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Poll: Do you see yourself as a polyglot? Please share. Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you see yourself as a polyglot? Please share.".
This poll was originally submitted by Ron Peek
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you see yourself as a polyglot? Please share.".
This poll was originally submitted by Ron Peek
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
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Ron Peek 
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
German to English
+ ...
| Are you a polyglot (or not)? | Feb 10, 2009 |
Hi everyone,
Thanks for replying to the poll! I would be grateful if you could give an
indication as to why you think you are a polyglot (or why not). I am
currently doing some research on the topic and am interested in
how people would define the term ´polyglot´.
If you have any questions, then please let me know as well.
Kind regards and many thanks,
Ron
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 20:03
English to French
+ ...
Others may consider me as a polyglot but I know what I have left to learn.
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By definition, a poliglot is a person who speaks, reads and writes many languages. Probably the question would be how many languages would make you a poliglot and at what level each of them has to be? I don't know but here's what I do:
- Speak, write and read Alabanian (mother tongue);
- Speak, write and read Italia (second mother tongue);
- Speak, write and read English (Working language as translator and interpreter);
- Speak, write and read at a student level... See more By definition, a poliglot is a person who speaks, reads and writes many languages. Probably the question would be how many languages would make you a poliglot and at what level each of them has to be? I don't know but here's what I do:
- Speak, write and read Alabanian (mother tongue);
- Speak, write and read Italia (second mother tongue);
- Speak, write and read English (Working language as translator and interpreter);
- Speak, write and read at a student level Russian language (lived in a Russian speaking country for 5 years and took lessons). At the end of the 5 years period I was able to understand the news, to speak about not complicated concepts, to read the prescription of my medicine.
- Speak, write and read Romanian at a decent level. Moved to Romania for the second time and besides, Romanian is so easy to understand for an Italian speaker like me.
I guess I am a polyglot, unless someone explains me the contrary. So are my kids...they are much bettern then me, actually. They surprise me with the capacity they have to dive into a language.
My 2 cents. Best regards,
Fabiana ▲ Collapse
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One of the definitions is that a polyglot is "a person having a speaking, reading, or writing knowledge of several languages".
With very good English and French, and basic Spanish (plus two more languages I am currently learning), I do see myself as a polyglot.
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Yaotl Altan
Mexico
Local time: 12:03
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I speak, write and read Italian and Spanish.
I work from English and French.
I know a little bit of German.
[Modificato alle 2009-02-10 13:46 GMT]
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I've never thought about it before now, but I guess I could call myself a polyglot, yes.
My mother-tongue is German, I speak English with my Swedish husband, and Swedish with my Swedish friends, family, acquaintances, and other people I meet in everyday life. Unfortunately, I have lost most of my other language knowledge over time (I've also learned some French, Russian, Spanish, Dutch, Latin, and a teensy-weensy bit of Chinese, as well as Irish-Gaelic)... but nevertheless, it's a d... See more I've never thought about it before now, but I guess I could call myself a polyglot, yes.
My mother-tongue is German, I speak English with my Swedish husband, and Swedish with my Swedish friends, family, acquaintances, and other people I meet in everyday life. Unfortunately, I have lost most of my other language knowledge over time (I've also learned some French, Russian, Spanish, Dutch, Latin, and a teensy-weensy bit of Chinese, as well as Irish-Gaelic)... but nevertheless, it's a dream come true to be able to speak several different languages on a day to day basis! I used to only be able to do that on holidays, and I used to looooong to get the opportunity to speak English again when the holiday was over... I don't know why, but I really like the language (which is one of the reasons why my husband and I haven't switched to Swedish in private conversations - we both love speaking English!). ▲ Collapse
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Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Russian to English
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In memoriam
Non-Polyglot's Lament
Do I think I'm a polyglot?
Why, no, in fact I'm sure I'm not.
Though other tongues are known to me,
I cannot speak them fluently.
My writing in them's not creative.
I mix up genitive and dative;
And if I tried to write this verse
In them, it would be even worse.
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Saskia Steur (X)
Local time: 20:03
English to Dutch
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| No, I am not a polyglot | Feb 10, 2009 |
According to myself, but also according to this definition (sorry, only in Dutch) I am not a polyglot
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyglot
I am a native Dutch speaker.
I am a near native English speaker
I can read German and basic French
I can speak basic German en a tiny bit of French and Italian...
I am quite happy about my skills, no mista... See more According to myself, but also according to this definition (sorry, only in Dutch) I am not a polyglot
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyglot
I am a native Dutch speaker.
I am a near native English speaker
I can read German and basic French
I can speak basic German en a tiny bit of French and Italian...
I am quite happy about my skills, no mistake about that, but there's so much left to learn...
Saskia
[Edited at 2009-02-10 15:15 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Jack Doughty wrote:
Non-Polyglot's Lament
Do I think I'm a polyglot?
Why, no, in fact I'm sure I'm not.
Though other tongues are known to me,
I cannot speak them fluently.
My writing in them's not creative.
I mix up genitive and dative;
And if I tried to write this verse
In them, it would be even worse.
Thanks Jack!
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It must be lovely to be genuinely fluent in several languages. I'm more of a linguistic tourist (through want of time not motivation), and my attempts at Swahili, Arabic, Hindi, Basque and Estonian didn't seem to get very far. For now, at any rate. Perhaps that's something to remedy when I retire. Er, better wait a few decades then .
[Edited at 2009-02-10 15:31 GMT]
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| Nice one, Jack! | Feb 10, 2009 |
Jack Doughty wrote:
Non-Polyglot's Lament
Do I think I'm a polyglot?
Why, no, in fact I'm sure I'm not.
Though other tongues are known to me,
I cannot speak them fluently.
My writing in them's not creative.
I mix up genitive and dative;
And if I tried to write this verse
In them, it would be even worse.
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Jack Doughty wrote:
Non-Polyglot's Lament
Do I think I'm a polyglot?
Why, no, in fact I'm sure I'm not.
Though other tongues are known to me,
I cannot speak them fluently.
My writing in them's not creative.
I mix up genitive and dative;
And if I tried to write this verse
In them, it would be even worse.
Thank you Jack - you`ve brightened up my morning!
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Oleg Osipov
Russian Federation
Local time: 21:03
English to Russian
+ ...
I was majoring in English and Spanish at the university and later had to learn Portuguese to be able to perform my duties as translator/interpreter deep below the equator.
I also have some basic conversational skills of German.
Yet, the only chance to "unfold" my languages is in the States when I am on visit there. The reason is obvious - multicultural and, hence, linguistic diversity.
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Rebecca Garber
Local time: 14:03
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
Thanks, Jack!!
You defined exactly why I'm not, and made me laugh at the same time.
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