How did you learn your SO's language, and in how much time?

[Jenn! 918]

I don't speak any Arabic. It's unacceptable to me that I can't even communicate with my MIL. We're hoping to have her for a visit soon, so that will be a good kick in the butt for me to start.

[sereia 0]

same here, jenn, i've bought books/mp3 discs so i can learn, hubby has taught me some of the alphabet, and i know a lot of words but i cannot form a conversation yet. i just hope i can by the time we go to morocco (whenever that is!)

[Imua 0]

I can only speak a few key phrases in Nepali. I know a fair amount of vocabulary but have been lazy at studying grammar...

I need to really cram as much as possible in the next 3 months so I can speak with my ILs, especially since my MIL says she will teach me how to cook some Nepali dishes so I can keep my man happy when he gets here...

Edited March 1, 2008 by Pattu Rani

[jundp 191]

I know phrases and can have very simple conversations in German. Very simple. My fiance and his family are fluent in English and that makes me lazy to learn. My son is nearly fluent in German though and he helps me. Iäm starting lessons in the fall at the German school in Seattle.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

I know very little spanish, not even enough to carry on a very simple conversation. I understand more than I can speak. Javi spoke english when we started dating so we've only used english. I wish I could learn some spanish because it's impossible for me to communicate with my in laws. That doesn't stop my 16 yr old sister in law, she still calls and texts me all the time. You should see me scrambling to translate what she's saying and respond to her. It's hilarious. :lol:

[R de la R 2]

I know very little spanish, not even enough to carry on a very simple conversation. I understand more than I can speak. Javi spoke english when we started dating so we've only used english. I wish I could learn some spanish because it's impossible for me to communicate with my in laws. That doesn't stop my 16 yr old sister in law, she still calls and texts me all the time. You should see me scrambling to translate what she's saying and respond to her. It's hilarious. :lol:

It was funny when your sister in law texts you. It is a good way for you to learn, maybe you should take some classes. Online they are good if you are ready to do it.

[R de la R 2]

When I met my SO he promised me to learn Spanish, he got a software but later on he decided to quit on this, because he didn´t have a person to practice with. When he comes to visit he say that we speak too fast. I am from Dominican Republic.

Our relationship has been on English since we started dating. At that time, my English was good but I can say that now it is better which is a good thing.

I hope that everybody learn their SO language, so you both can speak the languages and teach the kids in the future.

Edited March 1, 2008 by YMR

[Ahmed N Cheryl 0]

WOW!! LOL AHmed speaks good English so we only use English. However, I get frustrated when I go to Egypt and he speaks in arabic around me so I have learned some. But have not gotten to conversation level yet. HIs Parents love to hear me speak arabic....just imagine a southern belle accent trying to speak arabic. It has to be halarious.

Ana merat Ahmed.......I am Ahmed's Wife

Wahashteni.....miss you

Salam allukum....may peace be upon you

Delwaty.....Now

Walahaga.......Nothing

Ana Bahebak awi awi.....I love you very very much

el donia zahma....this place is crowded

ezzayak....how are you

ana tamam....I am okay

mabrook.....congratulations

Shukran......thank you

afwan.....your welcome

assif.....sorry

gambary.....shrimp

anyway.....it is all I can think of and some may not be correctly spelled. I have about three pages I know but the rest is slipping my mind right now. I can also write my name in arabic and recognize all of his family names in arabic font.

I want to learn more bu my husband to be is a LAZY teacher......LOOOOOOOL

He wants to learn English more and I want to learn arabic. So he speaks English all the time to me and hardly any arabic. I have o ask how you say__________________. before I get any help. LOOOOOOOL One day it will come. I want to be able to have aphone conversain with his mom and sister.

Take Care!!

Cheryl

[GabachaYucateca 0]

When I met my SO he promised me to learn Spanish, he got a software but later on he decided to quit on this, because he didn´t have a person to practice with. When he comes to visit he say that we speak too fast. I am from Dominican Republic.

Our relationship has been on English since we started dating. At that time, my English was good but I can say that now it is better which is a good thing.

I hope that everybody learn their SO language, so you both can speak the languages and teach the kids in the future.

You DO speak too fast in the DR! Even after six years of speaking Spanish, it took quite some adjustment and concentration to understand the Domincians and Puerto Ricans I started working with when I moved back to the US!

But in answer to the original question, it probably took me about six months to become quite comfortable in Spanish. I started not knowing a darn thing, and then after three months, I could kind of communicate. And then two months in hubby's village where no one spoke any English whatsoever.

I can't say how long it took to become truly bilingual, but after 9 years, I am almost as comfortable speaking in Spanish as in English.

However, I don't think I will ever speak much more than a few words of my hubby's mother tongue and I can understand even less.

Edited March 1, 2008 by GabachaYucateca

[chri'stina 190]

We have always communicated in English since my husband is fluent in it. If he were to answer...he learned English in school in India while growing up.

I only know a couple phrases and limited vocab of Hindi. I also can't communicate with my mother in law. My father in law and sis in laws know a lot of English so I can talk to them but not my MIL. I have learned more and more over the years just from hearing Sujeet talk to his fam on the phone but it's not enough to have a real conversation in Hindi.

Edited March 1, 2008 by stina&suj

[kitty loves moudi 0]

Arabic is a tough language to learn! Like Cheryl I know many words, and a few phrases, but by no means able to have a simple conversation. I have developed an "ear" to it, and understand a little bit. The thing about it is that depending of where you are from the language changes. I am learning the lebanese dialect, so if I want to buy a DVD or a book on arabic, it's always different. So while egyptians say waheshtini to say I miss you.. in lebanese they say chtatelak. In egypt they say awa awa for so much.. in lebanese they say ktiir ktiir and in my arabic book it has it as katirun

I would like to communicate with the in law's too. Guess i will have to wait until my hubby comes to learn more.

[*JG* 2]

Enough to know what is being said and to answer. Picking more and more of it up all the time.

[Ken y Leidys 20]

I learned Spanish in 3 months while growing up in th Canal Zone in the 70's.

I was wondering how you spoke to your SO. I also saw a post of yours in Espanol and was impressed.

[eekee 182]

I never even considered it an option not to learn Russian. I started with Rosetta Stone, but its shortcomings became apparent about 1/2 way through the course. I'm currently working with a tutor now, which is definitely the way to go.

My SO is my private tutor. I make him help me with my homework all the time.

I'm jealous of everyone who learned their SO's language in 3 months... I'm on my fourth year of studying Russian and I still wouldn't consider myself fluent.

[Zee Bee 61]

Luckily we don't have that problem. My fiance speaks several Ghanaian languages and learned English in school. I grew up bilingual and, by some fluke, my native language and my fiance's are sister languages. Even so, his English flows better now, and I am learning about the subtle differences between our languages.

But we communicate mainly in English.