cinderr

In Germany, I had saved up enough Marks (In the 80's there were still marks) to get a perm in my hair. I stopped by a local shop and made an appt. When I got there, I tried to convey that I wanted a "body perm". Their eyes got pretty big because I used the word for "dead body". Oops!

strasse-meaning street in German. This is fun.

When my son was a baby, I sang to him endlessly. One day, in the car, when he was very tiny, he said" Stoppa singing!" It was hysterical and he was a very smart little baby! :kiss:

It was convenient that I had high school German when we moved to Germany! Of course, I improved on it while living there and I think by the end of our stay, I spoke the best German in my family. I had to talk to shopkeepers, the landlady, bus drivers, and the garbage men who refused to take my trash (too much) unless I bought them beer! Every week, I had to leave three cans of beer on the trash cans. How fun it that?

I am sorry to say, I think we are. We expect the rest of the world to learn English to communicate with us and until rather recently, we did not go out of our way to learn the language of others. Now that we do business internationally, there has been a push to learn other languages, languages we do business with. Whatever the reason, I think it's good. Personally, I have to 'walk the walk' and choose my language!

#4, please be careful over there as it is a hotbed right now. If you are with a 'local' you will probably be alright but we are not the most loved nation in the world. I think you will pick up the language quickly, being immersed in it like that! When we moved to Germany, I wanted to plunk my kids right into German schools. I knew it would be hard at first but within months, they would speak German! Besides, the rest of the world speaks English so the would surely get some help! My husband would not go for it and put them in American Schools, also an adventure of sorts, but I wish they had learnd German! What an opportunity, eh?

It seems to be easier if you speak a language every day to become proficient in it. Can you still master the language if you start late and don't get to use it? Of course, I would find someone to talk to in it--I'm not at all shy!

We have an idea some are very guttural, thank you Arnold Scwarzenegger! Those are not the lovliest to the ear. I think Russian may fit inot that category, some people think German does but seriously, I think Mr. S. made a language of his own because Austrian doesn't hurt my ears unless he is speaking it. :wacky:

Does pig latin count? Why do they call it that, do you think? I may have to look that up! I think all kids, particularly all besties, make up a language they think is unique to them, don't you? :frozen:

I guess it does. I have heard it spoken in a soft voice and in kindness, though. I think there are many words that are similar in English and German. :emo:

A little different but when I meet someone who speaks German, I can converse with them because I lived there a long time, speak a tad of German. It's nice to talk of mutual places, traditions, and the few German words I remember. Love the country, could live there but for the kids.

I hope I can stay on this site but I must confess, at the moment, I only speak English. I have always wanted to learn another language and have every intention of learning one but which one? I think Spanish would be good.

I think about any foreign (to me) language is sexy when murmured at the right moment, the intimate moment. :wacky: