There is an old joke about foreign language that goes something like this:

What do you call someone who speaks three languages?
Trilingual
What do you call someone who speaks two languages?
Bilingual
What do you call someone who only speaks one language?
American.

Sadly, that's probably true. Most of us speak only one language. I've always had trouble with foreign language. It was the only course that gave me trouble in high school and college. Aside from English, I speak a little Yiddish from growing up in a Jewish household, and I can understand and make myself understood in Spanish, but I really can't speak the language. I'm not sure that not being able to speak more than English has made much difference in my life, but I do think it would be nice to have a command of a second language.

New Jersey (and New York) is a very diverse state. Many languages are spoken here, but aside from English, the most frequently heard language is Spanish. I often find myself trying to communicate with a Spanish speaking person. So far I've gotten by with simple phrases, sign languages and pointing,, but I do think it would be nice to be able to really communicate.

Do you speak more than one language? Do you wish more Americans were bi or trilingual? Should we be putting more emphasis on teaching foreign language, or are you content with Americans, in general, only speaking one language?

Of course most young people (all people) don't even speak English well, but that's a topic for another thread.

 

When my parents arrived in Canada they found themselves working two and three jobs each . My grandmother lived with us and she took care of me and my siblings during daytime hours. My grandmother didn't speak a word of English so I learned Italian by being raised by her. Living in Canada I studied a bit of French in school as we were forced to do so, but I don't react well to anything that is forced upon me so I never picked up on the French language.

My wife is from a Portuguese family, and she was raised the exact same way with her grandparents helping out with her and her siblings. She can speak Portuguese quite well.

 

I have enough problems with English so a second language was out of the question. I do envy those that can!

 

I have a foreign-language background. Learned French when I lived in France for three years. Took four years of French and Latin in high school. Majored in French in college and took Russian. First job out of college was translating French and Russian. Learned Spanish when married to my ex. Can converse pretty well in French and Spanish and not very well in Russian. Keep thinking about taking Italian with Vito before traveling again to Italy. I think exposure to other languages and cultures is great.

 

You should try learning French,it’s very easy,I learned when I was two years old.

 

We spent a few months living in south carolina, so I learned southern drawl.
This played off of my Maine northern drawl.
We moved to Nashua NH and in only a few months I started picking up Quebecois.
My folks decided that was enough of that and we moved back to massachusetts.
In Jr high and high school I was enrolled in french classes. One could surmise after 4 ears of instructions I could speak french.
They would be mostly wrong. I can do OK reading it with a dictionary nearby.
In college I tried German for 6 weeks. I can count to zehn. (10) and tor is gate.

Of late I have been watching chinese videos. I can honestly say it isn't really going very well although i've learned a few words.
weay is hello, shuma is WHAT?? schaba is let's go. SO right now I'm at a 6 month level.
That is, I can comprehend chinese about as well as a 6 month old. english speaking french child.

 

How Old were you when you learned Anglo

When I left Quebec back in the early 70’s I was Bilingual but all these years in Upper Canada and I am sad to say I lost it. But when I went to France in 2004 with my father to visit his helpers when he evaded the other side in 1943 it did come back a bit

Back when I was doing on demand charters in my early aviation days I flew to Charlotte with a co worker who had no clue what anyone was saying and I had to translate both ATC. and anyone else we met during the layover. Ironically he went on to be a A380 captain for Emerities

 

I only speak one language, English. No interest in speaking any other even though we are overwhelmed with people who can’t speak it.

 

I took Latin, no one was speaking it, I flunked.

 

I took Italian in University thinking it would be a bird course and I would pass with flying colours. I failed the class. The professor was teaching Northern Italian , which was so much different than the southern Italian dialect that I group up with, not even close to what I would speak at home. I dislike Northern Italian dialects.