Learning a new language

Hi Lanolin
I used to speak French, but haven't used it for many years. I can't remember all the different tenses and would not be able to help you now.
Some Christians learn Greek and Hebrew to help with their bible studies.
If there is a country you would like to visit it would help you to study that language, if that country does not speak English.
Unfortinately my brain doesn't work well with languages.
 
I learn French. its a nice language and I just subscribe to a neat French lady on YouTube. its free.

hope you enjoy your new language😊
I can PM you with the link if you like and we can learn it together😊
oh that would be nice, I did learn it in high school but never really got to speak it...would be good to speak something different for a change.
 
Does anybody here speak more than one language, other than English?
If so which ones do you speak?

I am hoping to learn another one if someone is willing to teach me. But I need someone to talk to and practise with.
Back when I worked for L.Schuler GMBH we had many German technical service folks that came over to support and repair their equipment. Their solution was to get an Girl friend in whatever country they were in, and use her to learn and practice the language. Didn't matter if they were married or not, It was just their way of solving the language issue. Personally, I know how to say "Sorry I don't speak your language" in German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
 
Does anybody here speak more than one language, other than English?
If so which ones do you speak?

I am hoping to learn another one if someone is willing to teach me. But I need someone to talk to and practise with.
When I left Germany 30 years ago, I had a functional reading, speaking, and writing fluency with the German language. Because of that fluency, I can still recall much of the language. I'm currently working on learning Spanish using the DUOLINGO app, which I highly recommend to anyone wishing to learn a new language.
 
In high school we could have the option of learning a language, and we had 3 on offer - French, German and Japanese.

I chose French.

But it was kinda not very useful because I had nobody to speak to. I wish we could have learned languages that more people spoke in this country, like sign language, Maori, Samoan, Chinese, Hindi or Dutch.

However I am glad I learned some.
 
Some broken Spanish and some moldy remnants of half forgotten French.

Genesis 11:1 (KJV) And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

Genesis 11:7-9 (KJV) Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

I think Google Translate will be reversing the scattering God did in Gen 11.
 
In high school we could have the option of learning a language, and we had 3 on offer - French, German and Japanese.

I chose French.

But it was kinda not very useful because I had nobody to speak to. I wish we could have learned languages that more people spoke in this country, like sign language, Maori, Samoan, Chinese, Hindi or Dutch.

However I am glad I learned some.

In my school we also had three language choices. The list was similar to yours but instead of Japanese we had Spanish. I took German because we had lived their 3 years. My sister took Spanish.

Though I studied German for four years and spoke fluent German as a child, I have a mild familiarity with German today. Primarily because there is no one to speak to and less time for it.
 
Those that speak another language have you taught it to others as well?

I'm on to audiobooks and getting into learning Cantonese again. I just want to learn more words, and phrases and slang. I like learning idioms, because it makes you think about things from a different perspective. And when you translate literally, your own language becomes richer.

For example Cantonese doesn't have an equivalent word for 'children'. They call children 'little people'.
 
Those that speak another language have you taught it to others as well?

I'm on to audiobooks and getting into learning Cantonese again. I just want to learn more words, and phrases and slang. I like learning idioms, because it makes you think about things from a different perspective. And when you translate literally, your own language becomes richer.

For example Cantonese doesn't have an equivalent word for 'children'. They call children 'little people'.

In 2009, my wife and I were invited to a Chinese Southern Baptist Church in Seattle, WA. I was interviewing for a pastor's position with the young adult and youth group. There was a cultural divide between the elder members who spoke both Mandarin and Cantonese. The younger members all spoke American English, and though they could speak some or fluent Mandarin and Cantonese, they preferred English because they grew up in the States.

When I say American English means it wasn't broken English.

During the time I was there I could sense the respect the younger members had toward their elders but could also feel the tension because they wanted to retain English. The worship services were in Mandarin/Cantonese and held in the historical site building, I don't know how the senior pastor combined both languages during the service.

The English service would be the one I would lead as they were also building a second sanctuary. I was offered the pastoral position, it was great opportunity but I ended it up turning it down.

I always had a question and comment regarding this church.

How did the senior pastor lead worship with combined Mandarin and Cantonese?

I assumed the younger adults and youth would naturally speak their elder's language at church but learned that American English was in fact their language because they were born and raised in the United States.
 
Well translation/interpretation can take a lot of time and make the service even longer.

A lot of churches do teach ESOL or hold language classes so that churchgoers can learn English. Or there are separate language services, I don't think I've really been to any service that was fully bilingual. You might have some hymns/songs in chinese, and maybe they will only interpet the essential parts.

I know when I'm going to a powhiri and it's all in Te Reo Maori, the songs and the oration, I feel a bit lost since I'm not fluent. I can understand bits and pieces but it's kind of not fun to not fully understand what is being said.

Mandarin is quite different from Cantonese but the written language is the same, so, if they have something like a powerpoint or words up the the front people can read it. But a lot of American born chinese would not be familiar or able to read all the characters, even if they can understand what is being spoken.
 
In 2009, my wife and I were invited to a Chinese Southern Baptist Church in Seattle, WA. I was interviewing for a pastor's position with the young adult and youth group. There was a cultural divide between the elder members who spoke both Mandarin and Cantonese. The younger members all spoke American English, and though they could speak some or fluent Mandarin and Cantonese, they preferred English because they grew up in the States.

When I say American English means it wasn't broken English.

During the time I was there I could sense the respect the younger members had toward their elders but could also feel the tension because they wanted to retain English. The worship services were in Mandarin/Cantonese and held in the historical site building, I don't know how the senior pastor combined both languages during the service.

The English service would be the one I would lead as they were also building a second sanctuary. I was offered the pastoral position, it was great opportunity but I ended it up turning it down.

I always had a question and comment regarding this church.

How did the senior pastor lead worship with combined Mandarin and Cantonese?

I assumed the younger adults and youth would naturally speak their elder's language at church but learned that American English was in fact their language because they were born and raised in the United States.
Before we added a couple of Spanish language services to the weekend, we only had one on Saturdays.

On Sunday, we had a translator that would translate the service into English and this would be broadcasted (<- is that really a word?) through a receiver device that non-English church members would pick up at the door and listen to through ear phones.

It is interesting, because the majority of those who attend my church are native Spanish speakers. Most of the pastors are also native Spanish speakers, or at least grew up in homes where Spanish was the language of choice.

In a couple of weeks, we are going to start running an English and a Spanish language service at the same time (just not in the same place), so we will now have Spanish services on both Saturday and Sunday.

Rtm
 
Well translation/interpretation can take a lot of time and make the service even longer.

A lot of churches do teach ESOL or hold language classes so that churchgoers can learn English. Or there are separate language services, I don't think I've really been to any service that was fully bilingual. You might have some hymns/songs in chinese, and maybe they will only interpet the essential parts.

I know when I'm going to a powhiri and it's all in Te Reo Maori, the songs and the oration, I feel a bit lost since I'm not fluent. I can understand bits and pieces but it's kind of not fun to not fully understand what is being said.

Mandarin is quite different from Cantonese but the written language is the same, so, if they have something like a powerpoint or words up the the front people can read it. But a lot of American born chinese would not be familiar or able to read all the characters, even if they can understand what is being spoken.
We get all into it. For the Spanish service, the entire service is in Spanish, the worship music is in Spanish am even the written material is in Spanish. Hm, come to think of it, even the volunteers (guest services and security) are in Spanish too.

Spanish service 1.JPG English srvice 1.JPG

Spanish service 2.JPG English srvice 2.JPG
Rtm
 
There is a Chinese church in town (the one my parents and relatives got married in...but they never go for services.
Even if we did go, it's in town and parking is such a hassle.
They would have service all in Cantonese I expect. I think that's the only one I know of.

There is a Mandarin speaking church up the road from me, and my local baptist church hosts afternoon services in Korean, but they are a completely different congregation, I think they just rent the church venue to hold their services.

The presy one had a lot of Island members and occasionally Samoan was spoken, but all the songs and sermon was in English.
 
In 2009, my wife and I were invited to a Chinese Southern Baptist Church in Seattle, WA. I was interviewing for a pastor's position with the young adult and youth group. There was a cultural divide between the elder members who spoke both Mandarin and Cantonese. The younger members all spoke American English, and though they could speak some or fluent Mandarin and Cantonese, they preferred English because they grew up in the States.

When I say American English means it wasn't broken English.

During the time I was there I could sense the respect the younger members had toward their elders but could also feel the tension because they wanted to retain English. The worship services were in Mandarin/Cantonese and held in the historical site building, I don't know how the senior pastor combined both languages during the service.

The English service would be the one I would lead as they were also building a second sanctuary. I was offered the pastoral position, it was great opportunity but I ended it up turning it down.

I always had a question and comment regarding this church.

How did the senior pastor lead worship with combined Mandarin and Cantonese?

I assumed the younger adults and youth would naturally speak their elder's language at church but learned that American English was in fact their language because they were born and raised in the United States.

Bob, I never attended this Chinese church in Seattle's China town, but my wife's mother did and we know a number of the members. We've also been invited a number of times, but it is quite a ways from our home.

We've been to another Chinese church where most spoke Mandarin. They also broadcasted an English translation for those of us that spoke only English. Someone behind the scenes translated the sermon and there were both English and Chinese Bulletins handed out.
 
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