Bilingual or Multi-lingual?

[leehljp]

Dang Japanese! I posted a reply earlier today to Smorris's post of his "kick back" that knocked some teeth out.

My post made perfect sense to me at the time, but when I went back later, I had several points reversed. LOML and I were talking (and laughing) tonight about when we switch subjects, objects or verb order in ENGLISH due to our thinking in Japanese patterns. Strange thing is this often makes perfect sense to other native English speakers who are fluent in Japanese too.

My question is: Are any of you bilingual (or multi lingual) and - do you ever get your thought patterns reversed or mixed up due to the two or more languages?

[Pappy]

Does Texas Redneck count??????? With English and Marinespeak, that would make three, although some would argue about my being fluent in English!

[leehljp]

Pappy,

I speak red-neck too! When we are back in the States and speaking in churches, it is common for us to sound like we can't speak decent English - because we have to stop and think of a word. Our kids laugh at us, and they are bilingual naturally.

All of our "cubby holes" in the brain are FULL, and some of those we had to clean out to make room for the Japanese!

I had a Japanese lady ask me to send an email to a church in the states on her behalf, but she requested that I send it to her first so that she could "correct" my mistakes!

[cgallery]

One language for me. I don't think I ever tried that hard to learn a foreign language.

My grandfather worked in a foreign exchange department of a large bank when he was younger and I'm told he was capable of speaking and writing something like six or seven languages, and he was able to "get by" in a couple more (conversational only).

[Uncle Cracker]

Hank, you left out "zero" from your poll...

[Bruce Cohen]

Hank,

You can use any language you choose, as long as you don't refer to me as gai-jin!!

cái phụ tốt bây giờ

Bruce

[Wood_workur]

1.5 I'm good in English, and I could get by with a little Spanish if I needed to.

[shoottx]

Nope. English plumb evades me and I ain't any good at others.

Took a run at Arabic one time and missed the ramp.

But I think this explains the problems with English

If you've learned to speak fluent English, you must be a genius! This little treatise on the lovely language we share is only for the brave. Peruse at your leisure, English lovers. Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

P.S. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

[MilDoc]

Most students in other countries learn 2-3-4 languages. I work with people from Germany, Philippines, Korea, Japan, France, Guam, even Russia (and others). Amazes me how many of them speak 2-3-4 languages, and speak them well.

And the average American has trouble speaking English.

[Tom Slick]

I am not fluent by any means but I could survive speaking mexican spanish. I have also spoken texan, okie, spanglish, new yorker, and farmer. I've been watching enough discovery channel that I am starting to intrepret northern canadian.

[JR]

I'm in Germany right now. My old GI English just doesn't seem to be going as far as I remember. "Wilst du tanze mit mir?" was once pretty potent stuff!

JR

[RodKirby]

Four:

-Oz (NOT Yobbo=redneck) English.
-American (West coast) English.
-BT3x.
-Vespa.

[Richard in Smithville]

I can speak inches/miles/etc and metric. Does that count?

[scmhogg]

Three: English, American & Spanish.

Bruce--I understand about gai-jin. One of my Hong Kong clients called me gwailo lut si.

While in Hong Kong, negotiating at Stanley Market, one of the vendors muttered "gwailo". I responded oh yes, gwailo lut si, that's me. He looked at this 6' 2", 225 lb, gwailo rather uneasily, until I laughed.

Steve

[Bruce Cohen]

Yeah Steve, I've been called that too, but no one in Hong Kong had the guts to say it to me, it happened during an argument for a parking space in NY's Chinatown.

And to Mr. Slick--New Yorkese is the only acceptable form of the English language, wanna make sometin' outa it.

Bruce

PS

What youse guys talk in La La land don't count as english, maybe Mexlish?