NEW Getting to know each other survey!

[Eagle]

LOUISE, I'm impressed by your ability to learn languages! I'm having a hard enough time trying to become reasonably fluent in Italian, and can't imagine trying to learn any more right now. I suspect my age makes it a bit harder to learn, but I plan on continuing with it. My Instructor feels I CAN learn Italian, however it will take longer than it would with a younger person.

Do you have any hints or tips on learning languages? I'm also interested in what other four languages you want to learn?

Cheers!!!

[Jordo]

1. Jordan

2. 6'3

3. Im a stock Clerk at Publix (i cant wait till im out of college so i can quit!)

4. Play Paintball,Hang with my Girl,Dream of Being somewhere els

5. A little Spanish,French and Italian

6.Hard question... Prolly My girl keeps me in line the best

7.Gotta go pick up my check today and pay my Nextel and Gas Bill, and Clean up more crap out of my yard from this damned hurricane =(

8.I live at Home with my parents still but im going to be moving in with my Girl in 8 or 9 months when we both go off to UF.

9. Never was really into Haloween much but The last one I recall wearing was a Batman costume 5 years ago

10. Gotta be writing for a travel Guide and being able to travel on the "company dime" and getting paid!

[Louise]

I love learning new languages and they come relatively easily to me. I find it easiest to immerse myself in the language fully to really start learning it.

The 4 more languages I want to learn are Portuguese, Russian, Italian and Finnish. I also want to become better at German and Spanish.

Eagle: Really the best tip I can give you to learning a language is to stick yourself in a country that speaks the language for any time that you can. Even in a couple of weeks you'll pick up something and if you already know some Italian then you'll be able to practise as well as learn! I lived in Sweden for a year and was able to understand and read the language in 3 months, without any prior experience with it. After 6 months I was able to speak pretty well and when I left I was fluent!

[Eagle]

LOUISE, thanks for the info. It's great that you seem to have a natural ability for this ("they come relatively easy to me")!

When you start working on Italian, I imagine you'll find lots of similarities with Spanish. I started working on Spanish a number of years ago, but want to stay completely away from it right now as it confuses my efforts to learn Italian. All the "romance" languages (Italian, French, Spanish and to some extent Portugese) seem to have similar grammar and structure (masculine & feminine words, familiar & polite forms, etc.).

I agree that the best method to learn would be to stay in the country, and immerse myself in the language. I wish I had the time or money to consider that right now. Retirement isn't far off, so perhaps I'll have an opportunity to stay in Italy for several months in the near future. There seems to be lots of listings on the web for Italian language schools in various parts of Italy, so the immersion method might be one option?

I try to spend some time on the lessons every day, but sometimes with work and other committments it's hard to find the time. I suspect that if I DO achieve some measure of fluency, I'm going to have to use it on a regular basis or I will start to forget things. I've noticed that is common with some of the high school students here - they enrol in French immersion but don't use it after they graduate and so it's forgotten in a couple of years.

One of the biggest problems I have in practising the language is that I'm very self conscious around native Italian speakers, and very reluctant to actually try speaking. The people I converse with have been very encouraging and kind, so this IS getting better.

I try to spend at least an hour a day watching the Italian TV channel here, and I find that helps. Although I still can't understand all the dialogue, I can generally figure out part of the conversation.

Good luck with your studies in learning the other four languages.

[megamay]

1) Name: Megan

2) Height: 5'8"

3) Occupation: configuration management specialist - work for a government contractor basically making sure we send the right thing to the customer and know exactly what we sent

4) What do you do on Sundays? read the paper, sleep, shop

5) What languages can you speak? just English.

6) Who has had the most influence on you? Definitely my mom. She has always been my best friend, we still talk every day. Don't know what I am going to do when I am in Europe and it is tough to call her everyday!

7) What's on your "To Do" list? Hmm short term it is to drive across the US and then pack for my trip to Europe in only 3 weeks! But long term, have kids, travel pretty much everywhere - Asia, Palau, Fiji, Alaska Australia, New Zealand etc etc etc

8) Discribe your living situation: well right now I am sleeping on a friends living room floor. I sold my house, and my husband took all of our stuff across the country to store it in my parents basement while we go to Europe for three months. Then we will be looking for a new place to live in Maryland.

9) Previous Halloween costumes: hmm, fairy princess, devil, witch, tennis ball, dead bride

10) Your dream job: I am going to have to go with the crowd here and say either not having to work, or getting paid to travel in some way - maybe writing a travel guide or hosting a show on the travel channel!

Megan

[Louise]

Eagle said:

One of the biggest problems I have in practising the language is that I'm very self conscious around native Italian speakers, and very reluctant to actually try speaking.

That was one of my major problems I had too, but I found that people found it so amusing and loved to help me when they saw that I was learning the language! It was hard, but I definitely got over myself. I just had to remember that no matter how hard I tried, I would always sound like a foreigner to locals, but that I would rather sound like a smart one

[littleolme17]

1) Name: Michelle

2) Height: 5'4

3) Occupation: none

4) What do you do on Sundays? church go online read paper, dream about traveling (i do it every day anyway!)

5) What languages can you speak? English and going to learn spanish this sumester

6) Who has had the most influence on you? my parents and my cousins

7) What's on your "To Do" list? for today? eat dinner... but right now... i want to re-do my room, do good in school and research places to go in Europe..

8) Discribe your living situation: Home in my small room

9) Previous Halloween costumes:Dr. pumkin

10) Your dream job: A photographer that travels the world

[JenSomeone]

1) Name: Jennifer Marie Grupe
a.k.a Jen JenSomeone (Singer-Songwriter name)

2) Height: 5"4

3) Occupation: Student

4) What do you do on Sundays?
Worship Service, Have epic Sundays with extended family

5) What languages can you speak?
English, Filipino
(I learned English before Filipino believe it or not!)
6) Who has had the most influence on you?
My eldest sister, People from my Youth Group:)
7) What's on your "To Do" list?
Today? or for my whole life? (deep!)
But short term- graduate Magna Cum Laude, Go to the Unilever Business Week, Re-record "WorthWaiting For" which means rescheduling practice practice with bandmates! So that my other friend can shoot a music video of the song! Plan!the trip to Europe after grad. renew passport, get visas, have a garage sale with friends to raise more money.. oh yeah second semester- THESIS THESIS THESIS. But to be honest, planning for the Europe trip is refreshing... something to look forward to after getting school over with! FINALLY!

8) Discribe your living situation:
Still live with my parents my sister (single parent currently in nursing school.
9) Previous Halloween costumes:
As far as I can remember
Madonna, A witch, Cleopatra -I won for that! Kate Winslet! Haven't celebrated Halloween in ages though!
10) Your dream job:
Hmm.. Famous, Down to earth Recording artist! Who get to tour the world with a band!
Someone who gets paid to travel?? hehe:)
SOmething to do with PEOPLE!

Hey!!! You all should join friendster!
www.friendster.com

[Twizzla]

1. Chris

2. 180cm

3. The big M... Start university next year though! And I have a website - distractionz.co.nz

4. Work the mornings, lax in the afternoon, church at night

5. English, some Dutch, learning (Dutch still), German, Danish and Swedish.

6. Er, I dont know?

7. Make sure I learn the languages, get through university, work on website and more travelling

8. Living at my parents place... its free

9. Haloween isn't big in NZ...

10. Travel Journalist. Doing journalism at uni next year so heres hoping I can land that job!

[me]

Hi, JenSomeone!

i always figgured your hometown needed a sports team named "The Manila Folders" ;D

JenSomeone said:

1) Name: Jennifer Marie Grupe <snip>

[Louise]

Twizzla said:

5. English, some Dutch, learning (Dutch still), German, Danish and Swedish.

Ojda! Du prata svenska ocksa? Va kul Jag langter att prata svenska. Jag tycker att jag har folorat nastan hela spraken




(If that even makes sense anymore!!!!!)

[Cat]

Louise said:

Ojda! Du prata svenska ocksa? Va kul Jag langter att prata svenska. Jag tycker att jag har folorat nastan hela spraken


(If that even makes sense anymore!!!!!)

Twizzla, then I'll add my bit as well:

Wat leuk dat je Nederlands leert! Wat is de reden, als ik vragen mag?
(hope you could understand this sentence, see below for translation, I've added the *** as not to spoil it for you)

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

That's cool, you studying Dutch! Why have you chosen this langage, if I may ask?

Cat

[kirabolton]

1) Name: Kira Bolton

2) Height: 5,6

3) Occupation: Student

4) What do you do on Sundays? I go to work in the mornings, if it's soccer season i play soccer, or i sit at home and watch sport or do homework.

5) What languages can you speak? I speak English, and i tiny bit of Ukranian but i am pretty bad at it.

6) Who has had the most influence on you? Def. my sister, i don't have my own personality i only stole hers.

7) What's on your "To Do" list? Figure out which places to cut out of Europe trip. Don't spend the money i am earning.

8) Discribe your living situation: Well, i'm only just 17 so i obviously still live with my parents, and my older sister who is 19 is still at home as well.

9) Previous Halloween costumes: ha, i always went as a witch because i couldn't really be bothered to go as anything else, although when i was little i think my mum might have dressed me up as a chicken.

10) Your dream job: It would be so great to be a presenter on one of those travel shows, i mean, you get paid money to go places, i am soooo envious of them.

[MuvverRussia]

I didn't see this the first time around, so here goes:

1) Name: Chris Palfrey

2) Height: 1.8m

3) Occupation: Student

4) What do you do on Sundays? Sleep off my usual hangover , go down the park- the usual stuff.

5) What languages can you speak? I speak english, hablé español y/a siariad cymraeg. I studied Welsh and Spanish when I was in High School btw- I'm by no means fluent, although I'm still learning Castellaño.<br>
6) Who has had the most influence on you? I'd say my friends.

7) What's on your "To Do" list? I don't really have one, I tend to live each day as it comes. Then again I do have a long term To Do list thing (basically to complete my degree lol).

8) Discribe your living situation: An apartment down in Greenwich (hey, everyone loves being South of the river lol). It's ok, but the commute to school each day can be a bitch.

9) Previous Halloween costumes: I never really celebrated halloween. Instead in the UK we celebrate Guy Fawkes' night- it's an excuse to light huge bonfires and to blow things up with (cough) illegal (cough) Chinese fireworks ;D.

10) Your dream job: Sad to say I'm a slave to the wage, so it would probably be something in the City- possibly hedge fund management at the moment (at least that's in keeping with my degree).

[Gagirl]

I'm a sucker for these...I rarely post but enjoy reading what everyone is saying.

1) NAME
Julie

2) Height:
5 feet 9 inches

3) Occupation:
Grad Student/Text Coordinator for bookstore

4) What do you do on Sundays?
Go to church, watch cheesy movies, do school work, plan my week ahead

5) What languages can you speak? English

6) Who has had the most influence on you?
Probably some of my better teachers

7) What's on your "To Do" list?
Teach in Hawaii for a year, go to New Zealand, be a mom (after the first two of course), write a book (somewhere in the mix)

8) Discribe your living situation:
Typical college condo with someone I barely know, but content.

9) Previous Halloween costumes: My fav one was a DeadHead, following around my best friend who was Jerry Garcia

10) Your dream job: Author, writer, anything dealing with words