Linguaphiles

So, we have threads devoted to other languages. Several Japanese, a couple ebonic threads, a few spanish, a few french, and a couple other ones. What about the students themselves? I'm an (in b4 underage b&) 17 year old student, senior year in high school. When I was five until I was eight I lived in Spain because my dad got a job in Barcelona. I went to an "International" (read as "english") school, so I soaked up absolutely no spanish while I was there, which I really regret right now, though while I was there I did turn decidedly European, in my eating, sleeping, travelling, and other habits. I moved back to America and I took no foreign language in Elementary school, none were offered. In Middle School I was in the band, so I couldn't take a foreign language, as my elective slots were full. I excelled at English, as that's the side of my brain that I like to use.I was a nerd and I fucking LOVED JRR Tolkien. I went as far as to purchase a book explaining the elven languages, and other things like that. I think this is what sparked me into loving foreign languages. I memorized the dwarven runes, and studied Elvish sentence and word structure. I was almost fluent.  High school came along and I took Spanish 1 my Freshman year.  God, it was my favorite class. Sophomore year I took Spanish 2 as well as French 1, as I found out that I had a knack for languages. I passed Spanish 2 with flying colors, at the head of the class, but I got a D in French 1, which I COMPLETELY blame on a girl in the class who was AMAZINGLY fucking attractive. Junior year I retook French 1, and aced Spanish 3, head of the class. I've had good relationships with my foreign language teachers, so in the last quarter I talked to my Spanish teacher about taking an independent study in Japanese. Like I said, I'm a nerd. I lean towards the traditional  D&D nerd, but I love my animu as well. Mostly I was interested in the challenge, from everything I'd heard before that, Japanese was nigh impossible to learn. That fell through, though I got Rosetta Stone and have been studying off and on again. Over the summer I've taken an intense Spanish 4 course, so I can get into AP Spanish next year. French 2 next year as well, and if the class load allows it, Japanese classes at the local community college. I fucking love languages. Why do you care enough about languages to post on this board?

I was born in the U.S to a hispanic family, so Spanish was my first language followed by English. I just love the way languages sound, and I'm amazed at the different accents a single language can have. I don't know how else to explain it. I really wish that the European languages had not taken over the Native American languages, but I guess that's a different story.

Ugh, I'm pissed at myself for not taking Spanish when I was a freshman. I finally took Spanish 1 in junior year, and like you, I was at the top of the class and it was my favorite. Now I am in my last year of highschool and barely in Spanish 2 because I waited to take Spanish 1. (I took art and home ec earlier. Wtf @ lame descisions.) I also took American Sign Language last year, which was awesome, and I recommend learning a sign language to any linguaphile, or people interested in any cognitive science in relation to linguistics.

I first took an interest in Spanish because it was the language I was bullied in while in the third grade, after moving to Southern California. It's also the first language of my best friend, my aunt, and many other people I associate with regularly. I learned it partially by being in a 92% hispanic elementary school, osmodically. I've mostly learned it through studying it by myself and from my best friend's family (even when I was in the Spanish 1 class, heh).

I think I always was inclined to liking languages, but I don't know the reason. When I was little I would often "make up" languages (they weren't very good, I was only 5). When I only knew English I was very interested in dialects and different ways of putting things, the origins of words, phonetics, the origins of the alphabet. Then I became curious about not only the differnces within English, but between all languages, getting to the root of language itself, observing language(s) as an organism...I think you get the point. Also, it's just fun to be able to say things in other languages.

As for us being conlang nerds, I taught myself Esperanto when I was 14. Mojosa, c'u ne?

Monolingual through all of highschool (unless latin counts =/). I guess that void is what made me love languages, so right now I'm planning on double majoring in Italian and Mandarin. Thoughts?

>>4
I'm biased but I'd say there's nothing more valuable to study than a foreign tongue. What else are you gonna learn, anthropology or some bullshit like that?

>>2

I really wish that the European languages had not almost taken over another Native European languages, but I guess that's a different story.