Any polyglots here?

I always had trouble with other languages. I was OK with Spanish years ago, but no more. And what I learned in school bears little resemblance to what is actually spoken. Don't know anyone who speaks French or German.

I learned Cajun French before English, went to France, couldn’t understand the Parisians, but coastal people said I talked the old french. That’s why Navy asked me to volunteer for Loas, when my son graduated from Airborne school, I met the French Forgein Leigon Commander we had a great time swapping stories about IndonChina , he served there too. When I used to visit my wife at the Nurseing home where she did hair , I would visit the old people and talk their language, it made them happy because some of them couldn’t talk English.

A smattering of Mexican Spanish.

Eine kleine Deutsch. 

Veyniker eydish.

I speak it but can’t read it, that’s so sad, but it is what it is. My deed to this farm is written in French, had to get a translator to male me a copy, so I guess you could say I’m a Half arse Cajun.

My mother used to say that if it's not Queens English, it's not English. I took courses in French, German, Greek and Russion in school. I'm an absolute failure at all of them. Including Queens English.

I had lots of Latin (7th and 8th grades and high school). Managed to pass the Graduate School Foreign Language test in two languages (French and German) to fulfill requirements for advanced degrees, but that is geared toward translating and reading other languages. So I can read those languages, (maybe I should say "could" read those languages), but cannot speak them. (It is a lot easier to learn to read a language than to actually construct and use a language). So all that is of limited practical use.

I did take perverse enjoyment when asked by my urologist, who was about to perform my vasectomy, if I was aware of the teachings of my Church concerning birth control. I told him I had read Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae" in the original Latin. He simply responded, "Good enough, son. Let's get you clipped." I hadn't read the thing, of course, but it was sort of funny and spared me a conversation I didn't want to have.

I remember back when whenever Dikembi Mutombo (NBA player, for those not familiar) was mentioned, somebody would always say, "He speaks 5 languages."  My question was always, "Which one is he intelligible in?"

By the time I hit my early twenties, I was able to curse, fluently, in about 4-5 languages....but I was proud to be especially colorful with Italian profanity, and NYC street-Spanish vulgarity.

Way back when I was a stupid, easily influenced, eager to learn, 16 year old, I worked in a dilapidated factory located on West 26th Street in Manhattan. I made $72.00/40 hours, and cleared $56.78 after taxes. I worked with a lot of slightly older guys, and joked around with these friendly, "Newyoricans" who delighted in schooling me real good, in the "art-of-the-curse". They were like older brothers. I soaked all of it up like a sponge. My impressive litany of street-Spanish vulgarity was expanding, very rapidly. I spent two of my best, carefree, fun-filled summer-vacations working in that old, smelly, never-inspected-by-OSHA, factory. I am forever in their debt of my Newyorican brother-friends. I really miss those guys. Thanks, Jose R. I still smile and remember the time when you grabbed yourself and told the boss to go....ahhh, never mind.

Of course, as I matured, I became more sophisticated, more educated, and far more discerning. I decided to expanded my repertoire to include some Classic Latin, profanity. But I was quickly dismayed when I realized that it's very difficult to curse effectively in Classic Latin. Way too much is lost in the wordy translations. The syntax, the inflections, too many prepositions, all those declensions, all those active-passive voices, ruin all the fun!

Old school is still the best.

I learned Spanish and French in school. Being half Brazilian, I should also speak Portuguese, but I don't (there was never any need, living in Northern Ireland). However, I wish I kept the languages up. I tended to do better at them than many other subjects.

I took Latin in HS and 2 years of Spanish in college. The Latin was helpful during my pre-med undergrad years and I've learned more "spoken" Spanish in the 25 years living in AZ than at school.

The funny thing is that after I spent the summer in Morgan City, no one at my school in Houston could understand me. I spent all summer with people in Louisiana making fun of the way I talked, then had to put up with it again when I got home. It never bothered me though. 😉

My wife falls right back into it as soon as we cross the border. It takes me a week..

When I was a kid I could read Beowulf in the old English, but I can't now. It's strange. Use it or lose it I guess.

I had enough trouble with Spencer's "The Faerrie Queen" in High School. At the conclusion of the term, I burned the book. The only book I ever destroyed other than mass market paperbacks as fuel in the wood stove.

Of you were able to read Old English, I salute you.