If you speak multiple languages, which ones and how did you learn each one?

[Anonymous]

Native language from birth. Started German in the 2nd grade, started English in the 5th grade.
Latin also in HS, but not speaking it. Continued English in HS 5 times per week. Then went to college in the U.S. Then learned some Norsk while living there. Learned French while living in Africa.
I have lost most of my German and Norwegian by now though. I could get by at the airport and in a restaurant. My native language is a Slavic language so when I lived in Czech republic I could totally get by.
But, it truly is use it or lose it prospect. Though, having studied so much, I can understand written signs, directions on the roads in most of Europe. I can tell what my Dutch friends are saying, for the most part, when they switch to Dutch.
Not a brag, just that many European languages are a combination of English, French and German.

[Anonymous]

Watching with my parents VHS tapes of soap operas in our native language really helped me (Mandarin Chinese). I desperately wanted to be able to watch along with them so I had to know the language. It really motivated me to learn and continue speaking beyond the point that I "needed" to. In other words, it wasn't an academic thing but a self thing. While all the other kids I grew up did have instruction, nobody as adults are as fluent as I am in the language today.

My family also would speak in our native tongue which helped but I never had formal instruction which is why I cannot write/read but can speak/understand fluently. My parents speak English to me most often while I enjoy speaking in Mandarin.

My kids don't have my interest but I will speak to them in Mandarin so at least they can hear it. I repeat the phrases in English so they understand what I'm saying. I don't believe in forcing them to learn it because with language, I believe you really have to want to learn it or there has to be a reason to consistently use it in order to really have it ingrained. Just learning for the sake of it is really hard.

[Anonymous]

Native English speaker. Fluent in Spanish. Studied Spanish starting in 6th grade and got my college degree in Spanish language and literature. I can also speak conversational Italian. I took several semesters of it for fun in college.

[Anonymous]

I was born in Poland and raised in Germany and France. Studied Spanish in Spain for 5 years and came to US 15 years ago. Fluent in all languages

[Anonymous]

Native English speaker. Speak Spanish. Grew up in family that spoke Spanish, though it was not often spoken in the home. By early adulthood, moved to Latin America to do more intensive study.

In college opted to include Portuguese to the line-up, as it's really easy for Spanish speaker. Took up an internship in Brazil for a bit to help it on.

Studied Italian, Korean, Arabic, and a few others, though none of those are at the same level as the Spanish and Portuguese. The key is living in country otherwise you never learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I modeled, moved around in Europe, then worked in the US illegally. I speak five languages.

Malania???

She barely speaks English.

I'm definitely no Trump fan (and horribly miss the Trump Women and Their Fashion Faux Pas from the Fashion forum). But, you are incorrect. Melania's English is very good.

[Anonymous]

Native English speaker. Was an exchange student in Germany while in high school. Continued with German classes in college while getting an undergrad in the Classics. While doing so, started learning Italian and French. Join Peace Corps and learned Russian. When I returned to the States, did a Phd in the Classics and honed my language skills through formal classes and living in Europe. I'm fluent/conversational in the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Romanian, modern Greek. I am literate in Spanish, Latin and Classical Greek.

[Anonymous]

Bilingual in English and Spanish. Born here, mom is South American. Speak fluent German, learning it in college and then lived in Germany and Austria to solidify it. Also speak Italian and majored in Latin in college.

[Anonymous]

Started Russian in grade 1, English in grade 4, German, Latin and Finnish in high school, and Spanish in college.
Don't speak Latin ofcourse, but it sure is easy to read and helps with other languages.
Finnish is easy because of similarity to my mother tongue. Russian would have been hard, but I grew up hearing it. Knowing Latin made Spanish easy, but German escaped me. Hard to understand what's going on if the verb is at the end.
I some of the above languages often at our local playground.

[Anonymous]

My first language is the language of my parents home country. At around age six or so I learned English. We moved to America a short while later, so I sound like I always spoke American English. I can still speak the native language, but strictly conversational things only, and not at some advanced level. I couldn’t attend a university there with the language skills I have. I can also read and write at a basic level. I feel like if I devoted more time with a private tutor, I could be a C2 in this native language.

I am learning Spanish for fun using the Pimsleur method.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Native English speaker. Was an exchange student in Germany while in high school. Continued with German classes in college while getting an undergrad in the Classics. While doing so, started learning Italian and French. Join Peace Corps and learned Russian. When I returned to the States, did a Phd in the Classics and honed my language skills through formal classes and living in Europe. I'm fluent/conversational in the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Romanian, modern Greek. I am literate in Spanish, Latin and Classical Greek.

Can I ask what you do for work now? How do you not find learning the different languages confusing? I'm learning German and the grammar is quite hard to process but the vocab is easy to pick up.

[Anonymous]

I learned Mandarin from parents and their Mandarin speaking friends. French from high school and a year living overseas in France. I learned German by taking it in college.

[Anonymous]

I grew up speaking Tamil and English. I learned Hindi and Sanskrit in school, and I still speak fluent Hindi. I had two years of French in high school but didn’t really learn the language well. I also picked up Marathi when I lived in Mumbai but I am no longer completely fluent. We also spent several years in East Africa while my parents were working there so I have a working knowledge of Swahili. And I married a native French speaker, so I learned French for real this time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Started Russian in grade 1, English in grade 4, German, Latin and Finnish in high school, and Spanish in college.
Don't speak Latin ofcourse, but it sure is easy to read and helps with other languages.
Finnish is easy because of similarity to my mother tongue. Russian would have been hard, but I grew up hearing it. Knowing Latin made Spanish easy, but German escaped me. Hard to understand what's going on if the verb is at the end.
I some of the above languages often at our local playground.

Are you Estonian?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Native English speaker. Was an exchange student in Germany while in high school. Continued with German classes in college while getting an undergrad in the Classics. While doing so, started learning Italian and French. Join Peace Corps and learned Russian. When I returned to the States, did a Phd in the Classics and honed my language skills through formal classes and living in Europe. I'm fluent/conversational in the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Romanian, modern Greek. I am literate in Spanish, Latin and Classical Greek.

Can I ask what you do for work now? How do you not find learning the different languages confusing? I'm learning German and the grammar is quite hard to process but the vocab is easy to pick up.

I teach and conduct training at a large midwestern university. My language skills are not uncommon in the Classics department, although most don't have Russian language skills unless their families are from the former Soviet Union. The only time I have an issue with confusing words in similar languages is when I haven't used one in a while or have recently switched into it. It doesn't take long to make the complete switch. I have to admit my writing skills are not as good as my reading/speaking skills but it's not hard to have someone edit my work written in modern languages other than English.

Some people have an aptitude for math, engineering or music. I have an aptitude for languages.