Foreign Language Interests

Some people collect stamps - or coins, some do crossword puzzles, some like to complete picture puzzles. 

For me, it is collecting bits and pieces of languages.

I have had a life-long love affair with wanting to continue learning new languages. At every opportunity, whether during my international travel - or when working with a new colleague that speaks an unfamiliar language - I have always sought to learn some new bits of the language's vocabulary and phrases.

These are a few notes on just some of the ~48 languages that have caught my interests, over time:

French:  

• The first foreign language I formally studied. 
• While in Jr. High School, I took two years of French.
• In 1983-1984, and later in the 1990s, I made several trips to Paris (it is NOT a favorite city)

Japanese: 

• My passionate interests in Japanese martial arts, naturally led to my study of the Japanese language. 
• I can teach a karate training class in reasonable Japanese.
• Increasing my Japanese language skills is one of my top language learning priorites. 
  

German:

• During military service in the U.S. Army, I spent some time living in Bamberg, Bavaria, West Germany (1983-1984).
• Part of my orientation to my new duty assignment included an intensive 40 hour one-week German language class. That helped greatly. 
• I also created a karate training program at the local gym on the base - that was also open to local civilians. After training sessions, a number of students would meet at a local beer garden - and it was in those relaxed moments that my grasp of German deepened substantially. 
• During the 1983-1984 period, I found myself beginning to think (and dream) in German.
• Some years later, I took two semesters of German while attending university. 
• In the early 1990s, a professional consulting assignment took me back to Germany (Frankfurt), for the better part of a year, with back-to-back to trips (3 weeks on site, 1 week back home in the U.S.). Being immersed in German culture again, I found much of my German was easily recalled.  
• During a business trip to Istanbul Turkey, my limited German came in *very* handy, when my colleagues and I were jammed in a cab, trying to get the cab driver to get us to a ferry terminal ASAP for an imminent scheduled departure. The Turkish-speaking driver did not speak English, but...he had driven a cab in Germany (!!!) - and spoke German - and we had an enjoyable conversation.

Russian:  

• I made a half-hearted attempt to learn some Russian, back in the early 1990s - before I made a solo trip to Moscow.
  
• It is a difficult language to learn (especially for me, without having someone to practice).

Spanish:  

• During my 2004 sailing sabbatical in Mexico, I picked-up quite a bit of Spanish - and continued to improve, during my many trips back to Mazatlan (to spend time aboard my sailboat, that I had left in Marina Mazatlan). 
• Later, I took one semester of Spanish at a university. 

Polish:  

• During a consulting engagement (2001-2002), I spent six months living in Warsaw Poland - and made a good effort to learn enough Polish to be able to give cab drivers instructions, and to order food in restaurants. 

Turkish:  

• During a two week business trip to Istanbul Turkey, I picked-up a little bit of Turkish. 

Arabic:  

• In 1981, I spent a month on a military deployment to Egypt - and developed an interest in learning some Arabic. 
• In later years, I purchased a CD program to begin my study of Arabic.  
• During 2004-2005, I had business  trips to Lebanon, and Pakistan - and my very weak Arabic still proved useful in demonstrating that I was keenly interested in learning about their country, their culture, and their languages.
  

 Urdu: 

• During 2004-2005, I had a couple of business trips to Karachi Pakistan - and spent some time trying to learn a bit of Urdu. That effort was well received by my business contacts in Pakistan. 

Tagalog & Ilocano: 

• My ex-wife's family immigrated from the Philippines to Hawaii - they spoke Tagalog & Illocano. 
• I learned a smattering of phrases...mostly around food.
  

 Malay: 

• I spent some time in Georgetown, on the island of Penang - as well as some time in Kuala Lumpur,  Malysia - and have an interest in learning more of this language. 

Mandarin Chinese:  

• I have developed a very small vocabulary of Mandarin - and would like to significantly expand my skill in this language. 

Lakota: 

• I have a fascination with the Lakota language, and have spent a small amount of time studying the language. 

 

Future Language Study Interests:  

• Greek
  
• Hebrew
  
• Hindi
• Latin
• Italian
• Icelandic
• Thai