but no comprendo jajaja 

Hahahaha sshhhh.. xD


Hindi naman. Sadyang iba lang talaga tunog pag nagta Tagalog ako. Awkward af ) 


^^ basically means, I can speak Filipino just fine, it just really sounds weird and awkward af.

 

[AnimeGenork]

Born and raised in America and taught English from the moment I said my first word--"cool."


I'm taking my fourth year of French this year and I actually do better at it than most of the people around me. My ancestry is a mixture of various European countries, so it's really no wonder. I'm part Finnish, French, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and German. I'm not perfect in French by a long shot, but I make it by for the most part when listening to a movie with French audio. (I did this for a while in eighth grade: watching Disney movies with French audio and English subtitles. It was actually really fun.) I know I'm rambling, but I once met someone from the Congo (I think? Don't quite remember) who was visiting my church, and he spoke French. My friend and I talked to him, and even attempted French conversation. SO COOL!


Anyway, from all my watching of anime in both dubbed and subbed, I've actually picked up on quite a few things. Manga helps, too, since there's usually translation notes at the end. Most of what I picked up is culture stuff, but I know a few words and could at least greet people should I ever go to Japan. XD  I want to take Japanese by the end of high school, but I don't know if my schedule will allow it.


English is my native language, but I actually really love French and Japanese, for various reasons. However, English makes the most sense to me, since I was raised on it. I'm always willing to learn more, though. ^^


(I also want to learn Greek. CUZ GREEK)

 

[Noivian]

English is my first language. I took two years of high school-level Spanish, and am not fluent. When I went to college and took a semester of Japanese, I for some reason found myself slipping Spanish words into Japanese sentences on accident. This really confused me, as the two languages don't sound similar. But I still found myself constructing beginner sentences like "Soy sushi desu"  (Literally, "I am sushi I am." Soy and desu are the verbs for being.) for no apparent reason. It doesn't even make sense, as I've said the verb twice. It's a bad example, as I'd often swap out the nouns from Japanese to Spanish rather than the verbs... sentences like "Biblioteca wa doko desu ka?" which is literally "Where is the library?" but probably wrongly spaced (it was only a semester of Japanese and I failed the final, give me a break). My final presentation, I'm pretty sure I almost slipped up and said "El gato no name wa Jake desu." ("The cat's name is Jake." where "The cat" is in Spanish and " 's name is Jake." is Japanese with an English name for the cat.)


Does anyone else have this problem when learning new languages? Specifically those out there who already know two and are trying to learn a third? Or in my case, know bits and pieces of two, and sometimes mash them up?

 

[Shelter]

English is my first language, I grew up with a mixture of English and Yoruba but I don't understand the latter, and this year is my fifth year of learning French. Listening is really hard but not impossible, but I can read and write it really well.  I feel liberating being able to know two languages but my parents are but disappointed that never picked up on their own. 

 

[Olissa]

I'm a dyslectic that was raised bilingually. English and Dutch. For me the fact that I was raised bilingually means that I could easily suppress the usual issues dyslectic people have. I was well beyond my 14th year of age that it finally was discovered. It wasn't till a third language was introduced at school that I started to have problems. So to me bilingualism helped a great deal.


Most Dutch people actually have 1 main language and 2 to 3 secondary languages that they can hold very basic conversations in. (Or at least know enough to get them in trouble)

 

[Dark Enforcer]

I'm a strange mixture of Romanian, Hungarian, French, and Spanish. Mom is half-Spanish and half-French while my dad is half-Romanian and half-Hungarian. I was born in Spain but moved to Romania when I was 4 or 5 more or less. I would say both Romanian and Spanish are my native tongue, but I mainly speak Romanian (I live here). I speak basic to intermediate French for I rarely get to practice it unless I get to see/meet with relatives from France, as for Hungarian, I know NOTHING of it so oh well. I did move to the U.S. for a while so that's how I mainly learned English. So basically I speak, Romanian, Spanish, English, and French.


Hmm, it gets tricky at times because I do end up mixing up languages, specially when I'm drunk or sleepy as hell. Once in school while still in the U.S. I had fallen asleep in class and when the teacher woke me up I started speaking Romanian. Took me a while to remember that's not what I was supposed to be speaking at the moment. Do I have an accent? Yes, but it isn't as heavy as it used to be... or at least that's what I think .-. 


I do know how to read/write Korean, Japanese (and speak basic Japanese), and Russian.