second languages?

[Ada Lovelace]

I am a native Portuguese speaker. I also speak (from best to worst) English, Spanish and French (my French still has a lot of rough edges to it, actually). I am learning German and (mostly just for fun, because it is completely useless) Esperanto.

That's fantastic. You're empowered with the ability to visit so many countries around the world and converse with locals. I'm considering taking Portuguese classes because I'd really like to do a study abroad / volunteer endeavor in Brazil.

That is an impressive list, Artemis!

How did you find French? I was considering learning French for a bit, but i struggled tremendously with the pronunciation

Oh my goodness, I'm sorry for taking months to spot this post and respond to it. You have a new account! French hasn't been as challenging for me because I began learning it when I was tiny. We lived in Germany close to the French border when I was young, and one of my preschool teachers as well as several neighbors were French. I think it would be more challenging if I had started learning it in my teens.

Hope you're doing well!

 

[Blue Wren]

Swedish is my native language. I also learned Danish and Norwegian, very young. In primary school I learned German and English, and later on I learned French and Spanish. I took Japanese classes, for a year, in preparation for spending last summer there, but, I never became anywhere close to fluent.

 

[thehehe]

We lived in Germany close to the French border when I was young, and one of my preschool teachers as well as several neighbors were French.

Hope you're doing well!

Oh in which Land did you live? Because I live close to the German border!

TPB: I didn't know you were learning Esperanto! I have always liked the idea of an universal language, even if has more to dream than reality.. However, Esperanto is a nice language

Salut thehehe! Your English is brilliant. I wouldn't know you weren't a native speaker. My French is both rusty and never that good.

Greek is pretty similar to German grammatically (very, very case-based) - like German got a little bit more complex. I think Latin is somewhere in between. I only know a few phrases of Latin myself, and haven't ever really looked into the grammar of it.

I think there's a French-speaking forum around here somewhere if you're interesting in hanging out there, although from memory it's mostly French-learners looking to practice...

If you need help for your french, feel free to ask Latin is much easier than Greek, you can believe me. I studied Greek for a moment (I stopped because the Greek classes were at the same time that the Latin ones) and I've never seen such a difficult language -especially when it comes to the aorists... And there are more exceptions than rules.. Greek was such a pain to me!

I didn't know that, I'll take a look at this forum! Do you know where I could find it?

 

[thehehe]

Swedish is my native language. I also learned Danish and Norwegian, very young. In primary school I learned German and English, and later on I learned French and Spanish. I took Japanese classes, for a year, in preparation for spending last summer there, but, I never became anywhere close to fluent.

Swedish is a wonderful language..

 

[Butterfly99]

I'm pretty much fluent in Spanish. I'm taking Spanish IV now. It's amazing so many of you speak so many languages.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

I'm pretty much fluent in Spanish. I'm taking Spanish IV now. It's amazing so many of you speak so many languages.

I think it is very useful to be able to speak several languages. (I really would like to learn more.)

It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong) that Europeans have, in general, a greater multilinguistic diversity than Americans — that is, the average European can speak more languages than the average American — and that most European countries give a greater emphasis in language-learning skills than the USA and Canada do. This is one of the things that makes me pleased to live in Europe.

 

[Charlie7399]

Well, my native language is Portuguese, so I guess English would be my second language. I don't have that much of a problem understanding Spanish (like most Portuguese-speakers), but I'm not fluent in it at all. I was taking Italian lessons online earlier this year, but I decided to give it a break until I have more time

 

[Ada Lovelace]

Well, my native language is Portuguese, so I guess English would be my second language. I don't have that much of a problem understanding Spanish (like most Portuguese-speakers), but I'm not fluent in it at all. I was taking Italian lessons online earlier this year, but I decided to give it a break until I have more time

I've decided to take an online class to learn Portuguese. I was originally considering taking a class at school, but I couldn't fit into my schedule. My family is going to Brazil next summer, and it would be fantastic to be able to converse with locals at least on a basic level.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

I've decided to take an online class to learn Portuguese. I was originally considering taking a class at school, but I couldn't fit into my schedule. My family is going to Brazil next summer, and it would be fantastic to be able to converse with locals at least on a basic level.

That would be excellent! Should you require any help, you can always ask me for help!

That course you are taking — is it in Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese? I would be able to help you mostly with the European variant, the way I speak.

 

[Charlie7399]

I've decided to take an online class to learn Portuguese. I was originally considering taking a class at school, but I couldn't fit into my schedule. My family is going to Brazil next summer, and it would be fantastic to be able to converse with locals at least on a basic level.

If you'd like some help, I should be able to assist you as well! I'm from Brazil, so there's that. Since it's a big country, we have many different dialects and such (where I live, for example, the way we speak has quite a bit of Azorean Portuguese influence). It's more noticeable in rural areas, but by no means exclusive to them. If I may ask, to which region is your family planning to go?

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

If you'd like some help, I should be able to assist you as well! I'm from Brazil, so there's that. Since it's a big country, we have many different dialects and such (where I live, for example, the way we speak has quite a bit of Azorean Portuguese influence). It's more noticeable in rural areas, but by no means exclusive to them. If I may ask, to which region is your family planning to go?

Really? Azorean influence? Where do you live? How exactly do you speak there? (I live in Lisbon, by the way.)

 

[Charlie7399]

Really? Azorean influence? Where do you live? How exactly do you speak there? (I live in Lisbon, by the way.)

I live in Santa Catarina, the second southernmost state in the country. In the colonial era, most settlers who came to our coastal areas were Azorean, and since they were quite isolated from the rest of the country they kept their original dialect. Later, the neighbouring areas would also receive German, Italian and other European immigrants (my city was founded by Germans, for example), but some of the influence persisted. For instance, we use "tu" instead of "você", and it's not uncommon at all to hear people speaking "chiado" (you probably know what I mean, the "-sh" thing ). There's more than just that, but I can't remember it from the top of my head. As I said, it's more common in rural parts of the coast, but you can hear it in urban and more inland areas as well, only in a less marked way.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

I live in Santa Catarina, the second southernmost state in the country. In the colonial era, most settlers who came to our coastal areas were Azorean, and since they were quite isolated from the rest of the country they kept their original dialect. Later, the neighbouring areas would also receive German, Italian and other European immigrants (my city was founded by Germans, for example), but some of the influence persisted. For instance, we use "tu" instead of "você", and it's not uncommon at all to hear people speaking "chiado" (you probably know what I mean, the "-sh" thing ). There's more than just that, but I can't remember it from the top of my head. As I said, it's more common in rural parts of the coast, but you can hear it in urban and more inland areas as well, only in a less marked way.

Ah! I didn't know about that!

So, yes, the use of ‘tu’ instead of ‘você’ for informal situations sounds much better to my ear!

Regarding the ‘chiado’ form of speaking, I am not sure I understand... Do you refer to the syllable-final S's or Z's, which most Brazilians pronounce ‘ss’ but the Portuguese pronounce ‘sh’? For example, in words like ‘Açores’, where I pronounce ‘Açoresh’ but most Brazilians pronounce ‘Açoress’ — are you saying that, in those cases, you pronounce that ‘sh’ just like me?

 

[Charlie7399]

Ah! I didn't know about that!

So, yes, the use of ‘tu’ instead of ‘você’ for informal situations sounds much better to my ear!

Regarding the ‘chiado’ form of speaking, I am not sure I understand... Do you refer to the syllable-final S's or Z's, which most Brazilians pronounce ‘ss’ but the Portuguese pronounce ‘sh’? For example, in words like ‘Açores’, where I pronounce ‘Açoresh’ but most Brazilians pronounce ‘Açoress’ — are you saying that, in those cases, you pronounce that ‘sh’ just like me?

More often than not, yes

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

[...]

TPB: I didn't know you were learning Esperanto! I have always liked the idea of an universal language, even if has more to dream than reality.. However, Esperanto is a nice language

[...]

I'm so sorry, thehehe! I only noticed just now that this part of your post #23 was addressed to me! Sorry!

Yes, I am learning Esperanto. It's funny!

Surely the idea of Esperanto as a universal language has much more to dream than reality. The language has existed for... how long?... at least, a century, I suppose... right? Let me look it up.

(30 seconds later...)

I've got it! It was created in 1887. So, it's been around for almost 130 years, and... How many Esperanto speakers do you know? What happens if you are a tourist in a foreign country and ask for directions in Esperanto?

It's clear that the purpose of Esperanto has failed terribly. However, it is a funny and easy language to learn. I am serious, though: it really is very easy.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

More often than not, yes

Hmm... OK. Sounds more pleasant to my ear, anyway!

 

[Ada Lovelace]

If you'd like some help, I should be able to assist you as well! I'm from Brazil, so there's that. Since it's a big country, we have many different dialects and such (where I live, for example, the way we speak has quite a bit of Azorean Portuguese influence). It's more noticeable in rural areas, but by no means exclusive to them. If I may ask, to which region is your family planning to go?

I really appreciate your offer to help, and I might just take you up on it when I start the classes! My family is planning on going to Rio de Janeiro for the Summer Olympics next August. I'm considering traveling down to Rio on my own in June to volunteer with a circus there for a couple of months. I'd then join up with my family. One of my friends took a year off of college to work for the circus and became very involved in their social outreach program that teaches circus arts to unprivileged youth. It might seem trivial, but it's actually a really empowering and meaningful program. I am applying for internships in the United States, though, and if I land one of them I'll probably take it and hold off on going to Brazil on my own for a bit longer. Either way I will be there for sure next August. I'm so excited!

 

[Charlie7399]

I really appreciate your offer to help, and I might just take you up on it when I start the classes! My family is planning on going to Rio de Janeiro for the Summer Olympics next August. I'm considering traveling down to Rio on my own in June to volunteer with a circus there for a couple of months. I'd then join up with my family. One of my friends took a year off of college to work for the circus and became very involved in their social outreach program that teaches circus arts to unprivileged youth. It might seem trivial, but it's actually a really empowering and meaningful program. I am applying for internships in the United States, though, and if I land one of them I'll probably take it and hold off on going to Brazil on my own for a bit longer. Either way I will be there for sure next August. I'm so excited!

Nice! I've never been to Rio myself, but I hope you enjoy it.

 

[godenver1]

Swedish is my native language. I also learned Danish and Norwegian, very young.

Sometimes i think it would be cool to be born in Sweden because I'd probably be bilingual, but as of yet I've not needed to know more than English!

 

[godenver1]

Oh my goodness, I'm sorry for taking months to spot this post and respond to it. You have a new account! French hasn't been as challenging for me because I began learning it when I was tiny. We lived in Germany close to the French border when I was young, and one of my preschool teachers as well as several neighbors were French. I think it would be more challenging if I had started learning it in my teens.

Hope you're doing well!

Don't worry, i've now returned the favour of taking along time to reply

I take it by your name change you possibly got into Stanford University? Congrats if so. I've recently started college and know how stressful it can be!