Se habla ingles?

[hackthis_archive]

I had a dream last night that I had to make this poll. It's just for curiousity's sake, but you know me, I may try to pick your brains later if I want one of my characters to start cursing at people in Russian. Even though my keyboard isn't equipped for Russian.

ETA: I define 'speak' as some degree of fluency/proficency where you can a) carry on a conversation b) curse prolifically and summon a policeman in said language and/or c) survive if you are kidnapped, tied up, dropped off in that country with nothing but your name, and can communicate well enough with other people (without sign language) so you can get back home.

Too much Burn Notice what?

ETA 2: Yes, kids, I know that Scandinavian and Eastern European are regions and not languages, but in some instances you have to generalize because unless it's for a paper, I'm not listing 600 languages.

[Poll #1077017]

Comments

[cleverthylacine]

For "speak" do you mean "am fluent in, all the time" or, "can make myself understood in and follow simple conversations"?

[amberlynne.livejournal.com]

*is lamer*

[1001cranes.livejournal.com]

I know Old English, actually. I needed to meet a language requirement Freshman Year, what can I say? I don't really speak it, since, well, NO ONE does, but I can translate things fairly well.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I posted:

ETA: I define 'speak' as some degree of fluency/proficency where you can a) carry on a conversation b) curse prolifically and summon a policeman in said language and/or c) go to that country and communicate with other people without sign language and/or being bitter that nobody else speaks your language.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

LOL. *pets* You are not a lamer.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*makes note to self* You know, in case I decide someone needs to start speaking in Ye Olde English at some point :-)

[deepsix.livejournal.com]

I can read a whole boatload of languages, but I only checked English and French because they're the only two that I can actually speak, like, with actual words coming out of my mouth. :D

[amberlynne.livejournal.com]

No hacer languista skillz.

[cleverthylacine]

I can do those things in Japanese, mostly :) I went to Japan. There were some funny moments, but there were as many funny moments caused by their bad English as by my bad Japanese. Thanks.

[cleverthylacine]

I should probably explain that. I have long, very straight, fairly coarse, heavy black hair. People addressed me in Japanese from behind, I'd turn around and answer them, they'd see my white face and freak out and start trying to speak English. Which they inevitably hadn't done since high school.

[1001cranes.livejournal.com]

Haha, yeah, it's not really useful unless you get into something like Beowulf.

I've also taken several years of Spanish and one of Latin, but admittedly very little of both has stuck with me. I can understand Spanish well enough when its spoken, but I can't hold up my side of the conversation at all. >_>

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

I am fairly fluent in American Sign Language, but that doesnt have its own country...hmmm.

I would use my WTF asl icon, but I deleted it somehow, so have a WTF in Braille, instead!

[knowledgequeen.livejournal.com]

English, French, and Russian, though if all you need to know is how to curse, I can do that in about seven more languages. >.>

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*shakes head* LOL. I knew I was going to forget a couple. My bad!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Me too! I can babble in English, Spanish and Italian (or I could before all that alcohol), but I can curse in at least three more.

[saturnalia.livejournal.com]

Hooray for Old English! I'm taking that next semester- I already have, uh, six years of Latin under my belt, so I figured why not add another dead language in there? *g*

[lunais-cross.livejournal.com]

Now I feel lame for not being able to speak a second language fluently. I took two years of Spanish, but it was only for a special award/honor/thing I'll graduate with. >_>

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

What can you read? Tell me! Tell me! I am v curious.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I figured why not add another dead language in there?

Well, when we're all dead you'll be able to communicate much better than the rest of us ;-)

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I took Latin, but can't remember any of it.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

Oh, go back and check all the ones you can read! That's what I did!

[deepsix.livejournal.com]

I went back and added a few to the poll, but in the interest of completeness, I can read English, Middle English, French, Old French (Norman), German, Italian, and Latin. With varying degrees of competency, but still.

[prairiedaun.livejournal.com]

I'd like to say third option: Canadian English (really, an historical hybrid of both American and British with its own dialectical quirks.)

Also, I read Old English and while not able to converse back and forth I can follow a lot of Cree, Ojibwe and Michif.

[aphelant.livejournal.com]

My other language: I read/write/speak Canadian English. :)

[prairiedaun.livejournal.com]

Thinking about it further it isn't a lot of Cree, Ojibwe or Michif. A little bit.