What languages do you speak?

[Nuytsia]

I was checking out what Dutch TV shows we get here in Australia, and just found out the kids cartoon 'Miffy and Friends' is Dutch!
I had no idea!!!!!!!
Other than that, we get the occasional Dutch movie and Dutch News (but the latter has no subtitles so I have no idea what's going on) .....

I don't think I've ever seen a TV program here from Finland, but I just found one movie in the TV guide so now I'm going to watch it!

[Mervi]

I don't think I've ever heard of any Finnish tv series being exported, but there are several directors and films that some of you *might* come across one day. Nuytsia, what movie was it?

[Nuytsia]

oh oh now I've been found out. I forgot to watch it!! And now I can't remember what it was called
Hey another coincedence re Finland - I am doing a pottery course at the moment and two potters from Finland were apparently here recently doing some workshop.I didn't go to it but, as I don't think Australia gets many visitors from Finland, thought it was interesting!

[joost]

The only Finnish stuff I have is a DVD with Jade soturi and one with Pasila (I haven't watched that one yet though). I have seen some Kaurismaki movies, and liked them.

Anyone seen 'Night on earth'? I liked the part in Helsinki, although it's not the best.

[joost]

Pasila

Well, I started watching this yesterday. But only the first episode had English subs, the rest was just in Finnish. And unfortunately, watching a TV series when the only things you can understand are 'Kuolema' and 'Köysti Pöysti' isn't very much fun.

[Mervi]

I have to admit I've never watched that series myself, so I can't be of any help.

[Farseer]

I was checking out what Dutch TV shows we get here in Australia, and just found out the kids cartoon 'Miffy and Friends' is Dutch!

The question remains...WHY were you watching 'Miffy', oh Childless One ?!

Getting back to the topic , I would be interested to hear the reason or motivation behind learning so many languages (for those of you who are multilingual). Is it because you simply have a talent or interest in this kind of thing; you were born into a mulitcultural family environment; is it out of a necessity, like for a job; or is it just due to the fact that you are all so close geographically to different regions/cultures and therefore learn these languages for ease of travel etc?

Also, do any of you know how to sign in the languages you are fluent in (or is there a universal sign language...I've never really thought about it before...showing my ignorance ?!)?

[joost]

Dutch is a small language, so in secondary school you get, besides Dutch, several foreign languages: English, French and German for most levels, and additionally ancient Latin and ancient Greek for gymnasium students. Some schools also offer Frysian (a local language in the nothern part of the Netherlands), Russian or Spanish.

[Farseer]

Dutch is a small language, so in secondary school you get, besides Dutch, several foreign languages: English, French and German for most levels,

Is another language compulsory? When you say English, French and German does that mean you must learn all three (crikey!) or can you choose one of the three? I think I am correct in saying that, while it does differ from region-to-region and state-to-state, at least one LOTE (Languages Other Than English) is compulsory in most schools in Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales and soon also the Australian Capital Territory, for upper primary and lower secondary students. Japanese, French and then German are, by far, the most common however many others are still offered eg Chinese, Italian, Indonesian etc.

LOTE in Years 6,7 and 8 was once also mandatory here in Queensland (my sons both learnt Japanese) but, after a review and subsequent change to an "optional" status by the Education Department only a couple of years ago, nearly one quarter of state schools decided to drop it. I was very surprised at the divisiveness it caused in all quarters of the education system, particularly as I had expected most would want to keep it, as I did!

Apparently the Qld Government is now calling for a formal review of the decision so we may yet see it reversed...

As an extra point, many Indigenous Australians have grown up learning Indigenous languages as their mother tongue and so English often then becomes their "LOTE"...on the flip-side, only a very limited number of Australian schools (that have Indigenous students in rural and remote regions) offer local Indigenous languages as their LOTE.

For myself, I think it is sad that we live in a country that teaches international languages but not the languages of our fellow countrymen...Aboriginal actor, Ernie Dingo, said it best, I think: "We all know how to say "yes" in Spanish, don't we? We all know how to say "yes" in German, don't we? We all know how to say "yes" in French, don't we? Do we know how to say "yes" in any of the 360 Aboriginal dialects in this country?

and additionally ancient Latin and ancient Greek for gymnasium students.

Obviously there is a reason for this, but I can't think what it could be?!

[RZ]

Hmm, I speak English, Welsh and Urdu with at least moderate fluency. Though the latter two are a bit rusty... I also know a little bit of Punjabi and German, and the tiniest bit of Spanish.

Reason or motivations? I just grew up with most of them, really. German was for school though, and Spanish was for a long trip I took to Peru when I was 15. But seeing as that was 6 years ago... those two are unfortunately mostly forgotten...