Who wants cheese?

[apple_pathways]

The POLL to accompany my post about languages. As usual, I cut myself off because I ran out of time, and not necessarily because I finished asking everything I wanted. So take note: there may be follow-up questions! XD

For the purposes of this poll, we will use the following definitions from Wikipedia, that bastion of academic rigor and accuracy: (Also see this article on multilingualism.)

Language fluency is used informally to denote broadly a high level of language proficiency, most typically foreign language or another learned language, and more narrowly to denote fluid language use, as opposed to slow, halting use.

Conversational means able to carry on a casual conversation, but not necessarily without halts in speech, or gaps in vocabulary.

Skip any questions that don't apply. Pretend that it's not weird I spend so much of my free time coming up with meaningless LJ Polls written in unneccessarily-academic language.


[Poll #1706752]

Please leave any details you're willing to share about your language abilities and experiences learning foreign languages in the comments below!

Comments

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

That is just really awesome! Go The Netherlands! (I've never heard of a Dutch person who wasn't, at the least, bilingual. Is that mostly true?)

Wow, that is a lot of languages--how did you have time for other classes?! ;)

[voltaires-vice.livejournal.com]

I didn't have any other classes apart from History. I graduated Grammar School in 7 subjects.

Most Dutch people are bilingual. We have to be, because it's a small country with big aspirations. I mean, we founded New York for goodness sake! We boast the biggest port in Europe; we pumped water away to make new land (google "afsluitdijk" or "zuiderzee"); we have an international reputation for tolerance; we had the East India Company.... etc etc etc.
We've always been a nation of slightly quixotic adventurers: "Who says we cannot do this? Let's try anyway."
For that, you need at least one other language other than Dutch with which to communicate.

Also, the Dutch know that they live on a small, insignificant piece of land. Couple that with Protestant modesty and you understand why no Dutch person expects a foreigner to speak Dutch, but will instead happily display his own language ability.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I didn't have any other classes apart from History. I graduated Grammar School in 7 subjects.

See, now I'm really tempted to do a comprehensive poll on school systems! :P I'm so used to the American system that insists you do a little bit of everything, that the more subject-intensive courses of other countries really fascinate me! (As a naturally curious person, I like that I took advanced courses in English Lit, American Government, European History, Chemistry, and Spanish--but I also recognize that the level of intensity wasn't so great, and I wasn't as prepared for a course of advanced study at the university level as students of other countries.)

You're right: the Dutch are pretty bad-ass. ;) Someday I'm going to visit, and perhaps you can give me the Dutch World Tour! I think a desire to learn other languages in order to branch out is incredibly admirable. (Also, speaking of my wanting to purchase foreign foods unavailable in the US: I have to get my hands on some of that tea you sent me! I'm going to PM you with a request you are more than free to decline!)

At first, "afsluitdijk" looked like a confusing string of gibberish to me, but does "dijk" roughly correspond to "dike"?

[voltaires-vice.livejournal.com]

'Dike' is the anglicised version of 'dijk'. :)
'Afsluiten' means 'to lock'.

In Holland, the kind of school determines where you're headed, as opposed to college in the US. At the age of 12, in your last year of elementary school, everyone is subjected to a Standard Aptitude Test, that measures your IQ etc. This determines your school. If you go to 'gymnasium', as I did, you're automatically bound for University (only about 7% of young people go to Uni). You're specifically groomed for Uni, so you are taught Classics and do really in-depth studies of your chosen path. For me, it was languages because numbers scare me. If you choose all languages you are not allowed to choose, say, chemistry as well, because it doesn't fit in with the path you're headed down. Languages = alpha; sciences = bèta; economics = gamma. That is what I put on my resumé as well: 'gymnasium alpha', so that future employers know at a glance it's useless to have me work in the finance department.