Comments on: What’s Your Language Personality?

By: Hannah In Motion

Hannah In Motion — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:44:28 +0000

Oooh, I love love LOVE this piece! I try to explain the feelings of different languages to my foreign mono-Turkish-speaking friends and it’s hard for them to grasp. For me:

1. Spanish is playful and fun like a little child, but yes, perhaps a little too easy(?)
2. French is sexy and slithering and (oh please say it again) “Take me here and now.”
3. German is playful and fun, but like a teenager who’s just learning how much to drink and what that super-awesome buzz feels like. It’s hard, but with a wink at the end, not a slap across the face.
4. And then there’s Turkish, which is… well, sort of like the Turks. Confusing. Round-about. But in the end well-meaning and if you can make it through, pretty lovely to have around.

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By: Andreas

Andreas — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:03:39 +0000

I like spanish and German.

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By: Louis

Louis — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:10:56 +0000

Oh dear ! That happens when working right through the night !! It is of course :….but with no one to practice on….

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By: Louis

Louis — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:06:03 +0000

Wow, very interesting to read the variety of opinions !! I’m 46, and nowadays feel really disgusted with myself not having studied more languages, for all the wasted years. I grew up completely bilingual in English and Afrikaans, in South Africa, but Afrikaans to me is the most beautiful language on the planet . I have studied German for 2 years at school, but never really came to like it. Spanish I started 18 months ago, I’ve always like the sound of it, and was making good strides, unntil I decided to go into teaching in Asia from September, a year ago. Since then, I assumed I was going to end up in China, so I started with Standard Beijing Mandarin, but with know one to practice on, and listen to, it is a tall order to make good progress. However, the water became a bit muddy since the start of this year, when things changed, and it seems that I am going to be living in Vietnam for a year or two — I don’t know if anyone here has ever met Viet up close and personal, but it does make Mandarin feel like a walk in the park These tonal languages ! But still, at the end of the day, my beloved Afrikaans rule !

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By: Cristina

Cristina — Thu, 13 May 2010 22:24:11 +0000

interesting points Amir, are you languageaholic??? I share with the greatest part of you the sense of comfort speaking Spanish but, if so, why are we all going on with english here?

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By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:16:48 +0000

I grew up speaking English and German because I was born in Germany to American parents and have spent about half my life in Germany. I elected to study French and for awhile I really enjoyed it. However, since I started learning Hindi nearly 3 years ago, I love it more than French or German. Naturally English is still easiest. Hindi has a certain swing to it that I haven’t found in any other language, its very fluid and musical, at least to my ears.

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By: Marion

Marion — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:34:57 +0000

I love, love, love Spanish, not only for the ease of learning it, but also for the culture that comes with it. People who speak Spanish as their native tongue have always seemed so passionate to me. Spanish makes you move your mouth around in intriguing new ways, demanding that you let your tongue dance as you pronounce things like ‘bolero’ and ‘bandita’.

I also heard an interesting saying I heard from a Mexican that I’d like to offer up:

“English is for talking about business
French is for talking about romance
Spanish is for talking to God
And German is for talking to your horse.”

)

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By: Sophie

Sophie — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:20:19 +0000

Interesting post – and discussion. What you prefer might have something to do with what you’re exposed to the most. Spanish is an important language in the Americas; not so much in the rest of the world. In the USA, you’ll almost certainly have some sort of relationship with Spanish, while in e.g. Europe, German, French and even Italian is heard (and studied) far more frequently. Probably Turkish, Arabic and Urdu, too.

In the comments above, someone brought up language and changing personalities; another interesting perspective. An American friend of mine, living here in Norway, is just simply a nicer person when he speaks Norwegian. I’ve heard others say the same about their ex-pat partners/friends, as well. Perhaps it has something to do with appearing less arrogant when speaking in a foreign language…

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By: sabrina

sabrina — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:23:00 +0000

well, subjunctive is just the wish case–i know it well in french, and i can recognise it in spanish, which is pretty much all that worries me.

as for the literature mentioned, it’s very good and solid, but it doesn’t do anything for me–i just see the words from my vocabulary list. they don’t dance and play in my mind like french words. even in translation it seems weak somehow.

there’s a reason french is the language of diplomacy and the language of love.

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By: Turner

Turner — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:23:53 +0000

Ditto on the Japanese, Tim. Even though Thai culture is extremely laid back, I also tend to be a little uptight when it comes to speaking Thai, as I want to show the proper respect.

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