| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: How many languages can you speak and/or understand? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Ilan Rubin (X) 
Russian Federation
Local time: 12:06
Russian to English
...do we consider Glaswegian a language, Sunny Jim?
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I speak Dutch, Frisian, German, English and French, Flemish and a little Italian. I can read and understand Swedish, Norwegian, Latin and Danish and Spanish.
| | | | 564354352 (X)
Denmark
Local time: 11:06
Danish to English
+ ...
Victoria Britten wrote:
In Swahili, "roundabout" is kipilefti. Geddit?
Brilliant 
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:06
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Perhaps a more interesting question: | Feb 2, 2016 |
How many languages have you forgotten?
I studied German to university entrance level, and I learnt to get by in Dutch when I lived in The Hague, but I can't speak or understand more than a smattering of either now. It's such a shame. They would probably come back but I'd have to dig deep into my memory banks.
As for this question: I think I can add Spanish now as my third language, but it's not up to the level of a working language.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 06:06
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Once again, statistically null | Feb 2, 2016 |
For a question like this, the answer "2 to 4" practically destroys the poll, IMO. Considering the vast majority of the people who do speak another language speaks TWO languages, you shoud have anwers like "Only 2", "3", "4" and "more than 4". This is just too obvious for me.
It's just like making a poll on how many words do you usually translate in a day? Then having the answers "Up to 5,000", "from 5,000 to 7,000", "More than 7,000". If the purpose is to concentrate 99% of the ans... See more For a question like this, the answer "2 to 4" practically destroys the poll, IMO. Considering the vast majority of the people who do speak another language speaks TWO languages, you shoud have anwers like "Only 2", "3", "4" and "more than 4". This is just too obvious for me.
It's just like making a poll on how many words do you usually translate in a day? Then having the answers "Up to 5,000", "from 5,000 to 7,000", "More than 7,000". If the purpose is to concentrate 99% of the answers in a single category, go ahead! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 18:06
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Chié_JP
Japan
Local time: 18:06
Member (2013)
English to Japanese
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| One official language | Feb 3, 2016 |
Julian Holmes wrote: English, Japanese and Kansai-ben dialect, if that counts. 
Julian shed some light on this,
so far I did not notice too much grammatical variation in daily / official languages within American English. (also for British?) Same goes for French excluding Normandy or l'occitan.
Come to think of it, people in Osaka, Nara and Kyoto are all in Kansai but speak different languages
where sometimes verb has completely opposite meaning (Not clear but Ki-hin, korehen, ikarehen, "can't come" and "won't go" has meaning the other way around between the two).
Julian comes and speaks Kansai language acquired from a native source,
he'd certainly get the applause from everyone.
Suppose a non-Kansai Japanese person tries to speak something of Kansai language
or the like caught in fragments from TV show - well, people are happy to point that you are sometimes mixing three dialects, Osaka, Nara and Kyoto-ben! That is why I can not state I speak that language!
Typically, people in Osaka are quite frank, they would point it straight forward to you,
in Nara, they are too carefree to point it out
and then in Kyoto they are said to be too "mean" to even point it out to someone, kind of scary thought... X-(
| | | | | My thoughts exactly | Feb 3, 2016 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
For a question like this, the answer "2 to 4" practically destroys the poll, IMO. Considering the vast majority of the people who do speak another language speaks TWO languages, you shoud have anwers like "Only 2", "3", "4" and "more than 4". This is just too obvious for me.
It's just like making a poll on how many words do you usually translate in a day? Then having the answers "Up to 5,000", "from 5,000 to 7,000", "More than 7,000". If the purpose is to concentrate 99% of the answers in a single category, go ahead!
That is exactly what I was thinking, but maybe I am just bitter because I only have two languages (I haven't tried to read French in a long time, but I can't imagine that I would be in for a pleasant surprise if I did try).
On the other hand, I am a little shocked that only 2/3 of the respondents claim to speak/understand four or less languages.
But that may derive from the other problem with the question: No attempt was made to define "speak and/or understand" = at what level?
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:06
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| My worst nightmare | Feb 3, 2016 |
ILAN RUBIN wrote:
...do we consider Glaswegian a language, Sunny Jim?
was when I had do hand over my job to a Glaswegian woman. I spent several days with her and I never understood anything she said the first time and often needed three goes at it just to get the gist. That sort of thing is acceptable if you're trying to get by in a foreign language but downright embarrassing between two people who consider themselves to be native speakers of the same language. What really piqued me was that she had no trouble understanding me, which made me feel 100% at fault.
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