So, this is the place where I won't be standing out, right?

[Katleya]

English is my first language...with a minor Tidewater (East Virginia) accent.

That is one of the most soothing accents I can think of (disclaimer: family on my father's side is from the area). And I tend to talk about that particular accent at length every chance I get, sadly few people around me care about linguistics. Are you originally from East VA, or a transplant?

I'm sorry I didn't get right away that you were talking about Castilian specifically. Yes, it is, umm, tricky and lispy, I guess.

 

[Judge]

Are you originally from East VA, or a transplant?

From Eastern VA. But I've lived from Fairfax to Guam and points in between. My father was a career naval officer. So I suppose I'm more of a transplant wherever I go...lol. But I haven't lived back east for decades, being kind of partial to the Nevada desert.

 

[Katleya]

You mean to tell me you don't like super hot summers with 100% humidity?
Is the Nevada desert anything like Arizona? That's the closest reference I have for comparison.

I suppose growing up following your father around might bring you a bit more skills when it comes to adapting to new settings, but then again, it may also have just been extremely disturbing for you when you were younger.

 

[Judge]

You mean to tell me you don't like super hot summers with 100% humidity?

As a child I loved those super-humid summers in Virginia, especially when it rained and thundered. As an adult, not so much. But living out west between California and Nevada, high humidity is a rarity. So much so that when it happens these days it's downright nostalgic for me. Especially since I no longer have to wear a suit and tie!

Is the Nevada desert anything like Arizona? That's the closest reference I have for comparison.

Not really. There is very little humidity in the summer in the High Desert in the northern part of the state. I've lived both above and slightly below a mile high here. It's a very different micro-climate compared with Southern Nevada or Arizona. The summer highs usually hover in the high 90s with occasional spikes over 100. And our winter lows mean snow and regular sub-freezing temps. Though like our southern desert, Las Vegas and even Arizona, on occasion we can be prone to flash flooding.

 

[Katleya]

As a child I loved those super-humid summers in Virginia, especially when it rained and thundered. As an adult, not so much. But living out west between California and Nevada, high humidity is a rarity. So much so that when it happens these days it's downright nostalgic for me. Especially since I no longer have to wear a suit and tie!

I can definitely relate to that.
Thank you for explaining the High Desert, I had no idea.

 

[WittyAspie]

@WittyAspie,
What does L'hiver look like? Not too hard being away from her? That's something I have a terrible time with.
The fact that you studied French in the Army piqued my curiosity, I didn't know they offered that. I mean, I had figured there was no longer any use after they shut down the US Army bases in France, but I may be completely wrong. If you ever wanna dust up on your French, I'll be happy to help!
I liked Greek a lot. We had to choose from Latin or Greek when I was in school, and I went for Greek out of laziness, because I thought once I was done with the alphabet, I wouldn't have to bother learning the extra case they use in Latin (forgot what it's called).
Hey, Hebrew is on my list as well. I got an awesome book to study, and I was so happy when it came in the mail, but it's been sitting next to my bed for a month now: I've been so stressed out with all the tests for the diagnosis that I couldn't begin. Maybe this summer; I'd like to start Arabic at the same time, so that I can compare similarities between both languages. I'm just afraid that's aiming a tad bit too high.


I agree with you, I think it is definitely a subjective thing.
What is your native tongue? I do prefer Spanish over German, but I think both have their pros & cons in terms of grammar. I'd say too many verb forms and modes in Romance languages, but at the same time, all those Ns you add or don't add in German... it bothers me a little. I'm curious about that dialect you mentioned, also.[/QUOTE]

Your etiquette is just fine. There are quite a few expressive people here, but they aren't judgmental. You can relax and be yourself here.

I tried to learn Arabic while studying nothing else and failed. I wouldn't study more than one language at a time. Learning one Semitic language will help with learning another. The similarities will be apparent even if you learn them at different times.

There are quite a few French linguists in the Army. French colonialism spread French all over the globe and there are a number of countries with French as an official language. French is also one of the official languages of the UN.

 

[Katleya]

For some reason, I didn't connect those dots (the countries that used to be French colonies, the UN) and I feel so stupid right now.. because I know those things. I just didn't think.

I've tried 2 languages simultaneously in the past, it went fairly well, but there were no new alphabets involved. I dunno, I'll see how I give it a go when I'm ready, right now I'm very confused with other things that are going on in my life, and haven't been able to focus too well, even on my interests.

 

[Datura]

I never took a strong interest in languages until about a year ago when I decided to learn Japanese. And, well...

私の日本語が下手です。

 

[Katleya]

I never took a strong interest in languages until about a year ago when I decided to learn Japanese. And, well...

私の日本語が下手です。

I can thank Google translate for giving me the ability to reply that Japanese is hard, so I'm sure after just a year, that makes total sense.

 

[Sabrina]

Thank you, Mia & Nitro, for welcoming me!

Hey WittyAspie,
That's pretty much the idea, yes. I fare slightly better with TV shows and actors, but it seems people care more about the fact that I've never seen Star Wars than about my views on the variations of the House of Cards musical score, but I digress.

I only have one cat living with me, now, whose name is Charlie. Charlie did get my parents' cat pregnant when I was visiting them, and I managed to convince them to keep one of the kitten, so I do feel like I also have another one, living at their place.
Do you have any?

As for the languages, I get to use 4 on a regular basis, namely English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. I do understand or read other languages, but without practice, the mere thought of trying to use them terrifies me, resulting in even less practice. But I've studied German, Italian, Dutch, Russian and Swedish with more or less success. And ancient Greek in school, that was cool. I have to find new ones to tackle, but I can't decide where to start...

I only use in a regular basis English and Spanish, but I know Italian and French as well. Unfortunately, my French is not as good as it once was, but I can still read anything in that language.
I once started learning Portuguese, but quit because there were too many words that were identical to Spanish but had another meaning and I felt I was messing up with my Spanish and Italian, since the spelling of too many words were similar but not to the same.
I am really impressed with your capacity to learn languages Katleya.

 

[Katleya]

I only use in a regular basis English and Spanish, but I know Italian and French as well. Unfortunately, my French is not as good as it once was, but I can still read anything in that language.
I once started learning Portuguese, but quit because there were too many words that were identical to Spanish but had another meaning and I felt I was messing up with my Spanish and Italian, since the spelling of too many words were similar but not to the same.
I am really impressed with your capacity to learn languages Katleya.

Well, thank you, Sabrina. I wish my capacity to keep the languages in good shape in my memory could match the learning capacity, though
I'm not sure if that makes much sense, but for a language that is really close to another one and possibly confusing, I find the best way is to find an immersive course (or other resource), in order to assimilate not just the vocabulary, but also the thought system behind it. Without that immersion, any knowledge I have of a sister language will act as a parasite and get me confused (well, it has its benefits, I guess I speak a little Portuñol as well). Somehow, learning the system as a separate entity seems to provide better insulation against other languages. Here's a weird example: I learned Spanish with French textbooks, so I never learned to think in Spanish. Whatever I wanted to say, French was my go-to, and I would translate it from there into Spanish. But I had studied Italian in school a year before, for which French was also my source/reference, and inevitably the first year of Spanish was a frustrating, sad mix of all three languages because of their closeness.
Portuguese on the other hand: I took classes when I was back in the US. They had this book that gave as many instructions as they could in Portuguese rather than English, and everything came organically because we were also taught to think in the language.

The end result is funny: my Portuguese isn't influenced by Spanish or French at all. On the other hand, it has invaded my Spanish to the point I now have a Brazilian-ish accent when I speak, and the word mix ups are terrible. Except I have studied Spanish for a significantly longer time than Portuguese.
It all boils down to the method used. I hope that can help