Can you speak another language?

[peebles32]

I hate going abroad and not been able to speak the languages I feel so ignorant. I can speak Spanish reasonably well as lived there for a while.
However, when I go to other countries I feel so ignorant and always try to learn a little.
I am quite passionate about languages and find it hard to understand why people don't make more of an effort!
I don't like to presume everyone will speak English. However, my DP could not care less and does not see why he should try!

No.
But if we go abroad I always make an effort to have a go even if it is just ordering food in the language.

Enough French to get by, a tiny bit of German (can order food and say hello, goodbye, please and thank you) and, not quite the same but, a bit of Welsh (am currently learning it)

A few words in local language goes a long way I have found.

I speak a little (Scottish) Gaelic, decent French and German, Latin (in as much as anybody actually speaks it!), plus basic Spanish and Italian.

Ooh, yes, Latin. Learned it at school, comes in handy occasionally for translating old inscriptions in churches etc. but not really a spoken language. I can say 'the girl is in the tree' and that's about it 😂
Ds took Spanish at school and is now waiting for the day he meets a Spanish speaker so he can tell them he has a healthy lifestyle as that's the one phrase he can remember

I speak Greek fluently. Lived there for over ten years.

I can translate from Glaswegian to English.

Yes, French (spoken since I was 4 up to A level and did 2 years at uni), Spanish (GCSE), Latin (very rusty but did GCSE), German (very basic, learned as an adult for a work project), and Russian (my degree, but haven't used it for 10+ years and won't be going there again any time soon!). My great grandmother was Italian so could read bits but not speak, and lived in Brussels for 10 years so learnt enough Flemish to be polite, but can't remember any of it now!

French & Portuguese - not fluent, but competent.
German, Spanish, Italian - can muddle through with errors.
I can read a magazine in all five, need to look some words up.
Latin used to be quite good but has died a miserable death.

Having done one term of Russian at school, I can say two sentences:
That is Moscow River, and
My name is ...
Don't think I'd quite qualify as a tour guide!

A-Level French though very rusty. I’m learning Italian & off out there next month, hoping to get lots of practice in.

Next time you’re going somewhere, OP, look for Coffee Break Languages on YouTube - they have a lot of helpful videos covering holiday basics.

Yes, I speak Spanish and French so I can also generally understand written Italian and Portuguese but would struggle with understanding spoken and of course can't speak them myself. I have some Russian too, did a degree and was a mediocre speaker in the dim and distant past but don't use it so it is very rusty.

I feel really uncomfortable going somewhere I don't speak the language, even though I know I'm not an ignorant brit who doesn't bother to speak anything but English.

Yes, I'm fluent in French (did Economics & French at uni) and have lived and worked in France several times (working for French companies). I speak reasonable Spanish and Italian plus basic German, Norwegian and Cantonese.

I love languages and really enjoy learning them when I'm travelling.

French and german a levels (german now is gone; french is rusty but tourist level ok)

Degree in Russian. I lived out there for 3 years after uni so did feel relatively fluent but 15years back in the UK and in a job that doesnt use russian so although my reading and listening skills are ok, my speech is extremely stilted. Not sure if it will come back now to be honest 😫

I’m fluent in french and used to be fluent in Italian (I think it would come back if I went there again). I understand a bit of Spanish and can get by with a few phrases if in a Spanish speaking country. I like to learn hello, please and thank you in the language of the country I’m visiting. The locals usually appreciate it.

I’m fluent in French, can say things in German, can sort of get by in Arabic if they’re speaking slowly and it’s the dialect I’m familiar with and learnt to say hello and thank you in Greek last year on holiday.

French, Spanish, Mandarin, Hebrew. I've lived in a lot of places.

A level French from 50 years ago 😁Goes without saying it's pretty rusty now. I also have some basic "holiday" Spanish, couldn't hold a proper conversation but can manage simple everyday situations. I spent 2 years studying German at school but have forgotten all of it.

French, Cantonese and Spanish fluently. Italian conversationally

Wow
Quite a few. I have encouraged my children to take languages and luckily they wanted to!
Love coffee break podcasts for learning a new language. Just need to choose one now.
I can speak decent french too but extremely rusty.
I want to speak a language fluently. Love watching Netflix in Spanish and kids love peppa pig in french!

Can ye aye

You can try Duolingo or Babel with them, I'm trying Duolingo to improve my Italian. I'm fluent in Portuguese & Spanish and I have level 2 in BSL

A level German so pretty decent. Did work over there for a while too.

I’m bilingual in English and French. Can speak some German, Spanish, Romanian, and very basic Hungarian and Dutch (learning Dutch now on Duolingo as a 2023 new year’s resolution, hence my username.)

I share your passion. Yes, I speak several and still learning. The UK doesn’t really respect or promote language learning enough.