CallySleeper
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Northern
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Languages spoken by forum members
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RailUK Forums
backontrack
Established Member
English, and I'm quite good at French...
Ash Bridge
Established Member
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306024
Established Member
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90019
Established Member
Just English so far, but since my other half is Polish, that could yet change.
Trog
Established Member
I used to work with a Smoggy he had to keep going out for a smoke or the high oxygen levels made him light headed.
As for me I think this speaking foreign is a bit ungrateful, considering how much trouble our ancestors went to give Johnny Foreigner a chance to learn to speak English.
So I only speak English and Railway.
As for me I think this speaking foreign is a bit ungrateful, considering how much trouble our ancestors went to give Johnny Foreigner a chance to learn to speak English.
So I only speak English and Railway.
DynamicSpirit
Established Member
Fluent in C#, pretty good knowledge of VB, C++, IL and some F#.
Oh, hang on, have I misunderstood something about the topic of this thread?
Oh, hang on, have I misunderstood something about the topic of this thread?
At one point time I was fluent in x86 assembly, C, C++, various BASIC variants and Pascal. Able to get by in Cobol, Java and Ada. Managed to write code that would compile and/or run in Lisp, Fortran and probably another couple of languages.
Like everything else, since leaving academia I've probably not written anything other than the odd VBA macro in ages.
Human languages it's English only (can manage a few sentences in Spanish and Portuguese).
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Now that reminds me, in Paris in May 2014 I took the wife on a shopping trip to Galleries Lafayette* and upon trying to exit the store we found the doors blocked a dozens of Japanese milling around waiting for a coach to start boarding.
"Excusez-moi!"
No result. No movement. Try again in a louder voice. Same result. They obviously didn't understand French.
Evil thought then occurs to me..... although aware that most Japanese are very good with English, I thought I would try another tack:
In a very loud voice: "Excusez-moi, vous tetes de merde!"
The crowd of Japanese then suddenly parted and let us through, all making that typical polite little bow they do and indicating the way for us.....
( They really didn't understand a word of French did they?! )
*It was a reward I offered in August 2013 if she could control her wild overspending and build her account up to a specific level ( £1000 ) by the end of December 2013 which I had thought I was safe in offering... big, expensive, mistake! Unbelievably she managed it with a few days to spare!
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martinsh
Established Member
I know enough Latvian to get by when I go there.
backontrack
Established Member
How about trainspotter language?
'So we went bashing down the ECML from Donny on a Dusty Bin. However, we needed to be on time at Leeds for our connection onto the Nodding Donkey. Out of Donny we passed the forlorn Darth Vaders and even the Flying Banana. Earlier on, further south down the ECML, we'd seen Happy Trains and more Dusty Bins, in addition to a tour led by a Deltic and a Brush loco. Earlier on we'd seen a 319 at St Pancakes still in WorstGroup Barbie livery, and at Victoria a Plastic Pig that used to belong to the Rebel Alliance. At Marylebone we spotted gricers taking the numbers of Networker Clubmans, and cats steaming ahead towards Snow Hell. We boarded an Unspeakable Horror to Sandwell and Dudley, which was a shack scratch. The Pendolino was a winner for haulage (though not for sight), as it was 390154 leading dud 390156. We then returned to New Street ready for our rides on my last XC tram and a starship. We also saw an EWS skip (which gave out lots of clag) and a Bubble Car, as well as a Baby Deltic. I'm looking forward for Red Pen 2016 and my next ALR.'
'So we went bashing down the ECML from Donny on a Dusty Bin. However, we needed to be on time at Leeds for our connection onto the Nodding Donkey. Out of Donny we passed the forlorn Darth Vaders and even the Flying Banana. Earlier on, further south down the ECML, we'd seen Happy Trains and more Dusty Bins, in addition to a tour led by a Deltic and a Brush loco. Earlier on we'd seen a 319 at St Pancakes still in WorstGroup Barbie livery, and at Victoria a Plastic Pig that used to belong to the Rebel Alliance. At Marylebone we spotted gricers taking the numbers of Networker Clubmans, and cats steaming ahead towards Snow Hell. We boarded an Unspeakable Horror to Sandwell and Dudley, which was a shack scratch. The Pendolino was a winner for haulage (though not for sight), as it was 390154 leading dud 390156. We then returned to New Street ready for our rides on my last XC tram and a starship. We also saw an EWS skip (which gave out lots of clag) and a Bubble Car, as well as a Baby Deltic. I'm looking forward for Red Pen 2016 and my next ALR.'
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HMS Ark Royal
Established Member
"Excusez-moi, vous tetes de merde!"
The crowd of Japanese then suddenly parted and let us through, all making that typical polite little bow they do and indicating the way for us.....
Yes, that would get them moving indeed.
Little side note:- the Japanese are most likely to suffer from Paris Syndrome... Something that amused me all day long https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome Seems they can not understand France
ATW Alex 101
Established Member
Being half-Filipino I speak somewhat basic tagalog, but nowhere near as fluent as most Filipinos but enough to get me by. Seeing as English, however, is one of two main languages in the Philippines, it's never normally an issue. 
I also studied French for 5 years at school up to and including GCSE but I ended up with a grade D in that overall.
Aside from languages, I speak with quite a strong 'woolybak' scouse accent with quite a bit of an East Midlands accent thrown in there as well Blame having one side of my family from Mansfield and living in Ellesmere Port for such the varied accent...
I also studied French for 5 years at school up to and including GCSE but I ended up with a grade D in that overall.
Aside from languages, I speak with quite a strong 'woolybak' scouse accent with quite a bit of an East Midlands accent thrown in there as well
Blame having one side of my family from Mansfield and living in Ellesmere Port for such the varied accent...
DarloRich
Veteran Member
I hate such wibble. Hate it. You make everyone with an interest in railways look stupid. Stop it.
That is all.
deltic1989
Established Member
I have a reasonable command of a few languages, which in my line of work is rather useful.
I learned German at school, and developed my skills in the language, by immersion visiting several parts of Germany, which has helped me to discover some different regional dialects also.
Similarly I learned French at school, and have had cause to use it on a few occasions both at home and abroad (though not necessarily in France).
I know enough Spanish to find my way around and get the essensial things that I need:
Un Cerveza Por Favor
Lastly having several Eastern European colleagues I have found that a basic command of Polish has been useful, though I am by no means competent enough to hold a full conversation.
I learned German at school, and developed my skills in the language, by immersion visiting several parts of Germany, which has helped me to discover some different regional dialects also.
Similarly I learned French at school, and have had cause to use it on a few occasions both at home and abroad (though not necessarily in France).
I know enough Spanish to find my way around and get the essensial things that I need:
Un Cerveza Por Favor
Lastly having several Eastern European colleagues I have found that a basic command of Polish has been useful, though I am by no means competent enough to hold a full conversation.
backontrack
Established Member
Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I agree with you about it.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
I don't think they would have been quite so polite if they had understood what I said, though, would they?!
HMS Ark Royal
Established Member
I don't think they would have been quite so polite if they had understood what I said, though, would they?!
Indeed not...
DarloRich
Veteran Member
I have moved on from shooting the messenger and have reached the shooting the bloke who repaired the coffee machine in the company employing the bloke who fixed the printer that printed the message for the messenger to carry stage
Apologies: it was not meant as a communication to you alone but to all!
Shall i translate?
GatwickDepress
Established Member
I can speak German and Russian with some degree of fluency. I did French at school but was never too interested in it - which I regret now. I'm toying with learning Arabic at the moment.
Donny Dave
Established Member
Vai tas ir tāpēc, ka jūsu partneris ir Latvijā?
martinsh
Established Member
Ne. Mans "partneris" ir Amerikaniete. Bet tetim bija Latvietis. Esmu dzimis un pieaugijis Anglijā un pirma braukŝana uz Latviju man nesaprot neviena varda Latviski.
Man ļoti patik trolejbusi un Latvieŝu alu un edieni.
Donny Dave
Established Member
Ah, I sort of got my guess right, but wrong relation.
And thanks for reminding me, my stock of Latvian ale is running low.
And thanks for reminding me, my stock of Latvian ale is running low.
317666
Established Member
I know a decent amount of German and also a bit of Dutch. I did take (well I was forced, I hate the language!) GCSE French, but I've since forgotten all but the basics.
ValleyLines142
Established Member
I speak English (of course) and I am also fluent in French. I also can get by with broken Italian.
jonty14
Member
Can speak fluent German and County Durham English. Having a North East accent makes speaking German a lot easier I find.
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