Language Pages

I had far too many links at the top level of my site.

 

I like languages

I have dabbled in a number of different languages, but, to my shame, I remain fluent only in English. Sure, I can rattle off a phrase or two or count to ten in several different languages, but this is a million miles from really being able to speak another language. Anyway, people have often assumed, because I like languages and know a phrase or two in several, that I am good at languages.

They could not be more wrong. I don't pick it up quickly, I don't have an intuitive grasp. Any apparent "picking it up quickly" is actually the result of spending huge amounts of time drilling myself on vocabulary and pronunciation. I have had two roommates assure me (surprise and amazement in their voices) that they would be twice as far in language ability if they had spent even two-thirds the amount of time I was spending.

The key is that I find it interesting and I'm stubborn. So, hours and hours of drills, followed by scribbling notes whenever I hear a new phrase, followed by constantly muttering various phrases to myself like some troubled vagrant, and I eventually succeed in mastering a pitiful dribble of words.

Now, it's your turn. I've included links to various language notes, so you too can mutter to yourself incomprehensibly.

• Danish ain't easy  
• Here are a few Finnish words  
• Neither is Japanese  
• Chinese is super easy (not)  
• My attempt at a Chinese good-bye letter was full of interesting errors.  
• German is not in the list yet  
• Neither is Portuguese  
• Nor Italian  
• Nor Russian  
• Nor Volapük  

In most of the above links are mere scraps of information about the languages, rather than a coherent basic phrase listing. Oh, well. These scraps will have to serve as a placeholder until such time as I finally fill the information in a bit better.

The quality of our thoughts is bordered on all sides by our facility with language.
- J. Michael Straczynski

Page Last Modified: 2007 11 24, 17:03:19

 

 

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