klingon 10 Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 For those living in foreign countries, or at least ones that speak different languages from your native language, how much of that language can you speak? Let's poll. Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted May 15, 2010 Share Posted May 15, 2010 I am managing to survive in a Chinese city of 1.2 million where it appears I am the only westerner. No one over about 20 speaks English, even then its rare, except some collegues at work and some of the guys at the gym. My company is paying for lessons which is good but I've just started. To say I am a master of charades is an understatement. Try doing the chicken dance when ordering a meal The best tool I have is my address on two cards that I keep in my wallet. One asks "will you take me to (my address) for 5Y" and the other 10Y as there are no meters in the taxis here. Its a struggle but one Im enjoying. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 It would be great to be fluent but whilst working full time and attempting to have an active social life outside of work and of course now raising a young child I just know I'm not going to put the time and effort into studying enough to ever get close. After I retire and have the time I will put more effort in then. I also live in a community where I really don't need to speak the local language well as most everyone I know speaks good or native english. Being already married when I came here also means I don't need to learn to assist in picking up girls which in my experience is probably one of the biggest motivators for many of the guys living in this country. I know enough to get by in most everyday things and have plenty of friends who can help if things get beyond me. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Getting fairly decent in a non-fluent kind of way with no real improvement in the last few. Link to post Share on other sites
LiquidX 0 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Somewhere between that second and third option. I wish I did find the time to be able to study more but I'm just too knackered from work usually to end up being bothered. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 ni-kyu japanese means have no real problems except for colloquialisms or complex vocabulary. Also speak French and German to the third option. Link to post Share on other sites
the snowboarding vicar 1 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 My Japanese gets me by. It would be good to be able to speak more but the old not enough time thing comes in again. Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted May 17, 2010 Share Posted May 17, 2010 Fairly basic but I can communicate pretty well without much help >> thats pretty much it Link to post Share on other sites
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