| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you keep your conversational skills in your second language updated? (classes, calls, powwows) Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you keep your conversational skills in your second language updated? (classes, calls, powwows)".
View the poll results »
| | | | David Wright 
Austria
Local time: 06:38
German to English
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| Bit difficult not to | May 15, 2011 |
my neighbours, friends etc don't speak my first language (and frankly, keeping that one up to date is more of a problem!)
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David Wright wrote:
my neighbours, friends etc don't speak my first language (and frankly, keeping that one up to date is more of a problem!)
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 06:38
Member (2009)
English to German
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Living in a bilingual environment, though presently mostly English, this comes easy.
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My partner is German and we always speak German at home. Luckily he is also an engineer, so I have twice an expert at hand if I´m in need.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 06:38
Spanish to English
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Not an issue chez moi.
My 2nd language is Spanish, I've lived here for 20 years and my concern is more akin to David's in Austria. Apart from the odd cultural gaffe like not greeting everyone every time you see them or inappropriate swearing, I still make the odd mistakes with adjective agreements and subjunctives but so do many native speakers...
| | | | Amy Duncan (X)
Brazil
Local time: 01:38
Portuguese to English
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Yes, I'm up-to-date, but certainly not through classes or powwows...I find I learn most of the current expressions in my exchanges with Brazilian friends on Facebook. Also, I really don't speak English here at all, except on Skype to a couple of American friends.
| | | | | I actually do | May 15, 2011 |
Fortunately I still do. In college I have English and Spanish classes twice a week, along with some classes in English which helps me practice, since I am not very good when it comes to speak - even in my first language.
I am planning to emmigrate to a place where the first language will be English, but there will also be lots of emmigrants from Portugal, enabling me to practice both languages, or so I hope.
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My significant other's mother tongue is English, so 80% of our dialogue is in English. She said my spoken English has improved greatly since we started dating.
| | | | Dave Bindon
Greece
Local time: 07:38
Greek to English
In memoriam | Like some of the others have said... | May 15, 2011 |
...I'm more worried about my skills in my native language. I haven't had a conversation in English for over a month, and that wasn't 100% perfect: my mind went completely blank on a couple of items of vocabulary (for example, I had to say "thing that motorcyclists put on their heads" because I could only remember the Greek word for 'helmet'!).
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My second language is my language of habitual usage.
I have to make a conscious effort to keep up in my native language.
However, it is spoken on TV every day/night. Films are subtitled, not dubbed here, and we can watch a wide range of satellite TV. Not the BBC to my annoyance, but the package includes CNN, Discovery and National Geographic.
Then with Skype there is no excuse for not calling my relatives.
I console myself with the thought that anyon... See more My second language is my language of habitual usage.
I have to make a conscious effort to keep up in my native language.
However, it is spoken on TV every day/night. Films are subtitled, not dubbed here, and we can watch a wide range of satellite TV. Not the BBC to my annoyance, but the package includes CNN, Discovery and National Geographic.
Then with Skype there is no excuse for not calling my relatives.
I console myself with the thought that anyone my age has to work at keeping up to date. Split infinitives are allowed and there are whole dictionaries of new concepts, from semi-skimmed milk to the Internet and everything that goes with it, which did not exist when I was at school!
Groovy, man!
If I had time I would make more effort to keep my other languages up too, but there is a real world out there! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jenn Mercer
United States
Local time: 00:38
Member (2009)
French to English
I am going to a translation conference in Paris later this week (http://www.unetica.fr/actualites). The conference looks to be quite interesting and useful, but a significant part of the benefit for me will be the chance to be immersed in French once again. Not to speak of the opportunities for wine and chocolate...
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No problem keeping up with Russian, French and Spanish (and lately Portuguese) since I'm surrounded by native speakers here in Toronto but finding German speakers is a little tricky
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 22:38
English to Spanish
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In memoriam
It's not easy to say which is my first or second language, I am equal in both and I use both on a daily basis on all levels imaginable. Living in a border community like I do has its advantages.
| | | | Woodstock (X)
Germany
Local time: 06:38
German to English
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| Same situation as several other posters here: | May 16, 2011 |
I live in the country of my "second" language ("second" only because I started learning it after English - at age 4), which is also as native as my first, since I grew up bi-lingual/bi-cultural. I have no contact to any native English-speakers, but I'm active in US politics online, read and participate in political blogs, follow Twitter and Facebook, and talk to family via Skype now and then. So one could say I'm pretty well immersed in American culture, even while living abroad! Oh, and I also ... See more I live in the country of my "second" language ("second" only because I started learning it after English - at age 4), which is also as native as my first, since I grew up bi-lingual/bi-cultural. I have no contact to any native English-speakers, but I'm active in US politics online, read and participate in political blogs, follow Twitter and Facebook, and talk to family via Skype now and then. So one could say I'm pretty well immersed in American culture, even while living abroad! Oh, and I also sometimes play an MMORPG* on an English (UK) server, which is a fantastic way to socialize virtually and keep up with contemporary language trends (i.e. slang).
*For those who may not know what an "MMORPG" is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massively_multiplayer_online_role-playing_game ▲ Collapse
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