how many languages can u speak?!

[Tlachtgha]

Besides English (obviously ) I speak a fair bit of Irish (is féidir liom mórán Gaeilge a labhairt) und Ich habe ein sehr bisschen Deutsch auch gelernt.
I think it is shameful that Ireland is the only country in Europe where most of the population can't speak their national tongue.
Countries like Finland, where multilingualism is the norm, should be our model.

 

[xxaimsxx]

I was taught french and spanish in school which i loved and couldnt get enough of. I'm a little rusty now though so i'll need to start learning again.
I live in wales but i don't speak welsh...
My first language is english... so in total 3 languages.

 

[Felgen]

Besides English (obviously ) I speak a fair bit of Irish (is féidir liom mórán Gaeilge a labhairt) und Ich habe ein sehr bisschen Deutsch auch gelernt.
I think it is shameful that Ireland is the only country in Europe where most of the population can't speak their national tongue.
Countries like Finland, where multilingualism is the norm, should be our model.

Most people in Finland can only speak english and finnish. Some also have swedish as their mother tongue.

 

[Shift]

I only know French and English. I'd like to learn Spanish and sign language looks pretty kool too, but I wish it was the same sign language used everywhere in the world.

That's a silly thing to wish. It's like saying everyone in the world should speak English. Each country has its own unique culture and the sign language reflects that. And spoken languages do to.

 

[Al3xander]

That's a silly thing to wish. It's like saying everyone in the world should speak English. Each country has its own unique culture and the sign language reflects that. And spoken languages do to.

I wouldn't call it silly. We should be able to communicate with each other, but that can't happen unless we all learn English aside from our mother tongue and even then communication cannot be the same as it is when one uses his mother tongue. A planetary language is an inevitability and a positive one in my opinion. And I believe it is high time we started thinking of all the different cultures as part of the human or Earth culture...

 

[Newtype]

That's a silly thing to wish. It's like saying everyone in the world should speak English. Each country has its own unique culture and the sign language reflects that. And spoken languages do to.

I don't think it's good to compare what I said with saying that everyone should speak English. I don't see the link. What I meant is that if you learn sign language in the U.S., then you go to Japan and you can't use your sign language there. If I was the inventor of sign language, I would've made sure that the signs can be used and understood internationally, and then each culture can add their signs for cultural purposes. Right now, mute people can only communicate with people from their own country, but I'm sure they too would love to do what we are doing on this forum right now, which is to communicate with people that are like us but come from all around the world. However, to do that, they need to learn another sign language, and that's a lot to remember.

 

[philly2bits]

If I was the inventor of sign language, I would've made sure that the signs can be used and understood internationally, and then each culture can add their signs for cultural purposes. Right now, mute people can only communicate with people from their own country, but I'm sure they too would love to do what we are doing on this forum right now, which is to communicate with people that are like us but come from all around the world. However, to do that, they need to learn another sign language, and that's a lot to remember.

Sign language is a natural language, not an invented one. It differs from place to place because, just like spoken languages, it arose in isolated areas.

 

[BlueDays]

Just 1; english. Though I really want to learn Chinese one day.

 

[Newtype]

Sign language is a natural language, not an invented one. It differs from place to place because, just like spoken languages, it arose in isolated areas.

Yeah you're right. I guess that makes it impossible, unless some kind of international sign language committee decides to create a universal sign language that people can learn as a second sign language, a bit like English took that place for spoken languages.

 

[Silvox Black]

I am able to speak both English and Chinese (Mandarin) fluently. Though my Chinese is rather rusty and has American styling to it.

 

[Shift]

I wouldn't call it silly. We should be able to communicate with each other, but that can't happen unless we all learn English aside from our mother tongue and even then communication cannot be the same as it is when one uses his mother tongue. A planetary language is an inevitability and a positive one in my opinion. And I believe it is high time we started thinking of all the different cultures as part of the human or Earth culture...

Well really, I am just slightly biased about preserving the different sign languages of the world... Many deaf schools are being taught using ASL (because that's the language text books are made in) even though different countries have their own sign language and it just makes me sad to think that they are losing their native language because of the US.

But, you do have a good point. It would be nice to have one planetary language.

I don't think it's good to compare what I said with saying that everyone should speak English. I don't see the link. What I meant is that if you learn sign language in the U.S., then you go to Japan and you can't use your sign language there. If I was the inventor of sign language, I would've made sure that the signs can be used and understood internationally, and then each culture can add their signs for cultural purposes. Right now, mute people can only communicate with people from their own country, but I'm sure they too would love to do what we are doing on this forum right now, which is to communicate with people that are like us but come from all around the world. However, to do that, they need to learn another sign language, and that's a lot to remember.

If you learn English in the US and then go to Japan, you can't speak English there and expect everyone to understand you... It's the same for sign languages.

If a person is born deaf, they are pretty much already required to be bilingual (unless they are raised oralist... which I have many problems with, but I won't get into that now) because they use ASL and they would have to use English as a written language. So they could just as easily get on a forum and chat with people around the world just as we are right now.

 

[hoddesdon]

I speak English, obviously, and am learning German (having done it and French at school). Since I am in the Advanced class, I think I am on firm ground in saying that I speak German. I feel I could get around, make myself understood in a German-speaking place.