Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Thursday, October 10

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Andrew / October 28, 2004 3:47 PM

Even though I took seven years of French, I wish I had learned Spanish instead. It would come in much more handy in daily life.

Benjy / October 28, 2004 3:48 PM

I am not, for any practical purposes, multilingual (in spite of 6 years of middle/high school French and 2 years of college Spanish).

My closest group of friends--including my girlfriend--are all Israeli and speak Hebrew, however. I always hate when they go into sidebar in Hebrew and I have no idea what they're talking about. Sometimes, after the fact they'll clue me in. They claim they're commenting on people we pass on the street, etc. but I'm not so sure...
One of my friend's girlfriend and I keep talking about learning our own secret language so we can keep things from them! We're currently leaning towards the African diamond mining language.

Mike / October 28, 2004 3:49 PM

I used to be about kintergarden level in German, but it's almost totally gone now because I never used it for anything.

As a side-note, almost every country in the world demands through their school system that their students be bi[if not multi]lingual. We still don't even care either way even though there are millions who call English their 2nd language. Get on the freakin' ball America!

Alex / October 28, 2004 3:52 PM

English, fluent Spanish, conversational Italian, some ASL and I'm trying to learn Nahuatl and Portuguese.

Alice / October 28, 2004 4:12 PM

Andrew: Funny -- I took years of Spanish, but ended up wishing I had taken French.

Long story.

Naz / October 28, 2004 4:18 PM

Malay.

A tiny smidge of Chinese and Indian, and some French (seven years here too).

chris / October 28, 2004 4:46 PM

obviously English (or 'Merican as G.W. might say), years of Spanish in high school and college bring me close to fluency, and can read French and speak it once I'm forced to, and around it for a while

mike / October 28, 2004 5:29 PM

Neo-melanesian pidgin. Anybody out there spent some time in Papua New Guinea? I'd love to rap with some wantoks.

Steve / October 28, 2004 5:37 PM

Spanish rules!

I remember it was a huge dilemma growing up in a sorta affluent area and having to choose between Spanish and French. The preppy kids all said that Spanish was for losers, so I took it.

And I think I've gotten more use out of my Spanish than they have with their French. In fact, since most of them are now Republican (and ergo anti-French, to continue my super-generalized train of thought), I know they aren't using their French!

Mohit / October 28, 2004 5:41 PM

I speak hindi, punjabi, gujrati, took 4 years of spanish and forgot most of it, since I have no one to converse with. And oh yea I speak jibberish too.

elly / November 2, 2004 6:51 PM

I'm American born--ethnically Italian and German. I studied Spanish since I was 13 and now I am fairly fluent. Last year I started taking German lessons. I love languages and foreign cultures and I believe that through studying a language is the single best way to learn about a culture and its people.

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