Speaking another language

[sullyS25]

So I have realized that English is not the native language of a lot of people that are on this forum and I wanted to know how you all do with speaking a second language.....I personally struggle. I can write in spanish and understand spoken spanish for the most part but sometimes when I speak, my nervous predisposition F's with me and I can't spit out what I want to say....I am so consumed with being a perfectionist and saying everything perfectly that it freezes me and I say nothing at all.....does anyone else have any experience with speaking a different language they would like to share?

 

[MrJones]

English is not my first language and I struggle a lot. I can write more or less normally (more or less) in a couple of languages, especially in English, and thought my overall level speaking English is much better now, thanks to practice, I still feel weird. I wouldn't mind going to an English speaking country and try luck. I can only say that the more you practice the better you'll be, so just keep working and things will be okay

 

[davidburke]

I can only speak a few words and phrases in my native language Irish and i'm just about able to speak english so languages are not my thing ::

 

[davidburke]

I would be cool if you all posted yourself speaking different languages

 

[Shyangel]

I'm really good at pretending to speak Spanish, does that count? I've been told I belong in a Spanish soap opera.

 

[Illusions]

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to language too. I get scared about looking stupid for saying the wrong thing. I can just about speak a second language but I'm definitely more confident when I speak English, which I have a stronger command of.

Languages fascinate me. I'd love to learn French and Italian!

 

[jonas89]

I have the habit to hesitate a little when speaking in English but that usually occurs when I haven't been speaking it for a while, Im much better speaking it tho than writing it haha I get a lot of practice speaking it because my best friend dad is from the U.K. and I have a few friends that live here that are from the USA

If you want to be good at it you have to practice a lot speaking it doesn't matter what language that's. I often practice just by myself when in the car alone were no one can hear hehe

 

[KiaKaha]

I can only speak english (well...actually even that can be debatable sometimes) - but I too have noticed how many people can speak more than one language on this forum. To me its very impressive.. I actually have a lot of respect and admiration for those who can, its a sign of intelligence and skill.
The trouble with being a native english speaker is that there isnt enough of a need to learn another language (unless you go out of your way to learn that is)

All I know is some german phrases and bit of maori, I couldnt even come close to saying that I am bilingual.

 

[LittleKitty]

Well my native language is Serbian but I've been speaking English ever since I was 4-5 years old. I know both of them well. Though, I do get nervous whenever I talk, even if I know the person. I start thinking about how I sound then it goes down hill from there.

I know only a few words in Hungarian. Though, I would like to learn more since I'm half Hungarian. For now I'm learning Japanese, just recently started. I Only known a few words in French and Spanish since I never payed attention in those classes.

Talking in different languages isn't a problem for me, its just talking, using my voice that I get nervous about, doesn't matter what language its in.

 

[Aletheia]

I am pathetically monolingual, although I do better with writing than speech. I love words, but I think I approach conversation too much like a maths problem.

I'd love to learn another language; I think it gives you handles on a greater range of concepts. As ShyKiwi suggests, maybe I need to give myself a compelling reason to. I've always wanted to go live in Florence and drown in Italian.

 

[Iluv]

Well I kind of spoke Japanese for awhile but it got really hard for me. I speak English as a first language and I studied it for awhile and just cannot learn another language fully I struggle to learn as well since English is so stuck on me (if that makes any sense lol).

 

[Etbow23]

I know what you're talking about. I've been taking Spanish for the past four or five semesters, plus my boyfriend is Spanish - speaking. When I'm alone and practicing, I sound confident and great. When I'm in class or talking to someone, I forget things, have poor pronunciation because I'm nervous and feel like I'll say something wrong or something.

The funny thing is that if I spoke confidently in these cases I'd probably have LESS chance saying something wrong or not being understood.

I think a big part of it is confidence--something that for is with SA can be hard to have

It really sucks though because a lot of times I get so nervous say if, I'm called on in Spanish class, that I freeze and forget to say something that I actually know how to say. And embarrassment is another thing that makes us freak out.

And I want to be fluent in Spanish. I hope I can gain more confidence. I think my main fear is not being understood.

 

[Etbow23]

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to language too. I get scared about looking stupid for saying the wrong thing. I can just about speak a second language but I'm definitely more confident when I speak English, which I have a stronger command of.

Languages fascinate me. I'd love to learn French and Italian!

Its interesting, I think that people with SA have perfectionist tendencies. Sometimes it gets to the point that I won't do something because I can't do it perfect. So I don't know where to start. I'm so afraid of making any mistake--whether in language or anything.

 

[lonely_drummer]

English is my first and i am fluent in German. Recently Ive picked up some language books on Norwegian, this shall be my next language, hopefully lol

 

[Hoppy]

I speak only two so far and Enlish is my second language. I'm supposed to learn Northern Sotho and Zulu. One day....

 

[Invisibleman]

I can speak like a sentence of french after having it shoved down my throat in school for almost 7 years. I would love to learn another language,english is so boring haha. I always said if I were to learn another language I would want it to be a fairly universal one,im not going to learn macedonian just to speak it in only macedonia::.

 

[1BlackSheep]

English is not my first language and I struggle a lot. I can write more or less normally (more or less) in a couple of languages, especially in English, and thought my overall level speaking English is much better now, thanks to practice, I still feel weird. I wouldn't mind going to an English speaking country and try luck. I can only say that the more you practice the better you'll be, so just keep working and things will be okay

Wow - I'm surprised to hear that English is not your native language as you seem fluent from your posts!

I took 3 years of Spanish in high school, and although I'm not able to speak it fluently, I can usually understand what people are saying. I think it's good to take advantage of learning new languages when you're in high school as you tend to remember it more when you're constantly exposed to it. I've tried learning a couple of other languages as an adult and it's much more difficult to retain. I found French to be particularly difficult to learn!

 

[MrJones]

Wow - I'm surprised to hear that English is not your native language as you seem fluent from your posts!

Thank you

 

[UnderTheBoughs]

As well as my native English, I can usually 'get the gist' of written and spoken French, since I did it at school for years, but translating from English to French is most of the time not within my skill range.

On and off I have been trying to teach myself Russian, since I figured it's uncommon for UK natives to speak it and it would be interesting, and I know a lot of the basics and can sometimes pick out parts in articles, etc. that I actually understand. But understanding spoken Russian is really hit and miss, I can only hear the basic words like yes, no, please, this/that, etc. and numbers.

 

[Invisibleman]

On and off I have been trying to teach myself Russian, since I figured it's uncommon for UK natives to speak it and it would be interesting, and I know a lot of the basics and can sometimes pick out parts in articles, etc. that I actually understand. But understanding spoken Russian is really hit and miss, I can only hear the basic words like yes, no, please, this/that, etc. and numbers.

Yeah same.I was bored one day and I was like learn russian?yes please!. Its brutal though,I tried the rosetta stone. I could get the individual words ok but it was when the sentences started I was like nope::