Have you retained the foreign language you learnt at school?

[650lb Sumo]

If English is not your native language I would prefer you not to post ITT. But at least don't post about that, it's a separate case.

We seem to learn a lot of useless stuff in school. Interesting perhaps, but useless. I've still never needed to solve a quadratic equation 'in the field', or apply my knowledge about the formation of oxbow lakes for instance. However I did French until 18 and although I didn't try hard and am not good, I have remembered it and it has come in handy more than once. I also did one term of German and likewise. Just wondering if other posters have remembered and used their compulsory foreign language knowledge.



In my experience most Canadians just say they don't speak French, even though most (almost all?) have had several years of it at school. But then you come across quite a few (Anglophone) who are really good - it seems like one of those either/or things without much middle ground. Most people from the US seem to have at least a smattering of Spanish, but it's kind of the second language now, you don't just have it 'beamed in' to your classroom from a faraway land.

 

[PG29 red0 Jr]

I remember bits and pieces of German, but I never really knew it when I was in school either. All I know is that class was wayyyyyy better and more fun that taking spanish.

Spanish was the worst class in all of HS, F that.

I wish I knew how to speak Spanish, but the class was der Schlimmste.

 

[Aurelian]

I took French, and I think it was my first class of the morning. I spent a lot of time sleeping through those lessons.

 

[Cole train]

I took german and teacher loved holding idealistic speeches about society

 

[Sonny Qc]

French Canadian, basically raised in both French and English.

Dated a Mexican girl for a while and traveled a few times in south america and the carribean,
Was getting adequate in Spanish for a while, but haven't practiced it at all lately.
So lost all progress made.

Grew up with Cambodian friends,
Also dated a Cambodian girl,
Spent a month there.
But I can barely order my own food in Khmer.
The absolute minimum like Please, thank you and Co.

 

[syct23]

I speak perfectly English, now.

 

[Warehouse]

I took German for two semesters in high school but didn't retain it for very long as I didn't really put it to practice afterwards. I listen to tons of German bands though, so I still have some basic understanding and would like to learn it properly again.

 

[Stoic1]

Sign language at rudimentary level. Spanish enough to get some food and some conversation. Enough brazillian Portuguese to know when they are cussing at me. Enough French to know I hate it.

 

[1rawdog]

one year of german 10 because a language was mandatory. Put in zero effort. Passed with a letter grade of "P" which means you barely made it and a comment "further studies in this area are not recommended" . Good move bitch, if you had failed me you would have had to see me for two more years.

Can count sloppily to 10.
Ask what time is it
Tell you my dog's name ist Lumpi
But germanic languages are pretty easy to deal with if you are english speaking so ich bin fine

 

[1rawdog]

Also took a couple years of mandarin in night school, that stuff is tough

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I didn't even retain it for the GCSE test.

I did very well under a sweet little old French lady, then was moved up to a class with a younger, cold bitch of a teacher and lost all motivation.

By the time I was in my final year, I couldn't even say a few basic phrases.

Got an F.

 

[Gigacardio]

No because I didn't try.
I barely retained anything from school though. All the general knowledge I have is from the reading that I've done out of pleasure.

 

[HUGHPHUG]

I took German in school and hated having to learn it, hated school basically . Flunked the exam, both written and oral

But after travelling there a couple of times I realised how much I had learnt and never used.

I'm far from fluent but I've been to German speaking countries far more than any other and I love knowing how to communicate.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Took 4 years of Spanish in HS, 2 years in college and then very occasionally used it for work with Spanish or South American customers/counterparties. Haven’t used it in years and am rusty but will always retain basic proficiency.

Due to duty stations, also studied German, Arabic, Italian and Hungarian but can’t remember those languages for shit.

 

[jeff7b9]

I learned enough high school Spanish to buy drugs on spring break and bribe cops when I got caught doing drugs on spring break in Cancun.


Overall I am satisfied with what I learned.



Necessito vamanos a farmacia veterinario por comprar ketamine.. uh... por mi gato... si... mi gato es muey malo...
e Necessito mucho ketamine ... por mi gato.



And the cab driver who picked me up outside of a nightclub whilst tweaked out of my shit obviously understood me perfectly because he took me directly to the farmacia veterinario.
thus clearly my Español was excellent.

 

[Plissken]

I can read Spanish better than I can understand it spoken, especially if a Puerto Rican speaks it as they all sound like the Micro Machines guy.

 

[TeTe]

Took two years of Spanish in high school. Then two more semesters of Spanish when I went to college 20 years ago.

Didn't remember a lot after that but I've been doing Duolingo Spanish for about two years now and have been working with a tutor for about nine months now.

A lot of it comes back quickly, at least it did for me two years ago.

 

[TeTe]

Also took a couple years of mandarin in night school, that stuff is tough

All non Roman alphabet languages are tough. I took one semester of Arabic in college and it was brutal. Arabic 1 was just learning how to write and pronounce the letters and words. Didn't really learn any vocabulary.

 

[Other]

 

[Sycho Sid]

I was fluent in German as a child, as they taught it alongside English on the base. Then I moved when I was 10, and forgot all of it.