Can You Speak Another Language?🗣️🙊

Mary_Scope
Mary_Scope Posts: 5,193 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists
edited June 1 in Coffee lounge

I studied French many years ago for a GCSE and I have been thinking about maybe getting stuck back in again recently!

I've downloaded the dualingo app on and off over the years but never really been able to stick with it long enough to learn anything functional😅

I think being able to speak more than one language is such an incredible skill to have and so helpful and beneficial in so many ways.

Can you speak another language? Or what other language would you like to speak fluently?

Or if you have learned a new language as an adult, do you have any tips? I'd love to know how you've done it and get some inspo!

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Comments

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,108 Connected

    I did French and Spanish at school, but unfortunately I dropped both when I did my options in Year 9, and it was 34 years in April since I left compulsory full time education.

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,108 Connected

    Also, I am kind of multi-lingual in some ways, despite coming from Sheffield I'm fluent in Liverpudlian and Manchester accents.

  • Holly_Scope
    Holly_Scope Posts: 6,351 Online Community Team

    I studied German in school and still remember bits. I know little bits of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese but only a few basic bits. I do envy people who can speak more than one language!

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 8,926 Online Community Team

    Oh me too, always so jealous of people who can speak another language fluently!

    I can read and understand some Russian and Ukrainian. I have a Ukrainian friend and visited her family home in Ukraine about 10 years ago now before the war got bad. It's a beautiful country with some really friendly people.

    I used to be able to hold a simple conversation in Russian, but not any more - it's all exited my brain from lack of practice! I can still read a bit and can understand bits of other Cyrillic languages from that.

    Maybe one day I'll sit down and learn properly again but I feel like I struggle enough with just English sometimes 😂

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,038 Championing

    Oui

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,108 Connected

    Que? No Habla Espanol?

  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 2,063 Championing

    Merhaba, bugün nasılsınız?

    Türkçeyi akıcı konuşamıyorum ama idare edebiliyorum.

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 5,193 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    Are you French @WhatThe?

    I always wanted to do in German in school @Holly_Scope but the only langugaes that were available were Welsh and French!

    What language is that @vikingqueen? It looks very cool written down.

    That's brilliant @Rosie_Scope!! How long did it take to learn? I feel like it would take me so long to even say a couple of words in a cyrillic language haha

  • WelshBlue
    WelshBlue Community Member Posts: 1,423 Championing

    Welsh first language, English second and a bit of Breton French ( only because it's similar to Welsh in some ways)

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 8,926 Online Community Team

    It took a while @Mary_Scope! Once you learn the alphabet it's quite a phonetic language so you can work out what words sound like from reading and go from there. I used a language speaking app to learn to talk, but didn't get very far with it. The grammar, case and tense system was always a block for me, I found it so complicated!

    The dream is to just be born into a bilingual family really isn't it! Much harder to learn as an adult.

  • LilMissOops
    LilMissOops Community Member Posts: 32 Contributor

    Useless at other languages, sadly! Always fancied picking up French again, but everything I learnt in school is long buried 😅

  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 2,063 Championing
    edited June 1

    It is Turkish @Mary_Scope, I hope I have the spellings right, It is a hard language to master, I'll keep at it.

    It translates as "hello, how are you today? I don't speak Turkish fluently, but I can manage."

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 6,038 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1129006#Comment_1129006

    Lo siento, no hablo español! Y tu?

  • egiste2r
    egiste2r Posts: 161 Connected
    VTS_02_1.VOB_FT.jpg

    hola! 😁

  • SheffieldMan1976
    SheffieldMan1976 Posts: 3,108 Connected

    I can count to 10 in Japanese.

    Ichi, Ni, San, Shi, Go, Ro, Si, Hach, Ku, Ju.

    I also know Hello, Konichi Wa! And Goodbye, Sayonara, in Japanese.

    I also vaguely remember how to introduce myself in French.

    Bonjour, Je'Mappelle SheffieldMan1976

    And order a drink in the pub, Je Voudrais Un Biere Sil Vous Plait.

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 5,193 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    Did you go to a Welsh speaking school @WelshBlue? I know a little bit of Welsh but nowhere near fluent!

    That's very cool @vikingqueen! What inspired you to start learning it?

  • WelshBlue
    WelshBlue Community Member Posts: 1,423 Championing

    @Mary_Scope Welsh medium in Junior School but chose English medium in High School, mainly because Welsh is so complicated it was easier to do it in English for some subjects

    All change in a lot of areas now - Everything for everyone in Welsh as a first language

    I'm a big advocate for protecting the language but can understand the resistance against it

  • MeadowLark
    MeadowLark Community Member Posts: 6 Listener

    I love seeing that so many are interested in learning languages ! It’s great to hear that people are at different stages of fluency.

    I’ve tried many apps and also studied in structured paper pencil programs to learn grammar. I am very visual and since any language I’ve studied is a second language for me, a program with visual prompts has been great for me.


    I do know someone who has become fluent in Spanish as a second language on primsleur and now uses Spanish in his work in the airline industry. For me primsleur didn’t work. I need to see the words.

    I’ve used Duolingo, but many people say they feel pressure from that app to continue at a faster rate than they prefer.


    It seems to be designed that way. I have finished all of the lessons on Duolingo for French & Spanish and I can say, even if you come with already having an introduction to these language you’re learning, you cannot become fluent on Duolingo.


    Duolingo’s advantage is that it has a gaming set up & encourages social networking, which is engaging. It is also great for expanding your vocabulary in the language. I will let my paid subscription lapse this summer.

    I did subscribe to Babble for unlimited lessons and it is much more organized and instructive. I recommend it !!!

    I also started the free version of Airlearn and I get five free lessons per day. I love Airlearn ! I highly recommend it for a beginner. 

    I tried to start learning German on Duolingo and I bailed. For me, It was too confusing an introduction to a this brand new language.

    I love learning languages. To me, it’s a window into a different culture and it’s a personal challenge. I feel like I have achieved a workable fluency in French.

    Yet, even though Spanish is closely related, surprisingly, knowing French has made it more difficult for me to as easily master Spanish. So it’s a personal challenge for me.

    I will go back to learning German once I feel more confident about my Spanish skills.

    MeadowLark

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 4,221 Online Community Team

    I did French and German at school and still remember some bits, but wish I'd kept it up. I also know some Japanese and used to be able to read basic hiragana but I've forgotten it all. I'd love to get back into learning but if I don't use it constantly I forget, so ideally I need someone to learn with.

    Any takers!?

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Community Member Posts: 3,640 Championing

    Да, я говорю несвободно по-русски

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